Ontario's Big Dig: Planting a Greener Tomorrow

Forests Ontario's seventh annual community tree plant re-greens eleven locations across Ontario

TORONTO, May 2, 2015 /CNW/ - Today, Forests Ontario, along with volunteers, community members and planting partners dug, stomped and planted thousands of seedlings in eleven communities across Ontario during a series of half-day tree planting events.

Now in its seventh year, the annual Community Planting Weekend was hosted by Forests Ontario and supporters CAA South Central Ontario, CAA North & East Ontario, Enbridge Gas Distribution, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and Ontario Wood.

In total, the day drew together more than 1000 attendees and resulted in more than 6600 trees planted! Planting sites included London, Windsor, Ottawa, Niagara, Midhurst, Kingston, Kitchener/Waterloo, Oshawa, Hamilton and York Region. Forests Ontario will also be holding a community tree plant in Sudbury on June 6^th.

"These annual tree planting events are not only a fulfilling way to spend the day with family and friends, but they are also a great way to create a positive, local legacy and a greener tomorrow that will benefit current and future generations," said Cindy Hillaby, VP Membership & Automotive Services, CAA SCO. "CAA South Central Ontario is proud to have sponsored the events and is committed to giving back to the communities in which our members live, work and play."

Increasing forest cover across Ontario is part of Forests Ontario's mandate. Through restoration efforts including the government of Ontario's 50 Million Tree Program, Forests Ontario is working to growing forest cover across the province.  The benefits of trees in rural and urban spaces are crucial not only to our ecosystem, but also to human health. Trees clean our air, improve local water supplies, establish wildlife habitat and provide a buffer against the effects of climate change.

"Trees enhance the vitality of our communities and what better way to showcase this than to directly involve families and youth through environmentally engaging activities such as this," said Rob Keen, RPF, Forests Ontario CEO. "It's wonderful to plant alongside stewards of all ages and see them taking such an active lead in growing a greener future for everyone."

"Enbridge Gas Distribution is proud to support organizations like Forests Ontario that help build healthy, vibrant and sustainable communities," said Kerry Lakatos-Hayward, Director of Customer Care, Enbridge Gas Distribution.

Forests Ontario and its partners commend the contribution of all the families and community groups involved in this year's planting activities.

A special thank you also goes out to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and our planting event partners: CAA South Central Ontario, CAA North & East Ontario, Enbridge Gas Distribution, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, Ontario Wood, County of Simcoe, Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority, Upper Thames Region Conservation Authority, Hamilton Conservation Authority, Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, City of Windsor, Essex Region Conservation Authority, Grand River Conservation Authority, Regional Municipality of York, City of Oshawa, Regional Municipality of Durham, Trees for Life, Niagara Parks Commission, the Community Foundation of Ottawa and Conservation Sudbury.

About Forests Ontario
Forests Ontario is the voice for our forests. Working to promote a future of healthy forests sustaining healthy people, Forests Ontario is committed to the re-greening of Ontario through tree planting efforts on rural lands and in urban areas, as well as the renewal and stewardship of Ontario's forests through restoration, education and awareness. Visit www.forestsontario.ca or follow us @Forests_Ontario. Join the Community Tree Plant conversation! #communityplant

About 50 Million Tree Program
Forests Ontario, administers the Ontario government's 50 Million Tree Program, part of the United Nations Billion Tree Campaign. The United Nations' goal is to plant one billion trees worldwide each year. Ontario is committed to plant 50 million trees by 2025.

The 50 Million Tree Program is designed to signi­ficantly reduce the costs to landowners of large-scale tree planting and thereby increase the number of trees planted across the province.

About CAA South Central Ontario
As a leader and advocate for road safety and mobility, CAA South Central Ontario is a not-for-profit auto club which represents the interests of 2 million members. For over a century, CAA has collaborated with communities, police services and governments to help keep drivers and their families safe while travelling on our roads.

About CAA North & East Ontario
CAA North & East Ontario provides roadside assistance to Members, along with an extensive array of travel and insurance services designed to suit the individual needs, wants and expectations of its Members. For more information, visit www.caaneo.ca.

About Enbridge Gas Distribution
Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. has a more than 165-year history and is Canada's largest natural gas distribution company. Enbridge Gas Distribution delivers safe, reliable natural gas in more than 100 communities across Ontario and is a leader in promoting energy efficiency programs. It is owned by Enbridge Inc., a Canadian-based leader in energy transportation and distribution and one of the 2013 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations. Enbridge Inc. has been selected as one of Canada's Greenest Employers for 2013 and is one of Canada's Top 100 Employers. Enbridge Gas Distribution and its affiliates distribute natural gas to two million customers in Ontario, Quebec, New York State and New Brunswick. For more information, visit www.enbridgegas.com or follow us on Twitter @EnbridgeGasNews.

SOURCE Forests Ontario

Image with caption: "Forests Ontario, volunteers and planting partners planted more than 6600 trees across the province at the 7th annual Community Planting Weekend. (CNW Group/Forests Ontario)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150502_C8555_PHOTO_EN_16121.jpg

For further information: or to schedule interviews, please contact: Shelley McKay, Director of Communications & Development, Forests Ontario, 416-646-1193 x. 232, Cell: 416.619.0783, [e-mail]; Alison Rutka, Communications Manager, Forests Ontario, 416-646-1193 x. 257, Cell: 416-455-1565, [e-mail]; Jamie Anne Vaughn, Enbridge Gas Distribution, 1-855-884-5112, [e-mail]