How Definity Financial is Supporting a Sustainable Trail Sector

Whether it’s extreme weather, erosion, flooding or wildfires, climate events are becoming increasingly damaging to trails across Canada. These climate-change impacts are often sudden and devastating, leaving trails inaccessible for extended periods and leading to significant maintenance and repair costs.  

As the steward of Canada’s nationwide trail system, Trans Canada Trail is taking a leading role in enhancing the resilience and sustainability of trails across the country. Local trail groups often lack the resources to address climate considerations in trail development and maintenance. Trans Canada Trail’s efforts are focused on building the capacity of the trail sector to not only respond to current impacts of climate change but also ensure sustainability for the future. 

An undertaking of this magnitude would not be possible without dedicated partners like Definity Financial, which has committed $75,000 to Trans Canada Trail’s climate and sustainability efforts.  

A critical investment in climate resilience

“As one of Canada’s leading property and casualty insurers, Definity sees first-hand the impacts and costs of climate change on communities across Canada,” says Brendan Seale, Assistant Vice-President and Head of Environmental, Social, and Governance at Definity. 

“Investing in climate adaptation and resilience is critical to a prosperous, sustainable future. We are proud to partner with Trans Canada Trail to support both immediate response to trail damage and proactive efforts to ensure trail networks are more resilient to climate risks and remain available for all Canadians to enjoy.” 

Definity Financial Corporation is the parent company to some of Canada’s most long-standing and innovative property and casualty insurance brands and companies, including Economical Insurance, Sonnet Insurance, Family Insurance Solutions and Petline Insurance. Definity seeks to build a better world by helping its clients and communities adapt and thrive in a world of constant change, which makes them an ideal partner to support a sustainable future for Canada’s trails.  

Adaptation is a key focus as Trans Canada Trail continues to build a program to confront ever evolving climate challenges. It is crucial that the trail sector adapts to shifting environmental conditions, not only the way it faces existing climate change effects, but how future risks are minimized.

Mitigation meets adaptation

In the immediate term, Trans Canada Trail continues to respond to climate related emergencies through reactive strategies that aim to mitigate the negative effects of climate change on trails through measures that address current vulnerabilities and challenges. 

But to help ensure long-term trail sustainability, this reactive approach will be combined with proactive strategies that emphasize taking action to prevent and minimize future climate-related risks. These practices focus on designing and managing trails in ways that enhance their resilience and sustainability, addressing climate challenges before they arise.  

Together, these proactive and reactive components form a holistic strategy to effectively manage both the immediate risks and long-term impacts that climate change presents to Canada’s trail sector. To shape these strategies, Trans Canada Trail is engaging with trail partners throughout the country, learning first-hand how climate change is impacting trails and what resources these groups need.  

By offering knowledge, practical tools and direct support to trail groups, Trans Canada Trail provides national leadership in climate resilience and sustainability for trails. Definity Financial’s support plays a key role in making this work possible and helping to create a sustainable future for the Canadian trail sector.  

To learn more about Definity Financial, visit: definityfinancial.com.