Winnipeg to increase funding for urban forestry

Advocates are welcoming the news that the City’s preliminary budget is allocating more money for trees.

The City’s proposed multi-year budget increases funding for urban forestry by 45 per cent by 2027.

The budget allocates about $56 million on a six-year capital investment in trees while earmarking nearly $18 million in 2024 for yearly operating expenses. 

“I think that the budget was very positive,” said Jay Maillet, a geography instructor. “There have been a lot of rough years for trees. Citizens started to notice it and politicians started to notice it

The city is looking to increase the amount it allocates to operating expenses to nearly $30 million in 2027.

“Over time we will build up planting resources to scale up to deliver tree planting targets,” said Jeff Browaty, Finance Committee Chair.

Christian Cassidy from Trees Winnipeg says while the new funding is welcome, the City is playing catch up when it comes to adding and protecting trees.

“Over the last 20, 30, 40 years, the city has been cutting down thousands of trees a year. Just in the 2010s, 2020s, its around between three and five thousand trees a year and it’s barely replacing half of them,” said Cassidy.

Maillet says aside from their known beneficial effect on the environment trees have also shown to have a positive impact on our health.

“I’m a big fan of seeing more trees and even a diversification of the species of trees that we have,” said Maillet.

“A study showed that patients in hospitals that were requiring pain medication actually required less pain medication even if they had a view of green space.”

Cassidy says while it’s nice to see the city step up to protect and plant more trees, he would like to see more efforts made on private lands.

That includes potentially a by-law to ensure that trees are protected or at least replanted during construction.

“Every year that tree deficit just builds up and it’s in the tens of thousands of trees,” said Maillet. “I think a lot of people who never thought about trees before are now suddenly thinking about trees because one day they wake up and see a tractor removing a dozen trees from their block.”