GATINEAU, QC, Mar 18, 2025 (CNW Group via COMTEX) --
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, along with the Honourable Steven Guilbeault,  Minister of Canadian Culture and Identity, Parks Canada and Quebec Lieutenant, announced more than $16 million in funding for four tree-planting projects that will bring environmental, health and social benefits to both urban and rural communities across the province of Quebec.
The City of Gatineau and the City of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu are receiving funding for urban tree-planting projects that will plant new trees on public lands, helping to capture carbon, increase biodiversity and cool areas vulnerable to extreme heat.
With the funding announced today, the City of Gatineau will:
The City of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu will carry out its own tree-planting project that will:
Two more federally funded projects across the province will contribute toward reforestation and afforestation in rural areas of Quebec:
These projects are being supported in part by Canada's 2 Billion Trees (2BT) program. This program is dedicated to working with governments and organizations across the country to support the expansion of Canada's forests while creating sustainable jobs in communities.
Quotes
"Trees are essential to our lives: they clean the air we breathe, they make the outdoors even more enjoyable, they provide new habitats for wildlife, and they help us adapt to a changing climate. The Government of Canada is pleased to be supporting municipalities and private organizations in Quebec in their efforts to increase urban green spaces and forests. By planting the right tree in the right place, we are creating a greener, healthier and more-resilient Canada for generations to come."Â
The Honourable Jonathan WilkinsonMinister of Energy and Natural Resources
"Trees are one of the most effective ways to fight climate change and tackle biodiversity loss. We're helping communities across the country become greener and more sustainable. In the cities of Gatineau and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, this means planting tens of thousands of new trees â?? reducing pollution, improving air quality and combating urban heat islands, especially during extreme heat. This initiative will increase the urban tree canopy by over 20 percent in both cities and increase the quality of life for families. With over $12 billion invested in conservation and climate solutions since 2015, our government is building a greener, more sustainable future for generations to come."
The Honourable Steven GuilbeaultMinister of Canadian Culture and Identity, Parks Canada and Quebec Lieutenant
"Thanks to this investment from the federal government, Gatineau is taking another step toward implementing its Urban Forestry Plan and building a more sustainable city to reduce vulnerability to climate change. Planting 80,000 new trees is more than just an environmental initiative â?? it's a concrete commitment to enhancing the quality of life for our residents by creating cooler, more attractive and accessible neighborhood's and public spaces. With this vision, the city of Gatineau is accelerating the balance between urban development and the preservation of natural spaces."
Maude Marquis-BissonnetteMayor, City of Gatineau
"Valuable to our community, this funding allows us to increase our efforts to green our territory, one of the main objectives of our Tree Policy. As a City, we are working to provide a greener, more resilient and sustainable environment for our citizens in a context where climate change is already having a real impact. This support is a new incentive in achieving these collective goals, whose impacts will be felt quickly and well beyond our generation."
Andrée BouchardMayor, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
"Harpur Farms is a multi-generational family forestry business. We strongly believe that 'great societies are those where people plant trees in whose shade they will never sit'. It is our privilege to work with a partner who shares the same long-term view."
Jordan HarpurPresident, Harpur Farms Ltd.
"First Nations want to play an active role in forest industry activities â?? especially in land management, forest reforestation and the production of forest seedlings to be planted on our Nitassinan (Territory) â?? and, above all, to leave an incredible legacy to our future generations."
Ricardo AriasPresident and Founder, Pepinière Forestière Tshitassinu
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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada
SOURCE: Natural Resources Canada
Contacts: Natural Resources Canada, Media Relations, 343-292-6096,
media@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca; Joanna Sivasankaran, Director of Communications, Office of
the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Joanna.Sivasankara@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca;
Rachel Rivard, Manager - Public Relations, Gatineau, 819 243-2345, ext 4001,
rivard.rachel@gatineau.ca; Marie-Pier Gagnon, Digital Strategy and Media Relations
Advisor, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, 450 357-2098, ext 2078, m.gagnon@sjsr.ca; Carl
Simoncelli, Vice-President, Harpur Farms Ltd., 514-282-1996,
carl.simoncelli@taoco.com; Ricardo Arias, President and Founder, Pepiniere Forestiere
Tshitassinu, 418-275-4545, ext 22, arias.ricardo175@gmail.com
COMTEX_463733483/2197/2025-03-18T19:52:00
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