Winnipeg, MB, Dec. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of its commitment to helping build resilience against the growing impacts of climate change, Wawanesa Insurance is pleased to announce three British Columbia organizations are among the 13 recipients from across Canada of its Wawanesa Climate Champions: Local Grants - Vancouver-based Environmental Youth Alliance, Victoria’s Gorge Waterway Action Society, and the Langley Environmental Partners Society
More than $275,000 was awarded through the Wawanesa Climate Champions: Local Grants, with each recipient receiving a portion of the funding.
“We’re proud to have a number of key national partners in our Wawanesa Climate Champions program, and know, at the same time, that incredible climate action is also underway locally from coast to coast,” said Graham Haigh, Wawanesa’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer – West. “The remarkable efforts of these three organizations to tackle climate-related challenges are taking place right in their own communities.”
The initiatives being supported by Wawanesa in B.C. are:
Environmental Youth Alliance – Vancouver
Environmental Youth Alliance will launch and expand a free community volunteer program for teenagers from equity-deserving communities. The initiative will help remove barriers by connecting young people with peers, mentors, and Indigenous Knowledge Keepers in their local area to help develop stronger mental health and social support networks. The project will also offer hands-on sessions focused on native plant horticulture, ecological restoration, and Indigenous foodscapes, equipping participants with the skills to become environmental stewards while deepening their connection to nature.
Gorge Waterway Action Society – Victoria
Gorge Waterway Action Society will use the grant to host a series of events featuring local LGBTQ2S+ artists, musicians, and climate leaders to promote knowledge-sharing and belonging. The project will hold workshops and training sessions to equip community members with practical skills for climate adaptation and mitigation, such as ecological restoration. Among the initiatives planned is hands-on rehabilitation work of Esquimalt Gorge Park, which will result in upwards of 600 native plants being placed throughout the vulnerable coastal habitat.
Langley Environmental Partners Society – Langley
This project will see Langley Environmental Partners Society enhance 3,000m² of streamside ecosystems by removing invasive species and adding 5,000 plants native to the area that provide a wide range of benefits, including stronger riverbanks, reduced erosion potential, increased shade, lower summer water temperatures, and improved habitats for wildlife that depend on the aquatic areas for survival. The initiative will also engage 100 youth in grades 9 to 12 in nature-based education sessions and projects.
Unveiled earlier this year on World Environmental Day, the local grants initiative builds on the success of the Wawanesa Climate Champions program, which provides $2 million annually to support people and organizations working on the front lines of climate resiliency.
About The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company
The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company, founded in 1896, is one of Canada’s largest mutual insurers, with over $3.5 billion in annual revenue and assets of $10 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 1.7 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.
