‘Edible Trees’ growing up in Stouffville thanks to grant

Yorkregion.com
April 14, 2016
By Ali Raza

They help you breathe easier, provide a renewable source of food, offer a nice relief of shade on those hot summer days, and more are coming to Stouffville.

The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville is one of 20 Canadian communities that has received a grant of $4,000 from Tree Canada to plant fruit and nut trees in various locations. It’s a program dubbed “Edible Trees” that has awarded $68,000 in grants to municipalities, schools and community gardens across Canada to encourage “urban greening” and accessibility to healthy food.

“We’re glad to help urban communities realize the importance of trees,” said program development director Richard Walker. “Studies show trees are beneficial to our respiratory tract, there’s a direct correlation between the loss of trees and an increase in human respiratory illnesses.”

Tree Canada partners include Loblaw, Silk and Telus.

Out of 144 applications, 20 were approved based on innovation, community involvement, technical expertise, promotion and evaluation of overall success.

Local groups such as the Whitchurch-Stouffville Public Library, the Community Mennonite Church of Stouffville and social initiative program WS You 177 collaborated to apply for the grant.

The $4,000 grant will go towards site preparation, trees purchased, materials such as guards, mulch and stakes, three-year maintenance funding, site supervision, and workshop delivery to ensure the health of the trees.

The program began in 2012 and has planted 7,000 trees in Canadian communities.