Grant provides money for trees

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Grant provides money for trees

Details: Published on Friday, October 17, 2014

Photo by Kate Jackman-Atikinson

By Kate Jackman-Atkinson

The Neepawa Banner

In years to come, the sound of leaves will muffle the sound of trains passing through Gladstone. Last month, Town of Gladstone staff planted 500 trees along the CN rail line thanks to a grant from CN EcoConnexions from the Ground Up program. Last Friday, the town held an unveiling to celebrate the greening project.

The CN EcoConnexions From the Ground up Program is sponsored by CN, in partnership with Tree Canada and Communities in Bloom. It provides grants for the greening of municipal and First Nations properties across Canada, especially in communities along CN rail lines. This year, the Town of Gladstone received a $4,400 grant that it used to plant 250 Black Hill Spruce and 250 Prairie Sky Poplar trees on the north side of the tracks, along Saskatchewan Highway. The trees start at the extreme west of the town and go east to the hospital.

Mayor Eileen Clarke said that the trees will help reduce the noise from the tracks and improve the beauty of the town’s core. Growing up in the community and living a block from the rail line, Clarke said that she has become used to the noise of the trains. However, she added that people new to the community avoid living near Saskatchewan Highway because of the noise from the trains. “Rail noise affects residents and the community,” she said. She added that trains will always be part of the town.

Clarke praised the town staff, they applied for the grant and planted the trees.

Christina Cusson, CN’s regional public affairs officer, said that the railroad is proud to be part of the program. She explained that CN continues to focus on environmental sustainability. In total, 400 Canadian communities applied for the grant and Gladstone was one of four communities in Manitoba to receive funding.

Ken Fosty, a certified arborist and community advisory with Tree Canada, thanked everyone involved for their hard work. In the last 22 years, he said that Tree Canada has been involved with the planting of 80 million trees across Canada.