The Parkdale BIA & TD Green Streets Garden Ceremony

[caption id="attachment_554" align="alignright" width="300"] Our gorgeous new plaque at the Elm Grove garden - plaque holder by Phil Sarazen; Graphic Design by Joel Hentges; Text by Ellie Anglin[/caption] [caption id="attachment_553" align="alignnone" width="300"] Ribbon Cutting by Tenzin Tekan on behalf of Peggy Nash, MP Parkdale High Park; John Doherty, Chair, Parkdale BIA; Cheng Wang, TD Bank; Gord Perks, Councillor Ward 14; Ed Borczon, Tree Canada[/caption]

Planting the Roots for a Greener Parkdale

 - TD Green Streets awards the Parkdale Village BIA with $15,000 for tree planting initiative -

Parkdale, Toronto, Ontario (October 17, 2012) – The Parkdale Village BIA is pleased to announce it has been selected by TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) and Tree Canada to receive a $15,000 grant from the TD Green Streets program for its 2012 urban reforestation program. 75 applications were submitted to the 2012 TD Green Streets program, and the Parkdale Village BIA represents one of 21 municipalities selected to receive a grant. The funding will support the BIA’s Garden Development Project, in which the BIA will create and maintain the urban forest within their neighbourhood, such as their six (6) BIA-owned green spaces within Parkdale. “Because of its close proximity to the waterfront, Parkdale was once a resort spot for Torontonians - with beautiful summer homes nestled among lush trees and plants.  AsTorontoblossomed intoCanada’s greatest city, Parkdale grew alongside it - transforming from a quaint beach-side community to the vibrant and bustling urban area we know and love today.  This development has had immeasurable benefits for Parkdale; although sadly the transformation cost us many of our beautiful trees.  The PVBIA, working in conjunction with local businesses and community members, aims to reverse this damage by creating and maintaining the urban forest within our neighbourhood such as these six (6) green spaces,” said Anna Bartula, Executive Director, Parkdale Village BIA The funding provided by the TD Green Streets grant has allowed the BIA to implement the resources necessary to improve and maintain its urban forest by engaging the local social purpose business Parkdale Green Thumbs Enterprises to plant trees and seasonal florals, as well as many volunteers from the community.  Local artists, designers, historians and writers have created 4 re-designed and updated plaques for the gardens, all of which will display photos and information on the history of Parkdale, with an emphasis on the significance of trees and flowers in its development. “The goal of TD Green Streets is to encourage the adoption of leading-edge practices in municipal forests, and we want to commend the Parkdale Village BIA for developing a plan that will provide such a great enhancement to the environment,” said Mary Desjardins, Executive Director, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. “The plantings will provide habitat and food for wildlife and improve air quality, as well as promote community involvement in the development of Toronto’s urban forest.” To celebrate the inauguration of this project, the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) presented the Parkdale Village BIA with a cheque at the TD Green Streets Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Garden Tour on Wednesday, October 17^th, at theElmGroveGarden.  There they celebrated the launch of the reinvigorated community gardens and plaques with a ribbon cutting ceremony, remarks from the Parkdale Village BIA, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF), TreeCanada and local politicians.  This ceremony was followed by a brief tour of the six (6) gardens alongQueen Street West withinParkdaleVillage. How recipients were chosen: Applications to the 2012 TD Green Streets program were open to Canadian municipalities, First Nations communities and Business Improvement Associations (BIAs) inVancouver,MontrealandToronto. All submissions were reviewed by regional Tree Canada Advisors,Board Members, urban forest practitioners and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation representatives based on innovation,community involvement and technical expertise. “We congratulate the Parkdale Village BIA for developing an initiative that will create an important green space in their community,” says Michael Rosen, President of TreeCanada. “We’re pleased that we have been able to support the efforts of The Parkdale Village BIA and we look forward to seeing their plan come to life.” For more information on the 2012 TD Green Streets winning submissions, visit www.tdgreenstreets.ca. About TD Green Streets TD Green Streets is a national program that supports innovative practices in municipal forestry. Through this unique program, communities acrossCanadaare eligible to receive matching grants of up to $15,000 to support local forestry projects. TD Green Streets is open to Canadian municipalities, Aboriginal communities and Business Improvement Associations (BIAs) in Montréal,VancouverandToronto.