“The City of Vaughan is pleased with the tremendous support it has received to maintain the health of our forests and urban tree canopies,” said Mayor Linda Jackson. “Initiatives such as these help to improve our local environment and the overall quality of life for our residents, as Vaughan continues to distinguish itself as a green City.”

The City of Vaughan was recently named one of 16 winning communities from across Canada by Green Streets Canada for its urban forest programs. Green Streets Canada is an initiative of Tree Canada, a not-for-profit organization that encourages Canadians to plant and care for trees in both urban and rural environments.

In addition to being recognized as a leader for its urban forest programs, the City was awarded a grant of $12,000 to plant trees – particularly in areas affected by the Asian Long-Horned Beetle (ALHB), an invasive insect first discovered in the community of Woodbridge in September 2003. Since its discovery, an aggressive eradication program has been undertaken by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to help stop the spread of the ALHB.

To offset the impact of the eradication program, the City of Vaughan hosted two tree planting events in Torii Park on November 28, and Alexander Elisa Park on November 29, respectively.

“The City will do everything in its power to combat the devastation caused by this destructive pest,” said Councillor Bernie DiVona, chair of the ALHB Intergovernmental Task Force. “As a result of the City of Vaughan’s reforestation and remediation program, we are planting more trees that we had prior to the infestation.”

Both events were supported by Tree Canada and Trees Ontario, two organizations committed to the re-greening of Ontario and Canada through tree planting efforts on rural lands and in urban areas.

“We are pleased that we can, in our small way, help the City of Vaughan manage its Asian Long-Horned Beetle problem,” said Michael Rosen, President of Tree Canada. “As the first community to discover this invasive insect, we hope that we can help Vaughan cope with its destruction. We are also pleased to have the support of our sponsors like Trees Ontario. Together we are making a difference in the urban forests of Ontario.”

This past spring, more than three million trees were planted across Ontario in partnership with Trees Ontario. With the cooperation of municipalities like the City of Vaughan, the organization is now working hard to increase that number significantly over the next several years, said Michael Scott, President and CEO of Trees Ontario.

“We are very pleased to support the City of Vaughan in this important urban forest project,” Mr. Scott said. “This is a vital part of the work we are doing with tree planting partners across Ontario – to rebuild tree planting capacity and replace aging forests.”

Pictured above planting trees in Torrii Park, where the Asian long-horned beetle affected trees in 2005, are Tree Canada representative Ed Borczon, Manager of Communications Elissa Schmidt, Mayor of Vaughan Linda Jackson, Councillor Bernie DiVona, and local senior residents.