The city's parks and recreation department is seeking funding to apply for Growing Canada's Community Canopies grant that would allow the department along with local students to plant more than 5,700 trees in three years. Newly planted trees are seen in this 2023 file photo.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
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City staff will request council to approve a one-time operating initiative budget amendment of more than $3.45 million for a grant that would “significantly enhance” the department’s tree-planting efforts.
Parks and recreation is seeking the funding to apply for the Growing Canada’s Community Canopies grant that would allow the department to plant more than 2,400 trees over the next three years. Currently the department is only able to plant up to 100 trees each year.
Recreation manager Scott Richter told members of a city committee Monday the key objectives of the grant application include secession and replacement of planting, expanding the forest and enhancing the canopy and its survival.
“They do increase property values, people like to live near nice things and shade,” explains Richter. “Energy saving, reducing the cost for air conditions, stormwater management, it actually is a natural stormwater management system … (and good for) physical, mental health and wellbeing.”
Additionally the grant would support a school program that would allow Grade 5 and 6 students to plant more than 4,300 trees on private property over the next three years. This program would be supported by the local public and Catholic school divisions.
The Growing Canada’s Community Canopies grant would provide more than $1.7 million for tree-planting efforts while the city’s contribution funded through reserves would amount to $1.75 million.
“If we were to approve the funding for 2025 we’d put 800 trees in the south residential sector in about 12 sites,” explains Richter. “This would be focused planting, for an efficiency point of view. You have contractors and trees in one area so that it can all be planted, and you notice a big difference in terms of those sites.”
The GCCC grant is funded through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. There are approximately 23,000 trees currently on public property in Medicine Hat, and it’s estimated those account for 25 per cent of the total area of the city.
Council is expected to weigh in on the grant’s budget implications before voting on the request.
