Town to submit grant request for additional tree plantings

Volunteers planting trees on Earth Day.

Amherstburg town council has authorized administration to submit a grant to see if additional trees can be planted in Jack Purdie Park and H. Murray Smith Centennial Park.

The latter park was added during council discussions on the matter.

The town will submit a grant application to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) for tree planting funding along the new pathway in 2027, something director of parks, facilities and recreation Heidi Baillargeon said in a report to town council would be funded at 50 per cent matching dollars from the annual operating tree planting budget and the annual equipment budget to an upset limit of $50,000 and $10,000 respectively.

“There is a grant opportunity for tree planting through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to increase tree canopy on municipal properties. The grant will help fund the purchase, installation and maintenance of approximately 40 to 50 (80 – 100mm) large calibre native trees within the community,” Baillargeon said in her report. “Jack Purdie Park is being recommended to receive new plantings due to the recent upgrades including the new accessible pathway in the park which provides a great base and framework without worrying about future development or relocation of trees. Other municipal parks can be considered for future tree planting opportunities when they are further along in their re-development.”

Baillargeon added: “The grant will also help fund a new watering tank system and attachments required to maintain the trees as additional watering is recommended to help trees through the town’s increasingly hot and dry summers. The new tank will utilized hydraulics rather than gas and oil which will reduce noise and operating costs. Noise reduction is important for the health and safety of staff working on roadways and also reduces noise complaints when watering within parks.”

Councillor Peter Courtney was supportive, saying “it’s part of the cost to run the parks.” He noted the planting of 100 trees that took place at Jack Purdie Park on Earth Day.

Courtney was interested in putting two locations on the grant application, suggesting H. Murray Smith Centennial Park also be included in the submission to FCM. 

Baillargeon said that could be done, but said she had some hesitation because of construction timing and the timing of when trees had to be in the ground. She said she could check on the timing and provide more information. 

Courtney said the bags that are used in other municipalities that help water trees could help reduce staff time, with Baillargeon stating they are used in some instances. 

The bags still have to filled on a regular basis, she said, adding the water truck is a “more plausible solution.” Students have a regular watering schedule, she added.

Councillor Diane Pouget said she was supportive of Courtney’s idea to split the money, but also suggested putting all the money towards H. Murray Smith Centennial Park.

“We just planted 100 trees in the Jack Purdie Park without council’s knowledge or consent. They just went ahead and planted them. Council is supposed to determine where the money is being spent and we never had the opportunity to do that,” she said.

By putting all the money for trees towards H. Murray Smith Centennial Park, Pouget said it would provide shade for seniors looking to walk on new walking paths that will be constructed there. She settled for splitting the grant request between the two parks. 

Town to submit grant request for additional tree plantings

By Ron Giofu