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About this Award

The Tree Canada Community Impact Award recognizes innovation and collaborative community building in urban forestry. It is awarded to recipients of Tree Canada’s Community Tree Grants.

This award honours exceptional efforts and achievement in local community greening projects. It aims to celebrate the dedication, creativity, and collaborative spirit of community groups and organizations that are committed to enhancing urban environments and fostering a greener future through tree planting, engagement, and education initiatives.

Eligibility & Conditions

  • Open to recipients of Tree Canada’s Community Tree Grants in the two calendar years preceding the application period.
  • Project must demonstrate meaningful engagement of the community for greening, innovation, education, and stewardship initiatives.
  • Project must demonstrate best management practices for urban forest establishment and maintenance, with innovative urban design solutions.
  • Eligible candidates will be evaluated based on the final reports that are submitted as part of the Community Tree Grant process.
  • Additional information may be requested by the Review Committee.

Bedeque Bay Environmental Management Association

In the wake of Hurricane Fiona, which wreaked havoc across Prince Edward Island in September 2022, the community of Slemon Park near Summerside was among the hardest hit regions. With sustained winds exceeding 90 kilometres per hour, the storm felled 80% of Slemon Park’s old-growth trees, severely altering the landscape of this small community.

On October 12, 2023, staff from Bedeque Bay Environmental Management Association (BBEMA), Slemon Park Corporation and a local grade 7 class embarked on a mission to restore tree canopy in this area. Together they planted 560 trees of different sizes along a nature trail, 165 of which were funded by Tree Canada’s Treemendous Communities grant program and project sponsor, Wawanesa Insurance.

The Bedeque Bay Environmental Management Association is a not-for-profit organization that works with community partners to protect the natural resources of the Bedeque Bay Watershed. In the fall of 2022, they applied to Tree Canada’s grant program to help replant a variety of native tree species, suited to the local climate and ecosystem of Slemon Park.

With a population comprised of mostly seniors and young low-income families, BBEMA’s goal was to enhance the community without putting any burden on the tenants that live there.

Tree planting effort is ongoing, with plans for continuous planting over the next few years. Some of the seniors who lost large trees had the opportunity to have 20-gallon trees planted in their front yards.