Tree Canada and CN Help Boost Regreening In Greater Sudbury

Oct 9, 2014

For Immediate Release              
Thursday, October 9, 2014

Tree Canada and CN Help Boost Regreening In Greater Sudbury

The City’s regreening program has been given a boost thanks to a generous donation of 60,000 seedlings by Tree Canada and CN. Some of these seedlings have already be planted throughout the Greater Sudbury area with the remaining scheduled to be planted this fall as part of ongoing regreening efforts.

“I’m so proud of the partnerships we have formed with Tree Canada and CN,” said Mayor Marianne Matichuk. “Partnerships like these allow us to continue building on the successes of the regreening efforts in our great city.”

This is the second year the City of Greater Sudbury has been successful in receiving donations through the program. In 2013, 20,000 seedlings and shrubs were donated. 

“Helping companies give back to the environment is what we are all about at Tree Canada,” says Tree Canada President, Michael Rosen. “CN is the largest Canadian tree planter whose main business is not the planting of trees. We are honoured to be able to work with them in this mass reforestation project in Sudbury.”

“CN uses the equivalent of 600,000 trees every year to replace railway ties along our network, to keep our rail lines safe,” said Claude Mongeau, president and chief executive officer of CN. “Our intention is to plant as many trees as we use, as a way to offset what we consume, while helping communities with their sustainability initiatives. We are pleased to contribute to the regeneration of the Sudbury area, while getting closer to our goal of 600,000 trees.”

Since 1978 when the City launched its regreening program, more than 9,500,000 seedlings have been planted throughout Greater Sudbury. Tree Canada has contributed over 3,500,000 seedlings since 1997.

The partnership between the City, Tree Canada, and CN will create and sustain a new, greener footprint in the area.

Background on Regreening in Greater Sudbury:

The Environmental Planning Initiatives Section is responsible for carrying out the City's ongoing Land Reclamation Program and its initiatives associated with the VETAC Committee. Through this program, the City continues to reclaim and restore the region's landscape by regreening and tree planting and operates in partnership with other community partners toward the restoration of watershed ecosystems in the Greater Sudbury area. This program provides seasonal employment opportunities and an educational experience to individuals while ecologically and aesthetically enhancing environmentally stressed lands.

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