Image Credit: Kamloops Fire Rescue

By Victor Kaisar

New Rebate Program

Kamloops to offer additional FireSmart rebates with $200K in funding from Intact Insurance

Nov 20, 2025 | 2:39 PM

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops is getting $200,000 from Intact Financial Corporation to launch a rebate program to protect homes from wildfires.

The insurance company says the money will go toward rebates of up to $1,000 so 175 homeowners can complete FireSmart mitigation work on their property. That could include removing flammable materials, improving landscaping and upgrading structural features.

“The City of Kamloops is happy to partner with Intact on efforts to reduce and prevent the impacts of wildfire on our community,” said Kamloops Fire Chief Ken Uzeloc in a news release.

“We are thankful for the grant opportunity to help incentivize and assist our citizens to learn more about FireSmart and work to make their properties and homes safer.”

The new rebate program, which was first announced in February, is expected to launch in spring 2026. Previous rebate programs in Kamloops have been popular as evidenced by the demand for a city-funded program that targeted cedars and junipers.

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The city’s first-come, first-served rebate program, which launched on April 22, was put on hold two days later because of “an overwhelming response” from Kamloops residents.

In its release, Intact Insurance said while extreme weather events are becoming more frequent in British Columbia, Kamloops is “stepping up with a homegrown mitigation solution” to help reduce the risks of wildfire.

It also said it is providing funding for 19 community-led projects across Canada through its Municipal Climate Resiliency Grant program, chosen from more than 170 applicants.

“In Kamloops, the threat of wildfire is part of daily life. By making home upgrades more accessible, this program empowers homeowners to take action, providing a concrete way to protect their families and neighbourhoods,” added Rosa Nelson, Intact’s Vice President of Business Development for Western Canada.

“Communities like Kamloops are building resilience from the ground up, supporting a stronger, more wildfire-ready community. That’s what local resilience looks like.”

The Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) was another recipient of $200,000 in grant funding towards a wildfire mitigation program that supports vegetation removal, advanced home assessments, and public education.

“Over the past few years, residents have faced the harsh reality of wildfire on their doorstep. They want to take action to help protect themselves, their property, and their communities from the threat of fire,” CSRD Board Chair Natalya Melnychuk said in July.

“This contribution from Intact will make the CSRD’s FireSmart education and mitigation programs more accessible to residents, helping to reduce those risks.”

Another $200,000 in grant funding is going to the Lilooet Tribal Council to increase wildfire preparedness knowledge among the community.

“Our vision to continue to grow and expand our FireSmart Coordinator and Junior FireSmart Coordinator program for the next two years and to continue to work alongside our northern St’at’imc communities to reduce the risks of wildfire that continue to threaten our lands where we live in have now come to fruition, thanks to Intact,” the Lillooet Tribal Council said in a statement.