CN Rail and Tree Canada have put down roots in Kaien Island, literally.
On Nov. 15, representatives from CN, Tree Canada and the City of Prince Rupert gathered around three freshly planted commemorative trees next to a new plaque to celebrate Canada 150.
“We want to thank CN, Canada 150 and Tree Canada for this donation of $25,000 of trees,” Mayor Lee Brain said at the ceremony. “This is part of the Re:Design Rupert initiative. We’re going to be planting them for beautification in the downtown core. Once again, highlighting that partnership is how we move a community forward.”
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The three trees planted across from the Lester Centre for the Arts will greet visitors as they enter the city. Each of the three trees represents Canada, the local Indigenous community and the province.
Francois Boucher, the CN Rail general manager for operations in B.C., said that CN began its CN EcoConnexions initiative in 2012, and has since planted 1.6 million trees in cities across Canada.
Meanwhile, Tree Canada is celebrating its 25th anniversary. In that time, they have helped plant more than 82 million trees. Their work in Prince Rupert is part of their 150 community greening projects in Canada. Besides the three trees across from the Lester Centre, Tree Canada is also planting trees in three other parks in the city.
“These are going to be here growing with the community,” said Veronika Stewart, the communications manager for the City of Prince Rupert. “We’re looking forward to seeing these trees grow.”
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keili.bartlett@thenorthernview.com
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