The eighth annual TD Tree Days in Assiniboia saw Assiniboia branch TB Bank staff, First Assiniboia Scouts and other volunteers plant 109 new trees at the Mount Hope Cemetery on September 22. The cemetery is non-denominational and operated by the Town of Assiniboia.
TD Bank sponsored the event “to create a legacy of common spaces for people to come together,” Marie Simard from the Assiniboia branch of the TD Bank noted about the reason behind Tree Day. Advising on planting for the day was Kelvin Kelly, TreeCanada’s community advisor for Saskatchewan. Originally from Assiniboia, Kelly is a professional forester and arborist.
The Scouts and volunteers planted six different varieties of trees that are hardy and grow in Zone 2, including maple, dogwood, caragana, Colorado Spruce and Scotch Pine, brought in from a Manitoba tree farm. Harvey’s Home Hardware sponsored the water needed for the planting and Peavey Mart donated the topsoil.
Before the planting started, Kelly explained for those gathered the benefits of planting trees. “When you plant a tree, you take ownership for it,” he added. He gave an example that a large tree can sequester 10 kg of carbon dioxide annually which equals driving a car 20,000 km per year. Trees function as a buffer or shade, Kelly said. They provide oxygen, capture carbon and provide greenery, beauty and shade. Trees provide wood for building our homes, habitat for birds and wildlife, and they benefit mental health.
“Any time spent in trees is not wasted,” Kelly stated. He then took the time to demonstrate the method of tree planting. For a tree to grow, it should be planted at the right depth. The roots will want to grow out, so the roots should be separated so they will expand. The tree needs to be placed in a hole that is not too deep as to start rotting and not too shallow to expose the roots.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of TreeCanada, during which they have planted 80 million trees all over Canada. In Saskatchewan TreeCanada had 13 planting events this year through different sponsorships. Since 2010 TD Bank has planted 285,000 trees, with planting this fall making 300,000 trees at over 150 sites across Canada. TD tree days supported over 2,500 projects, with over 80 local community organizations being assisted. The Assiniboia tree planting event was one of over 150 events happening coast-to-coast.
Launched in 2010 as a national employee engagement program in Canada, TD Tree Days has evolved into TD’s flagship volunteer program, engaging employees, customers and community partners in three countries. Since 2010, more than 20,000 volunteers have planted trees in over 250 communities across Canada.
Previous tree-planting took place in Assiniboia at the community garden in 2011 and 2016 at Centennial Park.
