A community greening project is helping expand Saskatoon’s urban canopy. 33 New trees are taking root at Herbert Stewart Park in Sutherland. While providing shade and greenery is part of the goal, city officials say the long-term benefits go much deeper. For Ward 10 Councillor Zach Jeffries, the project is also personal. “This was my neighborhood park when I was growing up. This park meant a lot in my life and in my childhood,” Jeffries said. Jeffries says the park brings back memories of playing on the playground and sledding down the hill in the winter. “I look at this space, I see the ... now, safer playground where we used to play lava and keep-away. And my second favorite hill in Saskatoon in the winter to be sliding.” His favourite childhood park got an upgrade. The new trees are part of an effort to make Saskatoon’s neighbourhoods greener and more resilient. The project was made possible in part through CN’s EcoConnexions — From the Ground Up program, which supports community greening, biodiversity and tree-planting projects. “It’s intended to help communities with greening initiatives, biodiversity and those kinds of projects. So we were happy to have Saskatoon recognized,” Scott Brown with CN said. The program is delivered in partnership with Tree Canada. “Fourteen years into this partnership, CN and Tree Canada have demonstrated what’s possible when environmental stewardship is paired with long-term commitment. Together, we planted the seeds for lasting impact that will grow, continue to grow for generations,” Robin Adair, forestry specialist with Tree Canada said. The city says the new plantings will provide more shade, improve air quality, create habitat for wildlife and enhance the park for residents. Jeffries says those benefits will become increasingly important as communities deal with the effects of climate change. “Whether it’s cleaning our air, creating spaces and canopies for shade and for play. All of those things that, as we see the effects of climate change, we know that we need more of in our community.” The tree planting is also part of the city’s broader Park Upgrade Program, which funds improvements to established parks across Saskatoon. For Jeffries, the project is about creating something future generations will be able to enjoy. He hopes today’s children will return to the park decades from now and see how much it has changed, including the trees planted today. “Twenty, 30 years from now, of course, be able to see not only how everything looked a lot bigger back when they were kids, but they’ll be able to see that the trees that we planted today, in fact, got bigger as well.” The trees are expected to provide environmental benefits for years to come as they become part of Saskatoon’s long-term urban forest. The City of Saskatoon continues to work with community groups, residents and funding partners to expand and protect green spaces across Saskatoon.
