Residents in Stratford will be able to make their properties that much greener, thanks to a partnership between Festival Hydro and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) called the Tree Power Program.
Emily Chandler of the UTRCA says the program, coming into its fifth year, is very successful with trees selling out year after year.
“The program is about making native trees accessible and affordable to Stratford area residents, and every year it's well received,” Chandler said. “Usually, we sell out each year, and again, we're just able to provide those great trees.
Eight different species will be available: American Sycamore, Black Cherry, Norway Spruce, Paper Birch, Red Maple, Red Oak, Sugar Maple and Tulips.
“The ones that we chose to make available through the program are proven to do well in the soil type that we have in Stratford and can handle the climate,” Chandler said. “When you introduce trees that aren't native or kind of acclimatized to the area, then you have risk of them not growing well, or even you can get in some cases that can spread pest to other species.”
The partnership, which started following a similar program in London, also helps support Festival Hydro's commitment to sustainability. A statement from the president and CEO of Festival Hydro, Jeff Graham, talked about the utility's commitment to the partnership and the program.
“As we continue our commitment to sustainability, Festival Hydro is proud to support the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority’s Tree Power Program for 2025," he said. "Planting trees is a simple yet powerful way to reduce our carbon footprint, improve air quality, and enhance our local environment for generations to come. We are excited to partner once again with the UTRCA and our community to make a lasting impact in the neighbourhoods we serve."
The excitement has already started at UTRCA as calls have already been coming in from people looking to purchase their trees.
“It's really exciting. I actually had someone contact me who said they had set their alarm to get to their computer and place their order,” Chandler said. “So we have seen that so it's kind of fun to see the sales come in.”
The UTRCA have also entered into a new partnership with the City of Stratford to ensure the community remains green.
“We're working with the city of Stratford, as we've heard from some people that they don't have any more room on their property, but they still want to purchase a tree, and so we've worked with the city of Stratford, so that anyone who indicates this when they're in our online store, we will then work with the city to have that tree planted on city of Stratford property,” Chandler said.
Purchase your tree on the UTRCA website up until tree pickup day, which will take place on April 26 from 8-10 a.m. at the Stratford dog park.