Group pushes for faster action on growing city's tree canopy
Article content
Article content
While members of the Calgary Climate Hub say they're supportive of the city's efforts in adding trees to its leafy inventory, it should be moving faster and in a more even-handed way.
Article content
The city's northeast and downtown need to catch up to the rest of Calgary in its green numbers, said Heather Addy, a volunteer with the group, who notes the city has set a goal of doubling its canopy from the current 8 per cent coverage of city land by 2060.
Article content
Article content
'The northeast has a much lower tree canopy, it's below 8 per cent — some of those are new communities but some are not,' said Addy, a University of Calgary professor emeritus in bioscience.
Article content
Article content
'And the downtown needs more trees — there's not much for people who work there but also for those who live there and it's hot during the summer.'
Article content
Last November, the city announced it will receive nearly $61 million from the federal government's 2 Billion Trees (2BT) program — a 2019 election promise from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to plant an additional two billion trees across Canada within a decade.
Article content
Article content
Article content
The funding will allow for 930,000 new trees to be planted across Calgary over the next five years, which the city said will help expand its overall urban forest canopy and provide equitable access for all residents.
Article content
Article content
Addy said the city's goal of 16 per cent trees coverage over land it owns should be nearly double that, a standard that's been met or sought by other Canadian centres and even more trees will be needed to replace those that die from drought or disease.
Article content
'It's really something for Calgarians to come together on,' said Addy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
16 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Author urges resisting efforts to clean up ‘image routes'
Last month, city Coun. Jeff Browaty proposed banning encampments along what he called 'image routes' like the Disraeli Freeway just before Main Street, along with Pembina Highway, McPhillips Street, St. Mary's and St. Anne's roads, Kenaston Boulevard and Regent Avenue. The reason he gave for the proposal was safety, and also for esthetics — they make Winnipeg look bad. The question left hanging seemed clear: Who wants to see encampments on the side of the road on their way to work, shopping or to see a movie? David Driedger, lead minister at First Mennonite Church in Winnipeg (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files) An editorial in this newspaper discounted Browaty's proposal, suggesting it was more about optics than addressing the issue of safety — out of sight, out of mind. And, if applied, all it would do is move encampments to another part of the city and make it someone else's problem. Like the editorial writer, David Driedger isn't in favour of the councillor's idea. When it comes to encampments, Driedger, lead minister at First Mennonite Church in Winnipeg's West End, doesn't think moving them to less visible locations is the solution. Instead, those tents and tarps and shopping carts should be seen because they might be showing us a way to salvation. That's the argument he makes in his new book Nothing Will Save Us: A Theology of Immeasurable Life (Pandora Press). According to Driedger, the 'nothing' he refers to in the title are those people and places often seen as being of no importance. Yet these 'nothings' in the eyes of society are people loved by God. Not only that, they can hold the key to spiritual well being for people of faith — if they only pay attention. 'I want to call us to pay attention to those who are regarded as nothing in the eyes of the world,' said Driedger, adding that he isn't trying to romanticize the poor or poverty. 'Everyone is created by God, and we can see God in everyone and everything.' Through the book, which is aimed at Christians, Driedger argues that these 'nothing' places are where people can encounter God, discover truth and see how some structures of society are set up in such a way that some people, despite their best efforts, simply can't move forward or get ahead. Citing the Old Testament prophets who 'proclaimed that every king, regardless of his actions, caused the people to sin,' Driedger says structural sins like the old regulations that required Indigenous children to be sent to residential schools continue to have consequences that can be seen on the streets of Canadian cities today. Driedger's challenge to Christians is to not only support charities like food banks and soup kitchens, but to also think about how laws and structures that disadvantage and oppress certain segments of society can be changed. This includes laws that impact sex workers. When Driedger asked to meet with some, they were at first surprised a pastor wanted to talk with them. During the meeting, they spoke about the dangers of criminalizing their work, the lack of police protection and the Church's tendency to either 'rescue' or condemn them, instead of listening to them. In the book, Driedger compares their experiences to the women in the Gospel of Matthew's genealogy of Jesus. They were also women who transgressed social and sexual norms — people like Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba — in order to survive, but who are not discounted when it comes to telling the story of Jesus. Driedger goes on to wonder if Christians today can find ways to not discount women caught up in sex work, but to hear their voices and stories instead of judging them. The book is rooted in Winnipeg, using Winnipeg examples. For Driedger, that's also a good illustration of what he means about being overlooked and underestimated. 'Winnipeg seems neither small town nor big city, often discounted as nothing by insiders and outsiders alike,' he said. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. The same goes for the West End, where he lives and which he loves. 'Like many discounted neighbourhoods and their real challenges, there remains something welcoming and inclusive about the West End, resisting the measures of the upwardly mobile,' he said. Overall, the book is a reminder to Christians to take seriously what the Apostle Paul writes in the second chapter of Philippians. That's where he says that although Jesus was in the very nature of God, he did not use that to his advantage but rather 'made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.' (New International Version.) Similarly, Driedger said, Christians should also 'empty themselves' of their preconceived ideas and stereotypes about people who are poor and marginalized in order to truly see and hear those who are seen as 'nothing' in this world. And, for him, that would include resisting efforts to clean up 'image routes' in the city of Winnipeg. faith@ The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER John LonghurstFaith reporter John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Vancouver Sun
7 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
U.S. more than doubles Canadian softwood duties, starting immediately
The U.S. Department of Commerce says it has made a final decision to more than double countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber imports, a move business groups in British Columbia say will harm communities on both sides of the border. A statement from the American department says the duty for most Canadian companies is being increased to 14.63 per cent, up from 6.74 per cent, after it determined softwood lumber from Canada was being unfairly subsidized. The increase is on top of a recent jump in anti-dumping duties to 20.56 per cent, bring the total duty level for Canadian softwood to 35.19 per cent. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The department says it will now instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to begin collecting the money. Kurt Niquidet, president of the BC Lumber Trade Council, says in a statement that the decision places unnecessary strain on forestry-dependent regions in Canada while driving up construction costs for American builders. The council says both the Canadian and U.S. governments need to make resolving the long-standing softwood lumber dispute a top economic priority. 'In the absence of a negotiated settlement, BCLTC will continue working closely with the Government of Canada and industry partners to defend Canadian interests through all available legal channels, including proceedings under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement,' the statement says. The BC Council of Forest Industries says the provincial government needs to take action including streamlining permitting processes, activating provincial timber sales and removing cross-ministry bottlenecks. 'With the right policy tools, B.C. can send a strong message that it is committed to creating a climate where primary and secondary forest manufacturers want to invest, ensuring a steady supply of wood products for B.C., Canada, and beyond,' president Kim Haakstad said in a statement. Prime Minister Mark Carney was in B.C. this week promising $700 million in loan guarantees for the industry and $500 million for long-term supports to help companies diversify export markets and develop their products. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Vancouver Sun
7 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
U.S. in final decision to hike Canadian softwood duties, tells officers to collect
The U.S. Department of Commerce says it has made a final decision to more than double countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber imports, a move business groups in British Columbia say will harm communities on both sides of the border. A statement from the American department says the duty for most Canadian companies is being increased to 14.63 per cent, up from 6.74 per cent, after it determined softwood lumber from Canada was being unfairly subsidized. The increase is on top of a recent jump in anti-dumping duties to 20.56 per cent, bring the total duty level for Canadian softwood to 35.19 per cent. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The department says it will now instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to begin collecting the money. Kurt Niquidet, president of the B.C. Lumber Trade Council, says in a statement that the decision places unnecessary strain on forestry-dependent regions in Canada while driving up construction costs for American builders. The council says both the Canadian and U.S. governments need to make resolving the long-standing softwood lumber dispute a top economic priority. 'In the absence of a negotiated settlement, BCLTC will continue working closely with the Government of Canada and industry partners to defend Canadian interests through all available legal channels, including proceedings under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement,' the statement says. The B.C. Council of Forest Industries says the provincial government needs to take action including streamlining permitting processes, activating provincial timber sales and removing cross-ministry bottlenecks. 'With the right policy tools, B.C. can send a strong message that it is committed to creating a climate where primary and secondary forest manufacturers want to invest, ensuring a steady supply of wood products for B.C., Canada, and beyond,' president Kim Haakstad said in a statement. Prime Minister Mark Carney was in B.C. this week promising $700 million in loan guarantees for the industry and $500 million for long-term supports to help companies diversify export markets and develop their products.
