The City of Cornwall recently received funding to plant a variety of trees, shrubs and pollinator gardens on two vacant properties — First Street East (at St. Felix Street) and on the corner of Brookdale Avenue and Second Street West.
In all, the City received $3417.81 from the TD’s Friends of the Environment Foundation to plant a mix of fruit trees, coniferous and deciduous trees, shrubs and pollinator plants — all of them native species. Doing so will provide shade and food for residents and wildlife and help mitigate greenhouse gases.
“It’s always exciting to receive funding for environmental projects, but what I love about this one is that the two properties are accessible to the community and will include native trees and shrubs that produce fruits, nuts and berries that are safe for human consumption,” said Angela Parker, Sustainability Project Coordinator for the City of Cornwall. “This project will help reconnect people to local food sources and provide more attractive green spaces for the community and urban wildlife.”
A climate change survey conducted by the City in September 2021 revealed that 72% of the more than 1,000 respondents wished to see the City do more for the environment. 93.5 per cent of respondents also wished for the City to plant more trees, shrubs and pollinators.
A variety of apple trees — Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Royal Gala and Honey Crisp — will be planted, along with a long list of edible plants such as Highbush Cranberry and Shadblow Serviceberry.
For more information, please contact the City of Cornwall’s Sustainability Project Coordinator Angela Parker, at 613-930-2787 ext. 2507 or at aparker@cornwall.ca.
