Calgary Lions club members planting 5,000 trees this spring
There once was a novel, written in 1943 by Betty Smith, called A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Now, thanks to a bunch of Lions Club members, there might one day be a sequel called 2, 500 Trees Grow in a Dog Park in Thorncliffe.
That's because almost a dozen members are volunteering their time in the northeast Calgary community of Thorncliffe June 16 and 17 to plant native seedlings.
"We're planting pine and larch and Saskatoon and poplar," said Otto Silzer, Lions Club centennial tree planting chair.
Silzer explained that the project is tied to the Canadian Lions celebrating the 100th anniversary of Lions Clubs International being in Canada. As part of the initiative upwards of 500 Calgary club members committed to plant 50,000 trees over the next several years, including 5,000 this year.
"We're planting 2,500 trees in this dog park," said Silzer. "I think this is a worthwhile project for the Lions to get involved with and the betterment of the community and city."
Brian Sherret lives across the street from where the trees are being planted. He's impressed by the work of the volunteers in such a big space.
"I think it's great," said Sherret. "If I'd would have known about it a little earlier I probably would have volunteered too, I used to plant trees a long, long time ago."
Brian Stevenson has been a member for 55 years. He served as international president for its 1,400,000 members in 200 countries worldwide. Stevenson says the clubs are no stranger to planting trees.
"We had a motion by one of the past presidents about 10 years ago, he challenged the Lions to plant a million trees across the world," said Stevenson. "We surprised him because we planted 15 million."
IMPROVING COMMUNITIES
Eric Buttle has been volunteering with the Lions for 40 years and is a regular in its eye glasses recycling program. He likes improving communities close to home.
"It's just self-esteem," said Buttle. "Knowing that I'm doing something for the community."
Once finished in Thorncliffe the volunteers will head further east to Falconridge for some afternoon planting to improve yet another community.
"The old saying the sun never sets on the British Empire," said Stevenson. "It never sets on Lions and we change lives every minute of ever day for the better."
Learn more about Lions clubs here: www.lions clubs.org
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.
1 killed, 3 injured including toddler, after Hwy. 417 crash in Ottawa
Ontario Provincial Police are responding to a fatal collision involving two vehicles on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday morning.