The 8th annual Celebration Trees dedication was held Sept. 18.
Centre Wellington parks and urban forest grew healthier, greener and more diverse in species with the addition of 10 more Celebration Trees.
Family, friends and donors gathered to celebrate the recipients and to remember the honourees at the five parks: Pattison and Strathallan parks in Fergus, Bissell and Drimmie parks in Elora and Veterans Park in Salem. At each park, the guests participated by mulching and watering the already planted trees. Each tree was accompanied with an engraved plaque.
This year’s event celebrated lives lived, a long-time family in Elora, two individuals who call Elora home, and a personal donation.
Starting at Pattison Park, two Red Oaks were dedicated in memory of a husband, father and grandfather. Family members came from as far away as Streetsville to take part. This makes a dozen Celebration Trees at Pattison.
Strathallan Park is a new Celebration Trees park and thanks to a generous donation, the park is the recipient of: a Red Oak, a Sugar Maple and an Autumn Blaze Maple.
At Veterans Park, a Celebration Tree honoured a local family man who was also a World War II veteran. His Sugar Maple joins three other Celebration Trees in the park.
At Drimmie Park two Tulip Trees were planted; one to remember a sister and friend and the other to celebrate a long-time family who has lived next to the park for over 20 years.
Bissell Park, a popular Elora spot, celebrated with two newly planted Tulip Trees along the east end of the boardwalk. Both recipients are long-time Elora residents: a church minister and a former shop owner many years ago. It was a perfect match for these two individuals to have their Tulip Trees side by side. This now brings the total to 31 Celebration Trees to welcome visitors along the path and into the Bread Oven section of Bissell Park.
Celebration Trees is a joint partnership with the Elora Environment Centre, NeighbourWoods on the Grand and the Township of Centre Wellington Parks and Recreation Department. Since the program started in 2009, 95 Celebration Trees have been planted in eight community parks.
Celebrations Trees are planted each fall to commemorate an occasion, celebrate a life or honour a special person or animal.
Deadline for requests is mid-August. For more information, go to www.ecee.on.ca or call the NeighbourWoods on the Grand office at 519-846-0841.
