Some 400 Trees For Life were planted just before Earth Day in honour of healthcare workers at the Trillium Queensway Health Centre.
Dozens of volunteers planted a grove of native trees on April 20, at the Sherway Trail, next to the Health Centre.
The trees and shrubs “honour healthcare workers who work tirelessly to support our health and well-being,” Trees For Life organizers said.
The event took place two days before Earth Day 2024, on April 22, as Trees for Life want to help grow “Hero Forests” in communities across Canada, the group said.
There were a number of community cleanups planned to pick up trash as part of Earth Day.
A donation of $1 million was made by the Barrett Family Foundation to help grow more Trees of Heroes projects nationwide.
“Protecting the environment and ecological sustainability is a core value of Barrett Family Foundation,” said foundation chair Bob Barrett.
The charity was founded by Mark Cullen, who is still its president; and attending the tree-planting were co-founder Barrett, and Karli Farrow, CEO of Trillium Health Partners.
“The links between increased tree canopy coverage, access to public green spaces and the combined mental and physical health benefits that come as a result are well documented,” Cullen said.
We are “extremely fitting to plant trees to honour those on the front line of healthcare.”
Construction began last month for the Trillium Queensway Health Centre, which is expected to open in late 2029.
A $1.3 billion contract to build the health centre is said to represent Canada’s largest health infrastructure renewal project.
The 600,000-square-feet hospital will include a new patient tower, including a modern nine-story facility with over 350 beds and fully private patient rooms to ensure privacy and enhance infection prevention control.
The expanded space will allow the centre to connect more people to specialized care, including continuing care and rehabilitation services, according to Ontario government officials.
“We are thrilled to break ground on the new Gilgan Family Queensway Health Centre, a critical step in making care more connected and convenient in Etobicoke and neighbouring communities,” Premier Doug Ford said then.
Trees for Life is a Canadian charity driven to inspire, support and mobilize community-led tree and shrub-planting initiatives. Its projects include the Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign and GrandTrees Climate Solutions, The charity has raised more than $18 million to support the planting and stewardship of over 3.3 million trees across Canada.