Wawanesa invests in community-led initiatives building wildfire resilience

Over $200,000 awarded through Community Wildfire Prevention Grants

March 30, 2026, Winnipeg (Manitoba) – As the threat of wildfires continues to intensify across Canada, Wawanesa Insurance is awarding more than $200,000 in Community Wildfire Prevention Grants to help 11 communities and organizations strengthen local resilience.

The Community Wildfire Prevention Grants are part of the Wawanesa Climate Champions program, which invests $2 million annually to support those on the front lines of climate change. This year’s recipients of the Community Wildfire Prevention Grants are:

District of Squamish | British Columbia

Mitigating Wildfire Initiative | Cheslatta Carrier, Wet’suwet’en, and Gitanyow Nations, British Columbia

Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc | British Columbia

Teslin Tlingit Council | Yukon

Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley | Canmore, Alberta

County of Grand Prairie | Alberta

Greenview Fire-Rescue Services | Municipal District of Greenview No. 16, Alberta

Rural Municipality of Big River No. 555 | Saskatchewan

Rural Municipality of Lac Du Bonnet | Manitoba

Thompson Fire & Emergency Services | Thompson, Manitoba

Town of The Pas | Manitoba

“As wildfire season approaches, these communities and organizations are stepping up with decisive, meaningful action to reduce risk and protect what matters most,” said Mitchell McEwen, Wawanesa’s Director of Sustainability, Climate Resilience & Community Impact. “As a mutual insurer, we’re driven to support efforts like these that build lasting resilience, helping communities not only withstand growing risks, but thrive in a changing world.”

The funding will support a wide range of critical community-led wildfire prevention initiatives, including vegetation management programs, risk assessments, community education campaigns, and local FireSmart^TM Canada projects.

“Community involvement is foundational to putting FireSmart principles into action, and Wawanesa’s continued investment directly supports the local efforts that build resilience where it matters most,” said Hannah Swift, Director of Prevention and Mitigation at the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which operates FireSmart Canada. “The Community Wildfire Prevention Grants demonstrate the whole-of-society approach required to advance prevention and mitigation across Canada and set a strong example for others looking to invest in more wildfire-resilient communities.”

Now in its fourth year, the Community Wildfire Prevention Grants were developed in collaboration with FireSmart Canada and the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction. To date, Wawanesa has invested more than $660,000 in wildfire prevention projects, supporting 46 communities across the country.

“Wildfire risk in Canada is evolving at a pace some have thought unimaginable just a few years ago,” said Paul Kovacs, Executive Director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction. “Wawanesa‘s investments in wildfire resilience demonstrates true leadership, helping communities strengthen their defenses, learn from one another, and lessen the far-reaching impacts these destructive events have on people, property, and the economy.”

For more details on the Community Wildfire Prevention Grants recipients and their projects, visit wawanesa.com/wildfire-grants.

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