'Right tree, right place': The work Winnipeg is doing to restore its tree canopy
The City of Winnipeg’s annual push to restore its tree canopy is underway.
On Friday afternoon, city crews planted trees along Langside Street’s boulevard.
"Most of the trees that were cut down along this block were cut down due to Dutch elm disease," city forester Martha Barwinsky told CTV News.
There are approximately three million trees city-wide, however, Barwinsky said around 8,000 are lost each year due to disease, age, and other debilitating factors.
"So we are replacing those trees because we know we need to maintain a tree canopy on our residential boulevards,” Barwinsky explained.
The tree planting program started at the beginning of May and is expected to run through October.
“We are planting over 5,000 trees this year which is probably the most we’ve planted in a long time in many years."
She credits a city budget boost for the hike.
$3.6 million in the 2023 budget was earmarked for Winnipeg's tree canopy, which brings the total investment to $26.3 million - $4.7 million more than last year.
“We were also able to increase the number of trees we’re planting due to some funding through Tree Canada through the Million Tree Challenge, and also through a federal grant through the Two Billion Trees Program as well.“
Barwinsky said the city’s goal is to replace every tree felled with another planted in its place.
"As of last year and this year, we’re looking at an approximately 80 per cent replacement rate."
The head of Trees Winnipeg, a non-profit organization focused on planting, care, and biodiversity, thinks the city is heading in the right direction.
“The city is doing a lot to try to replant those trees,” Christian Cassidy, Trees Winnipeg’s executive director, told CTV News. "It’s not quite able to catch up, but they’ve had a big increase in their tree planting budget this year. That’s good news.”
Cassidy said there has been a groundswell of support to help preserve Winnipeg’s tree population.
"I think it’s only been in recent years where boulevard trees have started coming down that suddenly people have realized, ‘wait a second, trees do make up a big part of the city landscape’."
However, Cassidy said the onus isn’t only on the city.
“For residents, the top thing is plant a tree. Find a place in your yard, and do a little research or contact an arborist,” Cassidy said.
He suggests following an expression commonly used in the tree community.
"Right tree, right place – a lot of people fall in love with a particular type of tree and that’s what they want to plant in their yard, but it’s not always the right tree.”
He said climate, soil type, growing conditions, and tree size should all be considered for a tree’s best chance long-term survival.
Trees Winnipeg is hosting an "Arbor Day" celebration on June 3 at Crescent Drive Park. The event includes free activities for kids, as well as planting and tree care workshops.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.