By Voice staff
The RM of Stuartburn has received funding to launch a project aimed at equipping its residents with the skills and resources needed for safe and effective prescribed burns.
The municipality last week announced it has received $116,500 from Intact Financial Corporation’s expanded Municipal Climate Resiliency Grants Program.
That money will see the RM and the Stuartburn Prescribed Burn Association purchase essential equipment and implement comprehensive education and training programs focused on prescribed fires to manage grassland resources and minimize wildfire threats.
This project, they share, not only aims to protect the community from wildfires but also seeks to enhance wildlife habitats and maintain healthy grassland ecosystems.
“Having lived through years of fires threatening our farms and communities, I am personally, and as reeve of the RM of Stuartburn, both grateful and thrilled with receiving an Intact Climate Resiliency Grant,” said Reeve Michelle Gawronskly. “Our partnership with the Stuartburn Prescribed Burn Association, a group of committed citizens that believe in proactively protecting our community from fire, is a dream come true, and is a first in Manitoba. Us elected officials are useless without the doers—the SPBA are our doers.”
“With Intact’s financial support, and the hard work and dedication of the SPBA, our community will have much greater wildfire resiliency,” she said. “Our hearts go out to the communities that have been and continue to be affected by fires in Manitoba.”
The Grassland Management and Fire Mitigation project will involve multiple public outreach activities, including presentations, workshops, and informational booths.
The initiative will also provide essential equipment and training to 15-20 individuals, with a goal of forming a group of 12-15 members taking courses in prescribed fires on grassland environments and incident command systems.
The group will also undertake at least five prescribed fires across 100 acres, with detailed post-burn reports documenting objectives, successes, and challenges.
This initiative is among 19 community-led projects selected across Canada as part of Intact’s expanded $3.1 million commitment to climate adaptation through its Municipal Climate Resiliency Grant program.
“The Municipality of Stuartburn showcases proactive leadership in managing fire risk and building community resilience, setting an example of how to address climate challenges effectively,” said Intact Insurances’ Rosa Nelson, vice-president, business development, Western Canada. “Stuartburn’s innovative use of prescribed fires as a preventive measure serves as a model we hope will be embraced across the prairies and beyond.
The Municipal Climate Resiliency Grants program was launched in 2021 to support municipalities. Under the program’s first round of funding, Intact invested $1 million in 10 communities. In 2024, they announced plans to double their commitment from $1 to $2 million for the 2024-2025 program.
With the overwhelming demand and urgent need, Intact recently announced that it has increased its program funding to $3.1 million over the next two years.
