Celebrating over 10 years of impact
Our story of transforming ideas into action
P4A was initiated by Co-operators in 2012 to address critical gaps in coordinated leadership, adaptation research, and applied solutions to prepare Canadian communities for extreme weather impacts. Through the work of P4A and others in the field, the impacts of flooding and the need for high-quality flood maps and insurance coverage for a changing climate have risen to the top of the agenda for policymakers and communities.
Beginning in 2013, Co-operators and the University of Waterloo joined together to address the increasing impact of flooding on Canadian communities. In 2015, Farm Mutual Reinsurance Plan joined the project as a funding partner, and P4A was officially launched with a mandate to advance flood resiliency in Canada. Co-operators and Farm Mutual enabled this important work to happen, which has had impacts from influencing flood resilience and relocation federal policy and programs to on-the-ground practical communications and engagement to help people adapt and prepare.
Over the past 10 years, P4A has worked to advance a collective-action approach that allows everyone to have a role in building flood resilience in Canada. As a thought leader and trusted resource in the area of flood-preparedness and resiliency, P4A has driven impact through: applied research (e.g., through sponsored-research projects, research partnerships, faculty and student supports); public outreach and engagement (e.g., through national surveys, public risk awareness campaigns, public-facing resources, community engagement toolkits); policy recommendations (e.g., through policy briefs, focus groups, consultations, contributions to policymakers via the Task Force on Flood Insurance and Relocation and the Disaster Resilience and Security Advisory Table for the National Adaptation Strategy); decision-support tools (e.g., through the development of novel methodologies, educational resources, toolkits, and databases); partnership convening (e.g., through relationship- and cohort-building, event sponsorship and facilitation, community of practice development); and knowledge mobilization (e.g., through webinars, workshops, conferences, exhibitor booths, social media campaigns, news media, communications materials).
Looking back at our milestones
Throughout the years, our strategic research focus has evolved, while continuing to reflect our core mandate of advancing flood resiliency in Canada. Explore our timeline of impact and action to learn how P4A has made a difference in research, policy, and practice!
Stories from the P4A community
Over the past 10 years, Partners for Action has worked with a diverse team of students, staff, and researchers. Meet the people who have driven innovation, mobilized knowledge and action, and contributed to transforming the Canadian flood resiliency landscape!
The visionaries behind Partners for Action
Solving complex problems requires partnership, and P4A is a testament to what can be accomplished when people and organizations work together. Over the past decade P4A’s dedication to creating the conditions for a flood-resilient Canada has increased understanding and motivated action that is protecting Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
We launched P4A to create the conditions for flood resilient communities: that Canadians understand the risk, that this understanding is used by policy makers and communities to make sound decisions, and that people have insurance and other options to protect themselves even after adaptations are in place. We are proud of the impact P4A has had on all three fronts, and on influencing the conversation at a national level."
As Canada continues to experience more severe weather, adaptation is key. Farm Mutual Re has proudly contributed to advancements in this area. We were a founding sponsor of P4A, and we continued to support them over the last decade as they empowered Canadians to make their communities flood resilient. Thanks to their efforts, sites like FloodSmartCanada.ca and ClimateResilientRetrofits.ca were developed to help people and policymakers protect homes from floods, fire, ice and snow and they remain valuable resources. The legacy of P4A lays the foundation for building more climate resiliency coast to coast and we will continue to support this important work.
Our co-founders and partners
Thank you to our co-founders for investing in flood resiliency
Partners for Action received funding from Co-operators and Farm Mutual Re. Their ongoing commitment to advancing climate adaptation research is commendable and will contribute significantly to preparing Canadian communities for potential risks associated with extreme weather and climate change.
Co-operators is a Canadian-owned co-operative financial services organization with more than $36 billion in assets under administration. Through its group of companies, it offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, as well as, investment products. Related to extreme weather and the changing climate, Co-operators has a long history of lending expertise to civic planners and working collaboratively with insurers, reinsurers, diverse business sectors and non-governmental organizations to protect Canadians. Efforts include a focus on resiliency for Canadians and their communities, including discouraging building on flood plains, encouraging stronger building standards, highlighting the need for infrastructure upgrades, incentivizing clients to protect their property, and reducing future greenhouse gas emissions.
Farm Mutual Re is Canada’s first completely Canadian-owned reinsurance company. Formed in 1959, Farm Mutual Re is a mutual reinsurer that offers tailored reinsurance solutions for varied insurance lines and helps mutual insurers keep their promises by providing financial stability and insurance capacity. Known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability, Farm Mutual Re supports local food banks and is a member of Sustainable Waterloo Region. Their office building located in Cambridge, Ontario, is LEED® GOLD certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Farm Mutual Re continues to lead environmental stewardship by implementing in-house initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint.