NEWS

Mihevc offering free trees in Ward 21

Joe Mihevc
Joe Mihevc

On April 1, Ward 21 residents will begin receiving hand-delivered pamphlets from Councillor Joe Mihevc’s office inviting them to request a new tree for their front yards — free of charge.

It’s not an April Fool’s prank, nor is it a misprint. Instead, Mihevc is dipping into a $50 million fund set aside by the city last January to repair its 10.2-million-tree canopy, which suffered significant damage during the December 2013 ice storm.

“Plant a tree. Leave a legacy!” the package reads. Included is a list of 12 native species, such as oaks and maples, residents can choose from, along with a physical order form and a website where orders can be placed online.

It will be the second time Mihevc has run the initiative. In January he solicited orders for trees that will be planted in June. Trees ordered in April are for October planting.

“My hope is that we get orders for literally hundreds of trees to replace the trees that got destroyed,” Mihevc said.

The free trees are limited to saplings planted on city property, within 20 feet of the sidewalk. Mihevc’s office is also collaborating with a backyard tree planting program run by Wychwood Barns-based not-for-profit LEAF to provide subsidized trees.

The LEAF program, which costs $150-200 for a 5–8-foot tree, offers a wider variety. Honey locust, serviceberry, tulip tree and Kentucky coffee tree are among the choices. Delivery and planting and a 45-minute consultation with an arborist are included in the fee.

An estimated 6.1 million trees lie on private property in Toronto.

“Trees have so many benefits — everything from privacy and shade to reducing the speed of rainfall when it hits the ground,” LEAF founder and executive director Janet McKay said. “And I think specifically the neighbourhoods that are more treed are more desirable.”