Government of Canada and FCM Invest $16.9 million to Grow Greener Communities and Enhance Wellbeing with Tree Planting Projects

OTTAWA, ON, July 15, 2025 /CNW/ - Tree canopy coverage plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality of life in urban and rural environments. Healthy canopies offer a wide range of benefits to communities, including reduced risks of flooding and erosion, decreased heat island effects, improved air quality, increased biodiversity and enhanced mental and physical health.

Today, the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Rebecca Bligh, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), announced an investment of $16,886,020 to support communities in planting 77,000 new trees.

The 27 projects receiving funding will result in 77,519 new trees planted in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, restoring or increasing canopy in rural and urban areas, enhancing recreational spaces, improving habitat connectivity, providing health benefits to residents and creating tree maintenance jobs.

The funded projects will plant trees on streets and boulevards, in parks and recreational spaces, on private and institutional land, in residential areas and for ecological restoration and connectivity. Notable projects include:

• The City of Kitchener, ON, will plant 19,207 trees to enhance park spaces, expand naturalized areas and create habitat for wildlife and pollinators, while replacing trees that were lost to Emerald Ash Borer infestations. The project focuses on planting trees in areas with low canopy cover to reduce heat island effects and to ensure an equitable distribution of environmental benefits to all community members. The innovative tool the City developed to help prioritize tree planting in underserved areas was recognized with a Smart 20 Award from Smart Cities Connect.
• Assiniboine Park Conservancy, a not-for-profit organization working in partnership with City of Winnipeg, MB, will plant 600 trees in Assiniboine Park. The initiative aims to enrich the biodiversity, forest health and ecosystem services of the area, while addressing the loss of trees due to Dutch Elm disease and helping achieve 42% canopy coverage by 2065.
• The City of Charlottetown, PEI, in partnership with local watershed groups, will plant 1,200 trees and shrubs in 4 parks across the city. In the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in 2022, the city lost an estimated 12,600 mature trees, dropping the canopy cover rate from 20.9% to 17.6%. The project is a key part of the city's efforts to restore canopy cover levels by 2034.
• The City of Ottawa, ON, working in partnership with EnviroCentre, a not-for-profit organization, will plant 3,750 trees on private residential lands. As approximately 40% of Ottawa's urban area is private property, planting on residential lands is an important opportunity to expand canopy cover and provide benefits to residents, like cleaning the air and reducing the impact of heat waves.

Funding for these projects is being provided by the Government of Canada's 2 Billion Trees Program and delivered through FCM's Growing Canada's Community Canopies (GCCC) initiative.  Announced in May 2024, GCCC will support the planting of at least 1.2 million new trees across Canada by the end of March 2031 while offering funding, resources and coaching to communities. Communities looking to expand their tree canopies can apply for funding until September 18, 2025.  Tree planting funding will accept applications until September 18, 2025, for the 2026 planting season to support communities in expanding their canopies. 

For more information about funded projects, please see the backgrounder.

"Trees are a powerful tool in building stronger, more-resilient communities. This project is a great example of local leadership driving national progress which will deliver meaningful benefits for Canadians and our environment. Through the 2 Billion Trees program, we are proud to partner with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to grow greener, healthier and more-resilient neighbourhoods across the country for generations to come."

— The Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources 

"This government is committed to protecting and restoring nature like never before. Planting trees is one of the most effective ways to fight climate change, improve air and water quality, protect biodiversity, create good jobs, and bring nature closer to Canadians. The thousands of trees being planted in communities across the country will provide health and ecological benefits for generations to come."

— The Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

"Trees are an essential part of the fabric of our communities, and the projects funded through GMF's Growing Canada's Community Canopies initiative will build greener and healthier spaces for all Canadians. Restoring and expanding tree canopies in communities through new tree planting efforts will protect and restore vital ecosystems and create local jobs while providing tangible health benefits to residents. Investing in our canopies today is an investment in the quality of life for generations to come."

— Rebecca Bligh, FCM President

About FCM's Green Municipal Fund

FCM's Green Municipal Fund (GMF) is a globally unique organization providing funding and education to municipalities to help them both reach net-zero and build resilient communities, while also delivering economic and social benefits such as jobs, housing and infrastructure. Since inception in 2000, it has helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.9 million tonnes, funded more than 13,000 person-years of employment, enabled nearly 30,000 sustainable affordable housing units, and contributed $1.24 billion to the national GDP via the more than 2,336 approved projects. GMF manages approximately $2.4 billion in programs funded by the Government of Canada.

Quick facts

• GMF's Growing Canada's Community Canopies (GCCC) is a $291M initiative, ending in 2031, that supports planting new trees across the country. GCCC funds planting the right type of trees in the right places so that communities across Canada can grow, manage and protect their tree canopies. The initiative is designed with smaller, rural, and remote communities in mind to encourage local climate action while enhancing tree survivability rates, fostering equitable access to trees across communities.
• Trees offer vital ecosystem services to communities as they provide carbon sequestration, stormwater management, cooling and air filtration. For example, the annual value of ecosystem services by the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario is estimated at $331 million.
• Investing in green infrastructure delivers substantial returns. According to TD Economics, for every dollar spent on annual maintenance, Toronto's urban forest returns anywhere from $1.35 – $3.20 worth of benefits and cost savings each year. TD Economics (2014, June 9).
• Trees improve public health by reducing stress and air pollution. For example, PaRX is a nature prescription program that emphasizes nature as a tool for improving mental and physical health.
• Through a partnership with Tree Canada, urban forestry experts provide personalized support to tree planting funding applicants in the application and implementation phases of projects, bridging the urban forestry knowledge gap many communities face. The guidance from urban forestry coaches helps ensure high tree survivability rates and maximize the environmental and social impacts of planting projects.
• GCCC has produced an evolving suite of knowledge and training resources designed to enhance urban forestry expertise in Canadian communities. Resources cover topics from selecting the right species and planting site to putting equity at the centre of tree planting projects.

Associated links

• Federation of Canadian Municipalities
• Green Municipal Fund
• Growing Canada's Community Canopies
• GCCC Tree planting funding
• GCCC Urban forestry coaching
• Government of Canada 2 Billion Trees Commitment
• Government of Canada 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan
• Tree Canada

SOURCE Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)

FCM Media Relations: 613-907-6395, [email protected]