A Proud Tree Canada Partner!
TD Bank Financial Group announced as part of its annual Customer Appreciation Day, it is partnering with Tree Canada to plant 160,000 trees in select locations throughout the country, including Kelowna, B.C., Sudbury, Ontario, Gatineau, Quebec, and
Halifax, N.S.
The environmental impact of 160,000 trees is significant. Over their lifetime, these trees will absorb 93,418 tonnes of carbon dioxide and will filter other pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and ozone. Each mature tree will lift nearly 400 litres of water out of the ground and discharge it into the air daily, cooling the air while producing life-giving oxygen. Trees reduce water run-off and erosion, keep streams cleaner, recharge ground water, and provide habitat for wildlife.
Site Description Updates - June 8, 2006
Gatineau, Québec Site
City of Gatineau, QC
The City of Gatineau has recently launched the newly-amalgamated city's first serious effort to: reforest and naturalize park areas owned by the City, protect its woodlots and trees in its Official Plan, and to embark on a major campaign of environmental education, seedling programs for community groups, youth and others. The seedlings provided by the TD program will help naturalize and reforest Lac Beauchamp Park - a very significant natural feature in the city. Species will includes white spruce. Planting is scheduled to take place during the Fall of 2006/Spring of 2007. Planting to be done by the City of Gatineau on land owned by the City of Gatineau.
Halifax, NS Site
Snide's Lake, Municipality of East Hants, NS
This is an area approximately 25 minutes north of Halifax International Airport within the Municipality of East Hants. This is an easily accessible high profile site which is currently undergoing a rehabilitation plan. It is a former agricultural area that will derive significant benefits from the establishment of a watershed forest including the protection of priority areas near the lake and feeder watercourse buffers.
Planting is scheduled to take place during the Fall of 2006. Species to be determined.
Kelowna, B.C. Site
Cedar Mountain Regional Park, Mission Creek Regional Park, Rose Valley Regional Park, Regional District of Central Okanagan, B.C. (encompasses Kelowna).
These are three separate park areas: Cedar Mountain being about 20 minutes from the Town of Kelowna, Mission Creek being within the Town of Kelowna and Rose Valley being about 30 minutes from Kelowna, near the community of Westbank. Cedar Mountain Park was severely burnt by the Okanagan Mountain Fire in 2003. Mission Creek Regional Park, was hit by an infestation of Western Pine Beetle beginning in about 2004. Rose Valley Park had a small human-caused forest fire in 2005. All three parks have very profound environmental significance including: being community water intakes for a number of landowners in the surrounding area, responsible for feeding many private wells and providing water sources for Okanagan Lake. Wildlife is abundant in the area including: mule and white-tailed deer, coyotes, black bear and turkey vultures. Mission Creek has aquatic habitat and a major interpretative program. Rose Valley Park contains a lake and furnishes the water supply for Westbank a community of 30,000. Due to the many Ecozone and the specific species requirements due to the elevation and latitude in British Columbia, trees are grown on a needs-be basis only. Therefore, the sowing of the seed for this planting will take place in the summer of 2006, with actual planting talking place in the Spring, 2008. Species include: ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, cottonwood, Saskatoonberry, snowberry, Oregon grape and willow. The planting will be done by the Regional District of Central Okanagan on lands owned by the Regional District of Central Okanagan.
Sudbury, ON Site
Sudbury Land Reclamation Site, City of Sudbury, ON.
This site is within the City of Sudbury. As a result of unplanned logging, wildfire and mining activities including smelting, thousands of hectares were denuded and laid bare in the first half of the 20th century. Serious reforestation efforts began in earnest in the 1980's and have continued to the present. Reforestation includes the adding of lime to neutralize the acidity of the sites and loam topsoil in some cases. This planting is part of an almost miraculous effort to reverse the once-famous "moonscapes" of Sudbury into a functional, living green ecosystem best described in the book, "Healing the Landscape". The areas to be planted will include as species white pine, white birch and poplar. Planting will take place in the Fall of 2006 by the City of Greater Sudbury on land owned by the City of Greater Sudbury.
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