Wawanesa supports five community-led climate resilience projects across Canada

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Dec. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As Canadian communities face increasing risks from severe, climate-driven natural disasters, Wawanesa is providing support to strengthen local resilience.

Through its Wawanesa Climate Champions: Local Grants initiative, Wawanesa is partnering with five organizations to support local climate adaptation and mitigation projects that aim to reduce the effects of extreme weather on communities.

“Climate change is affecting the places we live and work in ways that require practical, local solutions,” said Mitchell McEwen, Wawanesa’s Director of Sustainability, Climate Resilience & Community Impact. “As a member-owned mutual insurer, we believe in supporting those working closest to these challenges. That’s why we’re helping these organizations advance practical solutions forward and strengthen their capacity to protect their communities.”

The organizations and projects being supported by Wawanesa are:

Living Lakes Canada
Nelson, B.C.

Funding will be used towards Living Lakes Canada’s Mapping Water Resources for Wildfire Suppression project, which will help communities in southeast B.C. adapt to growing wildfire and drought risks by creating detailed maps of available water resources.

Hamilton Conservation Foundation
Hamilton, ON

The Hamilton Conservation Authority will continue its Saltfleet Wetland Restoration Project, restoring natural wetland functions to help reduce flooding and erosion in East Hamilton while improving habitats and water quality.

Long Point Biosphere Region
Port Dover, ON

The grant will support the Long Point Biosphere Region’s North Shore Resilience Project, which will apply nature-based solutions, such as dune restoration with native grasses, to build resilience against the impacts of flooding, erosion, and high-water levels along the north shore of Lake Erie.

The Couchiching Conservancy
Carden, ON

The Couchiching Conservancy will integrate climate-vulnerability mapping, emergency planning, and proactive forest and grassland management to help communities located in the Carden Conservation Corridor reduce flood and wildfire risks and adapt to extreme weather impacts.

Organisme de bassins versants: Société de conservation et d’aménagement du bassin de la rivière Châteauguay (OBV SCABRIC)
Sainte-Martine, Québec

By educating local leaders on sustainable stormwater management best practices and equipping them with practical tools, OBV SCABRIC’s Decentralized Bioretention Training project will help communities in its operating area adapt to flooding and drought risks through nature-based solutions.

Since its launch in 2024, the Wawanesa Climate Champions: Local Grants has awarded more than $488,000 to help fund community-based projects. The initiative is part of the broader Wawanesa Climate Champions program, which invests $2 million annually to support the people and organizations on the front lines of climate change.

About The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company
The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company, founded in 1896, is one of Canada’s largest mutual insurers, with over $4 billion in annual revenue and assets of $11.5 billion. Wawanesa Mutual, with its National Headquarters in Winnipeg, is the parent company of Wawanesa Life, which provides life insurance products and services throughout Canada, and Western Financial Group, which distributes personal and business insurance across Canada. Wawanesa proudly serves more than 1.87 million members in Canada. The company actively gives back to organizations that strengthen communities, donating more than $3.5 million annually to charitable organizations, including over $2 million annually in support of people on the front lines of climate change. Learn more at wawanesa.com.

For more information:
Michel Rosset
Manager, Corporate Communications & Media Relations
The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company
media@wawanesa.com

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