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Some remodelling has been taking place in Saskatoon’s Herbert Stewart Park.
In late September, the City of Saskatoon officially reopened the popular park in the city’s northeast following a green initiative made possible by funding from CN and Tree Canada.
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The project aims to support the city’s ongoing efforts to expand the urban forest, enhance biodiversity and create healthier, more resilient neighbourhood parks.
The new trees are helping add shade, improve air quality and enhance wildlife habitat and public green space.
War 10 City Coun. Zach Jeffries said it looks noticeably different from when he was a child and lived in the neighbourhood.
“There are a lot of improvements here that certainly make the space safer. I know back in the day, of course, we had some of the tree areas here that were very filled out, lots of good places to hide, which, I mean, while that’s fun when you’re a kid, certainly you can see the other side of that where it creates some safety concerns.”
“But since I was a kid, we’re now seeing more pathways that have been developed here on some of those demand lines. We’re seeing trees that have been maintained and thinned out and made safer. We’re seeing just the turf looking in great condition, and of course, since then, the actual playground in this park as well has been completely redeveloped and has been changed out,” said Jeffries.
The improvements were made possible thanks to funding through CN EcoConnexions – From the Ground Up, a program delivered in partnership with Tree Canada that supports community tree planting and projects across Canada.
Robin Adair is Tree Canada’s forestry specialist for Saskatchewan. He said Tree Canada’s partnership with CN has been a long one, stretching 14 years.
“We’ve been partnering with CN for 14 years. Together, we’ve planted 3.1 million trees in 230 communities. CN has donated $21.4 million for reforestation and planting initiatives across Canada,” said Adair.
“Since 2012, EcoConnexions – From the Ground Up has channelled CN’s funding directly into community-led reforestation and green infrastructure, giving municipalities, schools and Indigenous communities across the country the resources to green the spaces that matter most to them,” said Adair.
Herbert Stewart Park is among the neighbourhood parks that have received enhancements through the City’s Park Upgrade Program, which funds improvements to established parks to address deficiencies and bring them up to current standards.
“It is looking really beautiful in this park here today, and I’m excited to know that kids in this neighbourhood are going to be able to have a great place to play for decades to come,” said Jeffries.
