ayor Jim Watson announced the City of Ottawa will receive $609,000 from the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for the City's Tree Replacement and Management Strategy. The strategy is designed to maintain the city's wood lots hit hard by the ice storm two years ago. This money will be supplemented by the city's contribution of $203,000.
Mayor Watson also received a $10,000 donation from the Royal Bank Financial Group Foundation to the Mayor's Task Force on Re-Treeing Ottawa. The presentation was made at Windsor Park at a tree-planting ceremony where four new trees made available through part of the donation, were planted by Mayor Watson and students from St. Margaret Mary's School.
"It is through the generosity of companies like the Royal Bank that the task force has been successful in replacing so many of the trees damaged in the ice storm two years ago." said Mayor Watson. "The support from the provincial government and this latest donation means we will have new trees for our city and the means to maintain others damaged by the storm."
"We are responsible to our communities and want to offer the kind of support that will lay strong and health foundations. It is exciting to know our contribution here today will remain an important to the Ottawa community for many, many years," added Micheline Martin, Royal Bank regional Vice-President, Ottawa.
The Mayor's Task Force on Re-Treeing Ottawa was established by Mayor Watson in 1998 following the devastating ice storm. Approximately 6,000 trees on city property were lost as a result of the storm. The Task Force, made up of City, environmental and community representatives has a mandate to investigate and assess various options for replacing and maintaining Ottawa's trees. Over $120,000 has been contributed to this fund since its inception.