Federal investments to grow greener communities with tree planting

Tree canopy coverage plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality of life in urban and rural environments. Healthy canopies offer a wide range of benefits to communities, including reduced risks of flooding and erosion, decreased heat island effects, improved air quality, increased biodiversity and enhanced mental and physical health.

On July 15, Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Rebecca Bligh, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), announced an investment of $16,886,020 to support communities in planting 77,000 new trees.

“Trees are a powerful tool in building stronger, more-resilient communities,” said Minister Hodgson. “This project is a great example of local leadership driving national progress which will deliver meaningful benefits for Canadians and our environment. Through the 2 Billion Trees program, we are proud to partner with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to grow greener, healthier and more-resilient neighbourhoods across the country for generations to come.”

The 27 projects receiving funding will result in 77,519 new trees planted in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, restoring or increasing canopy in rural and urban areas, enhancing recreational spaces, improving habitat connectivity, providing health benefits to residents and creating tree maintenance jobs.

“Trees are an essential part of the fabric of our communities, and the projects funded through GMF’s Growing Canada’s Community Canopies initiative will build greener and healthier spaces for all Canadians,” said Bligh. “Restoring and expanding tree canopies in communities through new tree planting efforts will protect and restore vital ecosystems and create local jobs while providing tangible health benefits to residents. Investing in our canopies today is an investment in the quality of life for generations to come.”

The funded projects will plant trees on streets and boulevards, in parks and recreational spaces, on private and institutional land, in residential areas and for ecological restoration and connectivity. Notable projects include:

• The City of Kitchener, ON, will plant 19,207 trees to enhance park spaces, expand naturalized areas and create habitat for wildlife and pollinators, while replacing trees that were lost to Emerald Ash Borer infestations. The project focuses on planting trees in areas with low canopy cover to reduce heat island effects and to ensure an equitable distribution of environmental benefits to all community members. The innovative tool the City developed to help prioritize tree planting in underserved areas was recognized with a Smart 20 Award from Smart Cities Connect.
• Assiniboine Park Conservancy, a not-for-profit organization working in partnership with City of Winnipeg, MB, will plant 600 trees in Assiniboine Park. The initiative aims to enrich the biodiversity, forest health and ecosystem services of the area, while addressing the loss of trees due to Dutch Elm disease and helping achieve 42% canopy coverage by 2065.
• The City of Charlottetown, PEI, in partnership with local watershed groups, will plant 1,200 trees and shrubs in 4 parks across the city. In the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in 2022, the city lost an estimated 12,600 mature trees, dropping the canopy cover rate from 20.9% to 17.6%. The project is a key part of the city’s efforts to restore canopy cover levels by 2034.
• The City of Ottawa, ON, working in partnership with EnviroCentre, a not-for-profit organization, will plant 3,750 trees on private residential lands. As approximately 40% of Ottawa’s urban area is private property, planting on residential lands is an important opportunity to expand canopy cover and provide benefits to residents, like cleaning the air and reducing the impact of heat waves.

Funding for these projects is being provided by the Government of Canada’s 2 Billion Trees Program and delivered through FCM’s Growing Canada’s Community Canopies (GCCC) initiative.  Announced in May 2024, GCCC will support the planting of at least 1.2 million new trees across Canada by the end of March 2031 while offering funding, resources and coaching to communities. Communities looking to expand their tree canopies can apply for funding until September 18, 2025.  Tree planting funding will accept applications until September 18, 2025, for the 2026 planting season to support communities in expanding their canopies.

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Featured image credit: Getty Images