Telpay gives City of Winnipeg’s Million Tree Challenge the gift of more trees with the aid of Tree Canada

December 11, 2019 (Winnipeg, MB) – Today, Telpay, Canada’s trusted leader in innovative payment solutions, announced its commitment to support the city’s Million Tree Challenge with the help of Tree Canada, the only national tree planting charity that plants and nurtures trees in urban and rural environments.

Telpay today contributed a $250,000 donation to the city’s Million Tree Challenge through Tree Canada, a generous gift which will further benefit the city, its residents and its tree canopy. This gift is part of Telpay’s overall commitment to support its staff, customers and associated corporate community to accelerate objectives towards best environmental practices. Telpay, a Winnipeg-based company that has been delivering electronic payment systems since 1985, also challenged other local businesses to join in and support this important tree planting initiative.

The Winnipeg Million Tree Challenge received an initial $1-million donation from CN to kick start the challenge and to attract more support for the most needed trees.

Telpay recognizes the unique role that trees have to play as part of a total strategy to overcome the current environmental crisis. This past October, Winnipeg citizens mourned the loss and destruction of many favourite urban trees from the effects of an early winter storm. This sentiment shows the incalculable benefit that trees have in the urban fabric.

Danielle St-Aubin, Tree Canada CEO and Cora Jalonen, Telpay CEO, presented a symbolic white spruce (Picea glauca), Manitoba’s official tree, to the City of Winnipeg to show its combined commitment to protect and expand Winnipeg’s tree canopy.

On September 19, 2019, Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman asked Winnipeggers to get involved in saving one of the city’s cherished assets – its trees. The Winnipeg Million Tree Challenge, an effort to plant one million trees over the next twenty years to mark the city’s population growth towards one million, aims to gain a net expansion and growth of the city’s tree canopy that goes beyond replacing existing trees lost to age, disease or other impairments.

Trees truly make a community a vibrant and healthy place to live and the tree canopy of Winnipeg is a great source of pride to many Winnipeggers, however it is under threat. At a time when the effects of climate change, emerald ash borer and Dutch elm disease are decimating the city’s canopy, the Winnipeg Million Tree Challenge is critical to ensure the growth and protection of its urban forest for generations to come.

In Canadian cities, forest cover has been declining for more than two decades. With over 82% of the population now living in urban centres, it has become increasingly important to recognize the benefits our urban trees and forests bring us. They beautify our communities, increasing the property value of our businesses and homes. They reduce the effects of climate change, naturally cooling our cities. And, they help us live longer and healthier lives, reducing stress and improving our mental health.

Quotes:

“Tree Canada is thrilled to support the Winnipeg Million Tree Challenge and we recognize how important the generosity and leadership of corporate sponsors are in ensuring its success.  We applaud Telpay’s leadership in providing this generous gift and their desire to be involved in the Million Tree Challenge is a true testament to their compassion for this city.”

– Danielle St-Aubin, CEO of Tree Canada

“Our core business function of electronic payment processing has helped countless businesses reduce their impact on the environment, and in light of a global youth movement to transform society into a green economy, Telpay is poised to be a leader in the corporate environmental movement. After seeing the impact of early winter storms on our tree canopy in our city, we chose to increase our efforts and really put the strength of our commitment behind the Million Tree Challenge.”

– William H. Loewen, Telpay Founder

 About Tree Canada

Tree Canada is the only national non-profit organization dedicated to planting and nurturing trees in rural and urban environments. Through our programs, research and educational efforts, we have helped restore tree cover in areas hit by natural disasters, guided communities in managing their urban forests, helped green 660 schoolyards and organized urban forest conferences. To date, with our community partners and sponsors, we have planted more than 82 million trees.
TreeCanada.ca

About Telpay

For over 34 years, Canadian owned Telpay has delivered innovative, cost-effective and secure electronic payment solutions that are an alternative to writing cheques. It provides its services to individuals, financial institutions and businesses coast to coast. Our goal is to offer the best experience ever, truly delighting our customers with our products, service and our Telpay team. Telpay’s system has already eliminated paper to the equivalent of a mature 80,000 tree forest!
Telpay.ca

More information:

Interested members of the business community wishing to contribute to the Winnipeg Million Tree Challenge are encouraged to visit treecanada.ca/#WinnipegMillionTreeChallenge

For interviews, photos and more information:

Media Inquiries
Cristiane Doherty
Communications and Marketing Manager, Tree Canada
cdoherty@treecanada.ca
613-567-5545 ext. 224

Lyn Walker
Marketing Manager, Telpay
lwalker@telpay.ca
204-957-2800 ext. 865