May 15, 2010
Minister of Natural Resources, Linda Jeffery, plants a red maple at the grounds of Queen’s Park, as Peter and Tim van Stralen of Sunshine Grounds, Geoff Cape of Evergreen and Art Vanden Enden add their encouragement.
Minister of Natural Resources, Linda Jeffery, plants a red maple at the grounds of Queen’s Park, as Peter and Tim van Stralen of Sunshine Grounds, Geoff Cape of Evergreen and Art Vanden Enden add their encouragement.
Landscape Ontario marked Earth Day on April 22 with the planting of a red maple at Queen’s Park. Assisting the Minister of Natural Resources (MNR), Linda Jeffery, was a large contingent from Sunshine Grounds, bedecked in their vibrant yellow jackets, along with Art Vanden Enden CHT, vice-president of retail sales for Sheridan Gardens, Tony DiGiovanni, executive director of Landscape Ontario and Geoff Cape, executive director of Evergreen.

The event was part of an ongoing co-operative partnership between Landscape Ontario and the Ministry of Natural Resources to create Ontario’s Tree Atlas. The project promotes Ontario native trees. An extension of that project could see all 26 recommended species planted at the grounds of Landscape Ontario’s home office. The trees listed in the atlas are the most common trees likely to be found in south and central Ontario.

During the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the Minister of MNR said, “Across Ontario and around the world, people are celebrating Earth Day by planting trees. Trees are important in helping us fight climate change. I urge you to plant a tree this spring to help fight climate change. Every tree makes a difference!”

Art Vanden Eden represented the independent garden centres where many of the atlases have been distributed. He is a member of LO’s garden centre sector group. Members of Sunshine Grounds have the contract to maintain the grounds at the Queen’s Park location adjacent to the Whitney Block where the red maple was planted.