To enable Canadian communities to take greater action against the growing threat of wildfire, Wawanesa Insurance is increasing the maximum individual funding available through its Community Wildfire Prevention Grants. As the latest round of applications opens, six grants of up to $40,000 each will be available, providing a total of up to $240,000 for locally led wildfire prevention and mitigation initiatives.

Now in its fifth year, Wawanesa's Community Wildfire Prevention Grants have helped 46 communities across Canada strengthen their resilience against wildfire. Developed in collaboration with the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) and the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) , the grants are a cornerstone of the Wawanesa Climate Champions program and continue to evolve based on insights from the mutual insurer's broader climate adaptation work.

"As wildfire risks continue to shift, it was important for us to step back, listen to communities and our partners, and make sure our support continues to meet today's challenges," said Mitchell McEwen, Director, Sustainability, Climate Resilience & Community Impact at Wawanesa. "This is the second straight year we've increased the funding available through these grants, applying what we've learned to give communities more resources to put the solutions that work best for them into action."

The Community Wildfire Prevention Grants have previously been used to support a range of wildfire mitigation efforts, such as vegetation management, risk assessments, public awareness events, education campaigns, and local FireSmart^TM projects.

"Understanding local wildfire risk and identifying appropriate risk reduction actions are important steps toward community wildfire resilience," said Adam Johnston, CIFFC Prevention and Mitigation Director. "But without sufficient support, it can be challenging for communities to put this understanding into action. Grants like the one offered by Wawanesa, along with FireSmart tools and resources, help communities identify local priorities, choose appropriate actions, and engage residents in working together to reduce wildfire risk."

This year, Wawanesa is giving grant recipients more flexibility to address local needs, with project eligibility expanded to include initiative-specific term staff or community incentives that help remove barriers to wildfire risk reduction action.

"Local action is our first and best line of defense against the growing threat of wildfire," said Paul Kovacs, ICLR's Executive Director. "By expanding support for community-led initiatives, Wawanesa is empowering local leaders with the vital resources they need to implement practical, boots-on-the-ground solutions. We're proud to collaborate on this essential program, helping communities move from understanding wildfire risk to building lasting resilience."

The deadline to apply for Wawanesa's Community Wildfire Prevention Grants is December 18. For more details, including application criteria, visit wawanesa.com/wildfire-grants.