Forests are a nature-based climate solution: trees contribute to biodiversity, protect and conserve water resources, and lower emissions by capturing and storing excess carbon. Forests and trees also clean the air that we breathe and help cool urban centres.
Today, Alexandra Mendès, Member of Parliament for Brossard-Saint-Lambert, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, and Pascale Mongrain, Mayor of Saint-Lambert, announced nearly $400,000 in federal funding under the 2 Billion Trees program to support the planting of 10,000 trees in Saint-Lambert.
This project will revitalize local urban forest cover and replace aging trees and those affected by Dutch elm disease and the emerald ash borer. The trees will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also creating green spaces. This project will engage community organizations and encourage local participation and environmental awareness through tree planting and educational activities.
Earlier this month, as part of the Montreal Climate Summit, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced over $40 million in federal funding under the 2 Billion Trees program for three tree-planting initiatives across Montreal and Vaudreuil-Dorion, which will collectively support the planting of over 275,000 trees.
The Government of Canada's 2 Billion Trees program is helping to clean the air, keep neighbourhoods cool in the summer, create thousands of jobs and fight climate change while protecting nature. Currently, agreements are signed and under negotiation to support organizations and governments in planting over 260 million trees.
By working together with provinces, territories, local communities and Indigenous Peoples, Canada continues to build a strong, healthy future for generations to come.
