The City of Cornwall, Transition Cornwall + and RRCA are planting native trees and shrubs in the local park

provided by the Raisin Region Conservation Authority

The City of Cornwall’s Mattice Park now has a variety of young native trees as well as a community garden planted with edible shrubs, thanks to a partnership between the City of Cornwall, the Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA) and Transition Cornwall + and with funding from Tree Canada and the LCBO’s Spirit of Sustainability social impact platform.

“This project will provide shade, cleaner air and a greater sense of well-being for our city’s residents, as well as vital support for pollinators,” says Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale. “We are grateful to our community partners and funders for helping us improve this popular park with native trees and an edible garden.”

The trees were provided through the RRCA’s Forestry Program and include white birch, hickory, bitter walnut, black walnut, red oak, red oak, and bog white oak.

“We are pleased to support the City of Cornwall in this effort to improve tree cover in our region,” says RRCA CEO Richard Pilon. “Through partnerships with private and public property owners, RRCA has planted 1.3 million trees since 1994 to support the health and resilience of our local watersheds.”

The park’s new edible garden includes native shrub species such as cranberry, black elder, Saskatoon service berry and more. The garden was designed by volunteers from Transition Cornwall +.

“Community gardens like this are great practice for improving biodiversity while reducing the use of fossil fuels for grass maintenance,” says John Towndrow, Chair of Transition Cornwall +. “This project will provide a nutrient-rich food source for birds and wildlife and can also serve as a demonstration site for similar public gardens.”

Tree Canada’s Rebecca Seltzer says the planting at Mattice Park aligns with the national non-profit organization’s mission to inspire, educate and empower Canadians to plant and grow trees to improve lives and address climate change. “It’s always encouraging to see trees that bring a community together. Planting trees in this municipal park also helps grow Canada’s trees.”

Mattice Park is located in the south-east of the city on the corner of Edward Street and Lennox Street.

To learn more about the City of Cornwall’s sustainability project, visit cornwall.ca. For RRCA’s Forestry Program, visit rrca.on.ca/Trees. For Transition Cornwall + visit transitioncornwall.com. d