Seeds of the future

Participants exercised their green thumbs by planting hundreds of shrubs and trees around Boulevard Lake.

More than 30 participants came out to plant trees and shrubs at the annual celebration at Boulevard Lake on Saturday. Volunteers helped to show people the proper way to plant both the trees and shrubs all along the path near Birch Point.

By the end of the day, everyone helped to plant 86 new trees and 187 new shrubs.

It was the first time that Karen Copeland was able to find time to come out. An avid outdoors person, Copeland said she’s always seen the tree-planting event from afar but was never able to join in.

She said it’s important to put in the effort to try to make the city a bit greener.

“I think planting trees everywhere is important because (Boulevard Lake) is a great place for people to spend time,” Copeland said. “People can have a little feeling of the wilderness in the city.”

Vince Rutter volunteered to show participants how to plant the trees. He said it’s important to make sure the trees and shrubs aren’t planted too deeply.

A longtime volunteer of more than 10 years, Rutter said this Arbour Day event seems to be the most trees ever planted.

“This is far and away the biggest Arbour Day we’ve had in fact I think this is the biggest tree plant we’ve had at one event,” Rutter said. “It feels good to reforest this park that has constantly been losing trees over 20 years and haven’t been replenished.”

Acting Mayor Ken Boshcoff also announced that May 12 would become the annual Emerald Ash Borer awareness day.

The invasive insect has killed millions of ash trees in the United States as well as in Quebec and in some parts near southern Ontario.

Michael Gravelle, minister of Natural Resources, said they are taking steps to ensure the Emerald Ash Borer doesn’t come to Thunder Bay or Northern Ontario.

“We’re working the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, we’ve opened up the invasive species centre in cooperation with the federal government in order to do everything we can to try and prevent this invasive species from coming into the province,” Gravelle said.

He said it’s important for people to know that they shouldn’t be bringing firewood across the border because it could bring the Emerald Ash Borer into the province.

“It still ultimately comes down to individuals,” he said.