700,000 trees to be planted in York Region to stem climate change impacts

Ottawa, York Region team up on new project announced at Bill Fisch Forest Stewardship and Education Centre in Whitchurch-Stouffville

Yorkregion.com
May 27, 2019
Lisa Queen

As Marsha Kahale walks her dogs, Sonny and Lucas, along the trails of the York Regional Forest, she enjoys looking up at the trees.

The Markham woman’s love of nature is why she’s pleased about a new $25.3-million investment to plant trees to reduce the impact of natural disasters such as flooding on York Region communities.

“It’s an amazing idea. You can’t have too many trees. They’re beautiful and they do sustain us,” she said as she walked in the forest on Hwy. 48 south of Vivian Sideroad in Whitchurch-Stouffville.

“If we get rid of them, we’re going to be in a lot of trouble so to see more coming, that’s amazing. I am very passionate about nature.”

Federal Infrastructure and Communities Minister Francois-Phillipe Champagne, York Region chair Wayne Emmerson, Markham-Stouffville MP Jane Philpott, King-Vaughan MP Deb Schulte and Vaughan-Woodbridge MP Francesco Sorbara were at the forest outside the Bill Fisch Forest Stewardship and Education Centre May 21 to announce the project.

More than 700,000 trees will be planted in the regional forest and other yet-to-be determined locations across the region by 2027, thanks to $10.1-million contribution from the federal government and a $15.2-million investment from the region.

“We’re using nature to protect nature and I think that’s pretty unique,” Champagne said.

The initiative involves planting trees and adding natural elements to boost drainage capacity after heavy rainfalls. Forests are a natural way to help prevent flooding by soaking up water and reducing the amount of rainfall going into storm sewers.

They also improve air quality and provide relief from extreme temperatures.

Communities need help adapting to frequent and intensifying weather caused by climate change, Champagne said.

“If people don’t understand that there’s a real human cost, a financial cost, a community cost (to cleaning up after extreme weather events), it’s true and it’s happening right now,” he said.

“If we don’t invest in disaster adaptation and resilience, we’ll be spending in disaster mitigation year after year.”

Every dollar spent in prevention saves $23.61 in recovery and replacement costs, according to the federal government.

The project will help the region be more resilient to the impacts of climate change, Emmerson said.