July 24, 2023
A nature-based climate solution, forests and trees contribute to biodiversity, protect and conserve water resources, and lower emissions by capturing and storing excess carbon. In doing so, they also clean the air we breathe and help cool urban centres. That is why the Government of Canada is committed to planting two billion trees over 10 years.
Today, Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, on behalf of the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, and the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced $47.8 million in federal funding from the Government of Canada’s 2 Billion Trees program. This funding will support the planting of 1.5 million trees in Edmonton and is matched by $47.8 million in municipal funding. The municipal investment is part of the City of Edmonton’s $66 million new Greener As We Grow tree planting project.
“Trees are an important part of how people experience life in Edmonton. Trees help clean our air, shade our streets, and shape some of our most beloved public spaces. Expanding Edmonton’s tree canopy is a way to help us maintain welcoming and livable communities as we grow to be a city of over two million people,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “This grant will allow us to expand our planting efforts over the next eight years, and bring us closer to our goals of being a healthy and climate-resilient city.”
Over the next eight years, Edmonton will increase its urban forest canopy by planting approximately 300 hectares in naturalized areas, boulevards, parks, and open spaces. The City of Edmonton has a target of having two million trees planted by 2031 as part of the City’s Urban Forest Asset Management goal of achieving 20 per cent canopy cover by 2071.
“Trees are essential to our lives — they capture carbon, improve air quality and support wildlife — and they are important allies in our fight against climate change. That’s why Canada has committed to planting two billion trees,” said The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources. “Through this investment to plant over 1.5 million trees across Edmonton, we are showing how collaborative work between the federal government and our municipal partners can ensure that the right tree is planted at the right place at the right time.”
“From providing shade to help keep our city cool, to purifying the air and creating healthy outdoor living spaces, this investment to plant over 1.5 million trees across Edmonton will help create a greener and more sustainable future for generations. This collaborative effort between the City of Edmonton and the Government of Canada demonstrates the power of community and environmental stewardship,” said The Honourable Randy Boissonnault,
Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance.
The City of Edmonton will also work with Indigenous Leaders, Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers to ensure the planting of local species is reflective of and supportive of the traditions and cultural practices of local Indigenous peoples and those with historic and cultural connections to this territory.
The 2 Billion Trees program not only helps clean the air and keep neighbourhoods cool in the summer, it will also create jobs and fight climate change while protecting nature, habitats and biodiversity.
By working together with provinces, territories, local communities and Indigenous Peoples, Canada is continuing to build a prosperous, sustainable, and healthy future - for our environment and for future generations of Canadians.
Canada and the City of Edmonton also each provided $166,200 under the 2 Billion Trees program to the Community Forestry team to implement community stewardship programming, including the planting of 90 trees to increase community awareness and protection of urban forests.
