Ontarians Plant More Than a Million Trees for the Province's 150th Birthday

The Green Leaf Challenge Celebrates Ontario's Commitment to a Greener Future

TORONTO, March 15, 2018 /CNW/ - Forests Ontario, with the support of its planting and corporate partners, community groups, schools, families, and individuals from across Ontario, planted and counted a milestone one million trees under Ontario's Green Leaf Challenge (GLC) in 2017.

"It is inspiring to see the commitment that Ontario communities have shown in growing a greener and healthier province," said Rob Keen, CEO of Forests Ontario. "We planted alongside thousands of volunteers at community tree planting events across the province, rain or shine. Thank you for the tremendous community support of the GLC; we invite Ontarians to join us again this spring at our community planting events."

The tree counter hit the one million mark on December 13^th, 2017, when Grand River Conservation Authority reported their 88,867 trees. Grand River Conservation Authority joins the City of Toronto and City of Ottawa as the campaign's top three planting organizations. All Ontarians who planted a tree in 2017 and shared their success can view their contribution live on https://greenleafchallenge.ca.

"Thanks to everyone who participated in the Green Leaf Challenge, helping us plant and count 1,455,078 trees across Ontario," said Nathalie Des Rosiers, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. "Last year, we celebrated Ontario's 150th birthday. What better gift to our province than planting trees to help protect Ontario's people, air, water, and wildlife against the impacts of climate change."

"As Canada's leading general contractor, PCL is known for achieving and exceeding our partners' sustainable enterprise goals for their projects," says Todd Craigen, Senior Vice President and District Manager at PCL Constructors Canada Inc. (Toronto). "With a shared commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and improving quality of life, we welcomed the opportunity to partner with Forests Ontario and the provincial government to provide our employees with saplings which have counted towards Ontario's Green Leaf Challenge."

"Enbridge is proud to support meaningful initiatives like the Green Leaf Challenge, which contribute to the economic, environmental, and social well-being of the communities that we serve," says Malini Giridhar, Vice President, Market Development & Public Affairs, Gas Distribution & Power, at Enbridge Gas Distribution.

The trees planted under the Green Leaf Challenge will not only increase Ontario's canopy cover and green community spaces, they will also improve the province's air and water quality, enhance wildlife habitat, and help us continue to fight against the devastating effects of climate change. These trees will serve as a living legacy for future generations, demonstrating our dedication to the environment and a greener future.

Forests Ontario, a non-profit, charitable organization, applauds the many volunteers who attended community planting events across the province and thanks our sponsors, Enbridge Gas Distribution and PCL Constructors for their continued support.

About Forests Ontario
Forests Ontario is the voice for our forests. Working to promote a future of healthy forests sustaining healthy people, Forests Ontario is committed to the re-greening of Ontario through tree planting efforts on rural lands and in urban areas, as well as the renewal and stewardship of Ontario's forests through restoration, education and awareness. Visit www.forestsontario.ca or follow us @Forests_Ontario.

ABOUT PCL CONSTRUCTORS CANADA INC. (TORONTO)
PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and in Australia. These diverse operations in infrastructure, heavy industrial, and buildings markets are supported by a strategic presence in 31 major centres. Backed by PCL's 111-year legacy, and with more than four decades of experience in Southwestern Ontario's dynamic construction market, the Toronto office is PCL's largest district with more than 550 of the construction industry's most talented professionals and an annual construction volume of more than $1.0B. For more information, visit: www.pcl.com/toronto.

For more information about PCL's role in celebrating Canada 150, click here.

About Enbridge Gas Distribution
Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. has a 170-year history and is Canada's largest natural gas distribution company. It is owned by Enbridge Inc., a Canadian-based leader in energy transportation and distribution, and has ranked as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations for the past eight years. Enbridge Gas Distribution distributes natural gas to over two million customers in Ontario.

SOURCE Forests Ontario