Sixty Alcoa employees take part in a tree planting on Mount Royal
MONTREAL, Oct. 6, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Alcoa Foundation is pleased to announce, in collaboration with Tree Canada and Les amis de la montagne, the planting of 125 new trees on Mount Royal in downtown Montreal. The trees were planted in the mountain's wooded areas this morning, between 8 a.m. and noon, to mark Alcoa's 125th anniversary and the start of the eighth annual Alcoa Month of Service. Some sixty employees from Alcoa Canada Global Primary Products (GPP) and the Howmet (Laval) and Kawneer (Pointe-Claire) divisions, accompanied by family members and selected partners, did their part to preserve this vital green space so dear to Montrealers.
The initiative is part of Alcoa's 10 Million Trees program launched in 2003 to help preserve the natural beauty of our forests and counter climate change. By the end of the company's 125th anniversary celebrations, Alcoa Canada will have planted 125,000 trees, including 30,125 in the province of Quebec in 2013 alone. Alcoa Canada GPP president Martin Brière praised the dedication of employees and partners in meeting this objective. "Our teams all rallied together, and the community came on board. It was a real grass-roots project. Today we are pleased to be running multiple tree-planting projects, for the health of our planet and everyone who lives on it."
Social and environmental responsibility: one planet, one future!
The tree planting on Mount Royal is the brainchild of the Canadian arm of Alcoa Foundation, one of the largest corporate foundations in the United States. Community service is the cornerstone the foundation's work. For example, over the past five years Alcoa employees in Canada have done over 200,000 hours of volunteer work and donated over $1 million to 200 charitable organizations through the ACTION*, Alcoa in Motion**, and Bravo!*** programs. Every October, as part of the Alcoa Month of Service, over 50% of Alcoa Canada employees roll up their sleeves and give back to their communities. This direct involvement is a shining example of what Alcoa Foundation's volunteer support programs are all about.
Alcoa's commitment to the environment and to protecting biodiversity also takes the form of support for the Earthwatch Institute. Every year, 25 outstanding Alcoa employees from all over the world are selected by the Institute and Alcoa Foundation to take part in research projects led by scientists on the critical environmental issues we are facing both in Canada and worldwide.
To find out more about Alcoa Canada's volunteer work, go to Alcoa Canada.
About Alcoa Canada Global Primary Products (GPP Canada)
In Québec, Alcoa Canada Global Primary Products (GPP Canada) comprises the Baie-Comeau, Deschambault, and Bécancour smelters, as well as the Bécancour Rod Plant. These four plants have an annual production capacity of over one million metric tons of ingots, castings, billets, and aluminum rods. Alcoa has more than 3,100 employees in Québec, and its activities generate nearly $1.5 billion in economic spin-offs annually in the province. Further information is available at www.alcoa.com/canada.
About Alcoa Foundation in Canada
Alcoa Foundation is one of the largest corporate foundations in the U.S., with assets of approximately US$460 million. Alcoa Foundation has invested more than US$570 million since 1952. In addition to meeting local needs identified by Alcoa communities, Alcoa Foundation seeks solutions to broader sustainability issues, like climate change. In 2012, the foundation built partnerships with 34 organizations in Canada to improve the environment and develop tomorrow's leaders in communities where Alcoa facilities are located. The work of the Foundation is enhanced by the involvement of Alcoa Canada employees, who have volunteered more than 200,000 hours of their time over the past five years and donated more than $1 million to 200 organizations through Alcoa Foundation's volunteer support program. For more information, go to www.alcoa.com/canada, under "Community."
*About the ACTION program
The ACTION program recognizes the work of employees who pool their efforts to carry out hands-on community projects. Non-profit organizations benefit not only from the volunteer work of Alcoa employees but also from a $3,000 contribution.
**About Alcoa in Motion
The Alcoa in Motion program supports teams of employees who sign up to run, walk, cycle, or do any other type of physical activity to raise money for a non-profit organization. Alcoa gives teams of five employees or more $2,500 to donate.
***About the Bravo! program
The Bravo! program recognizes the work of employees who donate at least 50 hours per year to a non-profit organization with a US$250 donation to the organization in the employee's name.
Image with caption: "From left to right, front row: Charles-Antoine Cyr, Mathieu Brière and Sarah-Ève Cyr. Back row : Michael Rosen, President, Tree Canada, Sylvie Guibault, Executive Director, Les amis de la Montagne, Claude Vincent, Alcoa Canada, Jean-Francois Cyr, Alcoa Canada, Martin Brière, President, Alcoa Canada, Nicolas Dalmau, Alcoa Canada, Lysane Martel, Alcoa Canada. (CNW Group/ALCOA Ltd.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131006_C7633_PHOTO_EN_31749.jpg
SOURCE: ALCOA Ltd.
Source:
Lysane Martel
Director, Communications and Public Affairs
Alcoa Canada Primary Products Group
[email protected]
514-906-2537
Information and interviews:
Stéphanie Quirion
Kilicom Public Relations
[email protected]
514-845-8222, extension 223
Share this article