Kin Park receives 98 trees and 31 shrubs from the CN EcoConnexions – From the Ground Up program

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Brandon, MB – The tree canopy at a popular community greenspace in Brandon has been strengthened today thanks to a community tree-planting event made possible with funding from the CN EcoConnexions – From the Ground Up program.

The City of Brandon recently received a grant of $14,200 through the CN EcoConnexions – From the Ground Up program, which works to provide funding for the greening of municipal and First Nations properties across Canada, especially in communities along its rail lines. This year, more than 140 applications were received through the program from Canadian communities of all types and sizes, and Brandon was one of 27 successful recipients.

The City of Brandon has matched the funding it received to purchase a total of 98 trees and 31 shrubs of varying species to augment the greenspace at Kin Park, located at the corner of First Street and Aberdeen Avenue. A community tree-planting event held today at Kin Park recognized all those involved in making the project possible.

In celebrating the initiative, Brandon Mayor Rick Chrest noted that park patrons of all ages will benefit from the ecological and social aspects that the new trees will provide.

“The wide variety of tree species the community has joined us in planting today will work to create bio-diversity in the area, where our past practice has perhaps been more of a monoculture approach. This is particularly important as we work to improve the health of our urban forest, which has been vulnerable to weather events and invasive species in recent years,” said Mayor Chrest. “I congratulate all those involved in securing this valuable addition to our tree canopy in Kin Park, and I know that the trees planted today will be enjoyed by the community for decades to come.”

 

“CN remains committed to making a positive impact on the communities along our network, and are proud to be part of a program that helps to make these communities better places to live, work and play,” noted Sean Finn, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Services and Chief Legal Officer for CN. “We’re not only helping beautify these communities, we’re positively contributing to a sustainable future one community at a time, as planting trees improves air quality and offsets carbon emissions.”

“Tree Canada is thrilled to be working with CN to enhance the tree canopies of so many deserving communities across Canada,” added Michael Rosen, President of Tree Canada. “These trees we plant and nurture are a living legacy that will enrich our country, our communities and our homes for decades to come. These communities greened through CN EcoConnexions will be a lasting testament to CN’s exemplary environmental leadership.”

Today’s community event also included a morning of educational presentations to junior high and high school students from the Brandon School Division on the importance of urban forestry.

More information about the City of Brandon’s urban forestry program can be found at www.brandonenvironment.com.

About CN

CN is a true backbone of the economy whose team of more than 25,000 railroaders transports more than C$250 billion worth of goods annually for a wide range of business sectors, ranging from resource products to manufactured products to consumer goods, across a rail network of approximately 20,000 route-miles spanning Canada and mid-America. CN – Canadian National Railway Company, along with its operating railway subsidiaries – serves the cities and ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the metropolitan areas of Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Chicago, Memphis, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For more information about CN, visit the company’s website at t www.cn.ca.

About Tree Canada

Tree Canada is a non-profit charity dedicated to improving the lives of Canadians by planting and nurturing trees. Since 1992, we’ve planted more than 80 million trees, greened more than 600 schoolyards, helped restore places hit by natural disasters and brought together urban forestry experts greening cities all across Canada. Get involved or learn more about us at www.treecanada.ca.