Forests and trees clean the air that we breathe, improve water quality, enhance biodiversity and help cool our urban centres. They also capture and store carbon, making them an effective natural way to fight climate change.
Today, as part of the Montreal Climate Summit, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced over $40 million in federal funding under the 2 Billion Trees program for three tree-planting initiatives across Montreal and Vaudreuil-Dorion, which will collectively support the planting of over 275,000 trees.
The first project, led by Société de verdissement du Montréal métropolitain (Soverdi) and Alliance forêt urbaine, aims to plant 200,000 trees by 2030 on private and institutional lands through thousands of projects in schoolyards, hospitals, parking lots and company grounds where citizens live and work. The Government of Canada is investing $19.9 million in this project, which is also receiving $40 million in funding from municipalities, including the City of Montreal, and $20 million in private funding.
The second project, with the City of Montreal, will result in the planting of over 64,000 trees over two years in areas of the city prone to heat waves. Trees will be planted across 19 neighbourhoods, using trees to naturally cool neighbourhoods and protect the city's most vulnerable residents. The Government of Canada is contributing $19.8 million, the Government of Quebec is contributing $10.9 million, and the City of Montreal is contributing $10.3 million to this project.
The third project, with the City of Vaudreuil-Dorion, resulted in the planting of over 11,000 trees in 2022 throughout the community of Vaudreuil-Dorion. The project, originally highlighted by Minister Guilbeault on Earth Day this year, will also provide employment activities related to tree planting as well as internship opportunities for students. The Government of Canada is contributing $485,070, and the City of Vaudreuil-Dorion is contributing $485,070 to this project.
The Government of Canada's 2 Billion Trees program is helping keep our air clean, keep neighbourhoods cool in the summer, create thousands of jobs and fight climate change while protecting nature.
By working together with provinces, territories, local communities and Indigenous Peoples, Canada continues to build a strong, healthy future for generations to come.
