The walking trail along Thatcher Drive received a new complement of trees and shrubs on Sept. 24, thanks to TD Tree Days, which is a community-focused initiative of the TD Canada Trust bank.
At the planting event, more than a dozen local volunteers helped plant 105 new trees and shrubs along the trail adjacent to the road. Some of the trees were used to fill gaps between former planting sites, and others replenished dead spaces after city crews removed older, damaged trees this summer.
“TD Tree Day is a volunteer program which aims to provide TD colleagues, their friends, family, and community members the opportunity to volunteer and help their community by planting trees and shrubs in urban and rural green spaces,” explained Moose Jaw TD branch manager Kara Cale.
TD Tree Days is a flagship volunteer program of the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.
The goal of TD Tree Days is to plant one million trees and shrubs across Canada by 2030. Since 2010, more than 40,000 volunteers have helped plant over 491,000 trees and shrubs across the country.
Beyond the number of trees planted, the TD Bank also aims to help promote community involvement. “It’s (also) to foster the volunteer program for colleagues, families, friends, and community members,” Cale said.
The planting site along Thatcher Drive was chosen by the City of Moose Jaw.
“The City of Moose Jaw does their planning every year and (determines) what needs to be looked after and maintained, developed, and that sort of thing. They pick various locations that are requiring that attention, and this year that was along Thatcher Drive at the walking trail,” explained Cale.
“They (City of Moose Jaw) get a site prepared, they plan for it, they get all of the trees in, and then they maintain (the new trees) for us after,” she said.
The trees “come through our TD Friends of the Environment Foundation,” Cara explained. Through a grant provided by the organization, the City of Moose Jaw was able to source the specific trees that have the best chance of flourishing given the climate and local soil conditions.
Cale said the day went according to plan and volunteers were thrilled at the opportunity to give back to the community.
“It was a really good day actually. It was really nice weather, and that was an added bonus,” Cale said. “The city was ready to go, and all my staff came out and we had quite a few community members as well. It was nice to meet some of them and engage with some of them, and (ask) what piqued their interest or brought them out. We had some good connections that way.
“We did get all the trees planted, and the city was really good with helping. They gave a lesson… to give the trees the best opportunity to grow in the ground we (planted them in),” she added.
Those who volunteered said they had a positive experience, and Cale said some of the most noteworthy feedback came from parents who brought their children out for the day. “For some of the younger children, parents were saying that it was a great experience to be able to allow their young children to be a part of that,” she said.
“It’s something that we have had running in various communities, but within Moose Jaw over the past years as well. I certainly hope we can continue that with the city and being part of the community. It’s a great way for everyone to come together, get out, and enjoy the environment and help plant those trees.”
To volunteer for future TD Tree Day events, more information along with registration details are provided online at TdTreeDays.com.
“It’s open to the general public as well,” Cale noted. “Of course, we encourage all of the TD employees to be a part of it, and bring their families and friends as well, but it’s open to all people.”
The TD Bank in Moose Jaw is located at 145 Main Street North and can be reached at 306-691-4610.
In response to some providers blocking access to Canadian news on their platforms, our website, MooseJawToday.com will continue to be your source for hyper-local Moose Jaw news. Bookmark MooseJawToday.com and sign up for our free online newsletter to read the latest local developments.
