They’re planting 325 trees in Cultus Lake Park as part of a tree renewal project.
They started Monday with one tree, a Western red cedar, procured with the help of a Canada 150 project grant from Tree Canada.
Cultus Lake Park Board officials held a little ceremony to kick off the beginning of their tree renewal program.
cultus treeplanting
The young cedar tree was planted behind the park board office, not far from Main Beach on Cultus Lake, with a commemorative plaque.
“In order to ensure the long-term health and beauty of the forest and safety for visitors and residents, Cultus Lake Park is embarking on a significant tree renewal program that will see approximately 325 native tree species planted throughout the Park,” said Park Board chair David Renwick.
With a million people visiting Cultus Lake on an annual basis, maintaining the natural surroundings is crucial.
The tree planting was made possible in part by a Canada 150 grant from Tree Canada, which covered the cost of 31 of the 325 trees of various species.
The not-for-profit Tree Canada has planted 82 million trees since 1992, said Amelia Sproule, Tree Canada’s corporate partnership and philanthropy coordinator, who flew from Ottawa to attend the Cultus Lake treeplanting.
“Hopefully it will benefit you for years to come,” she said.
The Tree Canada grant was one of 150 across Canada in 2017 handed out to help commemorate Canada’s 150th anniversary, and the ceremony was in part of show appreciation for the contributions by Government of Canada and CN. Tree Canada treeplanting ceremonies have held this year in various cities Canada-wide, since 2017 also marks the 25-year milestone for Tree Canada.
Representatives from the Cultus Lake Park Board and staff, Tree Canada, Chilliwack-Hope MP Mark Strahl’s office, and Fraser Valley Regional District were on hand for the planting.
signoff
