Twenty-two communities across Canada have recently won $300,000 in grants to grow and create urban green spaces.

With funding from the 2015 TD Green Streets program, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) and Tree Canada, the awards will support urban forestry and greening projects, from growing tree canopies to enhancing municipal parks.

“Supporting urban forestry has never been more important and with the number of outstanding applications received this year, it’s clear that Canadian municipalities continue to share our passion and commitment for creating greener communities for all to enjoy,” said Mary Desjardins, executive director of TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.

Among more than 125 applications submitted, some of the chosen few are as follows:

• The Ts’elxweyeqw Tribe in Chilliwack, British Columbia, will enhance local trail heads with landscaping, signage and kiosks that provide information on plants and their meaning to the culture, the tribe’s connection to the area, and the ecological importance of protecting the forests, mountains and Chilliwack River Valley.
• To enhance Guelph, Ontario’s urban forest, and help reach the city’s goal of achieving a canopy coverage target of 40 per cent, the City of Guelph will encourage property owners to participate in the Adopt a Tree program and plant a variety of tree species on their own properties.
• To build on a project called “From Root to Crown” in which 125 elementary students planted tree seeds in 2014, the Écoquartier Leonard in St. Leonard, Quebec will plant 30 trees in two municipal parks.
• In Fredericton, New Brunswick, the city will replace 1,000 urban street trees lost as a result of tropical storm Arthur in July 2014. The city has committed to ongoing maintenance so the landscape can be enjoyed by future generations and visitors.