#OperationReLeaf Fort McMurray is a multi-year effort to help reclaim the loss of trees and urban canopy after the devastating wildfires that struck the region in 2016.
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Operation ReLeaf Programs →
In May 2016, fire swept through the town of Fort McMurray. The flames jumped barriers and highways. 1.4 million acres were consumed in a matter of days.
“We’re dedicated to returning this community to its former beauty. We deeply sympathize with residents who lost their homes and have had their lives so disrupted by the fire. It is my sincere hope that this initiative will help to bring back a sense of normalcy to the community”
– Michael Rosen, President of Tree Canada
“We are deeply grateful to Tree Canada and all of its partners for this very generous donation. This support will undoubtedly lift the spirits of the entire community and help us restore so much of the natural beauty that was impacted by the wildfire.”
– Melissa Blake, Mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo
Tree Canada’s “Operation ReLeaf – Fort McMurray” program began planting trees in publicly-owned natural, forested areas to facilitate forest regrowth according to Fire Smart standards. Discussions are also underway to replace trees lost in adjacent First Nation communities. The restoration project continues into 2018 and into 2019 with a focus on planting residential trees and street trees.
In total, more than 70,000 trees were planted in 2017.
As part of Operation ReLeaf – Fort McMurray, Tree Canada created a private resident and community grant program to support the re-greening of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB).
Grants were available to individuals, Indigenous communities and community groups throughout the region who were looking to purchase trees to plant on private property in areas affected by the 2016 Horse River Wildfire and also included properties damaged in the wildfire and properties adjacent to firebreak areas or areas where hazardous tree removal had occurred.
In 2019, phase II will consist of supporting the municipality in planting large caliper street trees in communities most affected by the fires, such as Beacon Hill and Stone Creek, with a goal of recovering the lost canopy.
