ALUS Canada has received a donation of $248,850 from the Intact Foundation to support natural infrastructure projects in Calgary, Brandon, and Ottawa.
“It is gratifying to see ALUS recognized, by this leader in the Canadian insurance industry, as part of the solution for some of the most difficult environmental challenges of our time,” said Bryan Gilvesy, chief executive officer of ALUS Canada.
The donation will flow to the ALUS Ontario East program, Manitoba’s ALUS Little Saskatchewan River program, and Alberta’s ALUS Wheatland program and ALUS Rocky View programs. These programs help 46 participating farmers and ranchers establish and maintain 365 acres of ALUS projects, including wetland riparian projects.
Wetlands and riparian zones that have been enhanced through ALUS are a proven method of helping Canadian communities mitigate flood risks, according to ALUS Canada. They also improve the environment in many other ways and producing ecosystem services such as cleaner air and cleaner water.
Charles Brindamour, Intact Financial Corporation’s chief executive officer, announced this gift at the 2019 Nature Champions Summit in Montreal, which brought together global leaders to find innovative solutions to protect nature and biodiversity.
“As this week’s Summit has made clear, nature and natural resources are, and have always been, among Canada’s greatest assets,” said Brindamour. “It is becoming increasingly apparent that these resources can be harnessed as critical infrastructure and leveraged to manage the risks associated with climate change. We have a responsibility to advance this work to ensure the long-term resilience of our country.”
The donation ALUS received is part of Intact’s larger commitment of $2.3 million to 15 Canadian charitable organizations and it underscores the company’s confidence in the value of natural assets for building climate resiliency in Canada.