Green committee celebrating Canada 150 in every ward
It may be the city’s green advisory committee, but members are seeing red and white this year.
In celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary, the St. Catharines committee is using Canada’s colours in its annual flower pot program to spruce up businesses in the city.
It’s also planting 150 trees throughout the city.
“What better way to celebrate Canada than with trees?” said Peter Thompstone, chair of the St. Catharines Green Advisory Committee.
“Then we came to the idea that if we planted 150 trees, what about 25 in each ward? That spreads them around the city and each ward benefits a bit.”
The volunteer committee exists to provide advice to city council and staff on greening and the urban forest matter but Thompstone said it’s traditionally taken on specialized projects that might not otherwise be done. Special initiatives in the past have included partnering on the memorial garden at the BME Church and re-doing the Port Dalhousie and Merritton cenotaph gardens.
Earlier this week, committee members planted a large bed of perennials at Cindy Park Drive to provide an entrance way off Lakeshore Road.
When it came to thinking about Canada 150, members wanted to do something special and ordered red and white blooms for its flower pot program.
The program allows businesses to rent 27-inch pots filled with flowers to beautify their outdoor entrances in the summer.
“What we’re trying to do is encourage local businesses to add a little pop of colour to their businesses which hopefully makes it more attractive but also the general public can appreciate it,” Thompstone said.
This year there are 100 planters and about 70 have already been rented.
Pots are delivered in the late spring and picked up in the fall.
Rental charges depend on the number of pots ordered, from $82 for one to $266 for four. Thompstone said once a business gets on board, they tend to be repeat customers because they don’t have to do anything except water the plants.
“From a business standpoint, it’s perfect,” Thompstone said.
Businesses interested in participating can contact Ilyse Norton at the city at inorton@st catharines. ca.
The committee is also planting the 150 trees throughout the city’s six wards in a three-way partnership with the city and St. Catharines Horticultural Society.
The city’s urban tree canopy has gone diminished over the past few years, mainly blamed on the emerald ash borer which wipes out ash tree populations.
While the city’s tree canopy target is 30 per cent, committee vice chair Peter Howes said the urban canopy currently sits at 14-16 per cent.
Howes said the 150 trees will be planted throughout Cambria Drive Park, Cindy Drive Park, Walker’s Creek Trail, Sheridan Park, Terry Fox Trail, Roehampton Park, Berkley Park, the sloped open area of Hwy. 406 and Westchester, Secord Woods Park and Catherine Street Park.
Eleven species will be featured such as American Beech, Ornamental Pear, Princeton Elm, Ginko, Ironwood and Sunburst Honey locust.
The project is estimated to cost $18,000 to $20,000. Trees should be planted at the end of June.
“It sounds like a lot of trees but when you think of all the ash trees that have been cut down, it’s not that many,” Howes said.
The city is also hoping to bump up the tree canopy with its first free tree program for residents on June 17 at Seymour Hannah complex at the same time rain barrels are sold.
Acting director of parks and recreation Phil Cristi said four species of saplings will be available — Linden, Tulip Tree, Freeman Maple and Honey Locust. Times are still to be announced.