The TD Bank Group and the Arbor Day Foundation are once again helping the city to replace street trees.
The City of New Westminster has received a $25,000 TD Green Space Grant from TD Bank Group and the Arbor Day Foundation to support innovative urban greening and tree planting projects. Twenty-five large red planters will house the new trees for about three years before they are transplanted to their new permanent homes in sidewalk planting sites along Sixth Avenue.
The city previously identified 18 maple trees along Sixth Avenue (between Sixth and Eighth streets) for removal, as they were determined to be dead or dying following a number of summer droughts. The trees were removed in August 2021 and chipped for mulch for use in city gardens.
Because new roadwork planned for this portion of Sixth Avenue, an interim solution to beautify the street has been implemented, said a press release from the city.
“With this grant, we are excited to get a head start growing new trees along Sixth Avenue in temporary planters,” Mayor Jonathan Cote said in a news release. “Once they are transplanted into the ground and grow into a mature size, they will improve the livability of the bustling Uptown retail area by improving air quality, providing shade, reducing the heat island effect, and creating a comfortable and attractive environment for transit users, cyclists and pedestrians. This project is another example of how the City is actively strengthening resilience to climate change while creating more sustainable and desirable places to work, shop and live.”
Earlier this year, the city received a TD Green Space Grant received to fund the planting of 50 new trees in the Brow of the Hill neighbourhood.
"Green spaces provide long-lasting environmental benefits, but they also play a vital role in creating more vibrant, livable cities by providing social, health and economic benefits for individuals and families," Andrea Barrack, TD’s global head of sustainability and corporate citizenship, said in the news release. "TD is proud to work with the Arbor Day Foundation to help create a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow by supporting critical green space programs in New Westminster."
The removal and replacement of these street trees aims to improve air quality, provide shade, reduce heat-island effect and create a more comfortable and attractive environment for pedestrians in the Uptown retail area.
