Trees for Mapleton and the municipality will join forces on a planting project in memory of local tree planting proponent.
Trees for Mapleton committee chair Bruce Whale led a delegation at the Oct. 10 meeting to ask for council’s participation in the project to honour the late Paul Day, “who spent countless hours leading Trees for Peel and later Trees for Mapleton.”
In a letter to council, Whale said Day, who passed away in October of 2016, worked hard “convincing residents that trees were not only important to help mitigate climate change, but also to increase crop yields” when planted in wind rows.
“He also did some crucial fundraising with the Grand River Agricultural Society,” the letter notes.
Working with the Grand River Conservation Authority and Wellington County’s Green Legacy program, Day helped secure trees and funding and over 350,000 trees have been planted in the municipality since 2001.
“To recognize Day’s vision and leadership,” the committee is planning to create a living legacy in the form of a tree planting project at the site of the municipal soccer fields and river trail.
Whale said the goal would be to plant one tree for every resident of Mapleton.
“It would be some way of recognizing Paul’s effort and a contribution by the whole municipality,” he stated.
The committee requested the municipality’s help to spread word about the project, to facilitate the planting and maintenance of the site and design, and to install and fund a commemorative plaque.
Council agreed to support the committee’s request, with the estimated $500 to $1,000 for the plaque to come from the Trees for Mapleton fund administered by the municipality.
Whale said the committee is hoping to hold the planting event this fall and would like to see it occur during Canada’s 150th anniversary year.
“Paul was quite active in the historical society and we thought that might be fitting,” said Whale.
Mayor Neil Driscoll thanked the committee for it’s work in the township.
“Coming up County Road 8 on a spring day when it’s windy and you see all the soil erosion there’s so much more we can do,” Driscoll stated.
“If we could just get every farmer to participate, they’d see their rewards twofold.”
