September 15, 2023 Scarborough, Ontario Natural Resources Canada
Forests and trees capture and store carbon, making them an effective natural climate solution. Trees also clean the air that we breathe, improve water quality, enhance biodiversity and improve human well-being. Planting two billion trees over a decade is a crucial part of Canada's climate plan, and the Government of Canada is continuing to work with provinces, territories, non-governmental organizations, local communities and Indigenous Peoples.
Today, the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, on the behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and the Friends of the Rouge Watershed announced a joint investment of more than $1.1 million to plant 31,500 native trees in the Greater Toronto Area.
Through this project, the Friends of the Rouge Watershed will involve youth and community volunteers by educating and motivating 6,000 volunteers in forest restoration while improving the local habitat. By doing so, viable forest corridors within the Greater Toronto Area between the Oak Ridges Moraine and Lake Ontario will be restored. At the same time, local urban temperatures will be lowered and heat stress impacts will decrease in Canada's largest city.
The Government of Canada's 2 Billion Trees program is helping to clean the air, keep neighbourhoods cool in the summer, create jobs and fight climate change while protecting nature. Since the program was launched in 2021, Canada has planted over 100 million trees, exceeding program expectations. This means that the 2BT program is on track toward its ultimate goal - planting two billion trees over 10 years.
