May 24, 2024

Front row from left: Mayor Justin Towndale, Councillor Syd Gardiner, TC+ Chair John Towndrow, Sustainability Project Coordinator Angela Parker, Tree Canada's Lead Manager, Urban Programs, Rebecca Seltzer & RRCA General Manager, Richard Pilon.

The City of Cornwall’s Mattice Park now features a variety of young, native trees as well as a community garden planted with edible shrubs thanks to a partnership between the City of Cornwall, the Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA), and Transition Cornwall +, and with funding provided by Tree Canada and the LCBO’s Spirit of Sustainability social impact platform.  

“This project will provide shade, cleaner air, and a greater sense of well-being for our city residents, as well as vital pollinator support,” says Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale. “We are grateful to our community partners and funders for helping us enhance this popular park with native trees and an edible garden.” 

The trees were provided through the RRCA’s forestry program and include white birch, hackberry, bitternut hickory, black walnut, red oak, bur oak, and swamp white oak. 

“We are pleased to support the City of Cornwall in this effort to enhance our region’s tree cover,” says RRCA General Manager, Richard Pilon. “It is thanks to partnerships with private and public property owners that the RRCA has planted 1.3 million trees since 1994 to support the health and resilience of our local watersheds.”

The park’s new edible garden includes native shrub species such as highbush cranberry, black elderberry, Saskatoon service berry, and more. The garden was designed by volunteers from Transition Cornwall +.

“Community gardens such as this one are an excellent practice to improve biodiversity while reducing our use of fossil fuels for grass maintenance,” says John Towndrow, Chair of Transition Cornwall +. “This project will provide a source of nutrient-dense food for birds and wildlife and can also serve as a demonstration site for similar public gardens.” 

Tree Canada’s Rebecca Seltzer says the planting at Mattice Park aligns with the national non-profit’s mission to inspire, educate, and enable Canadians to plant and nurture trees to improve lives and address climate change. “It is forever encouraging to see trees bringing a community together. Planting trees at this City park also helps grow Canada’s tree canopy.”

Mattice Park is located in the south-east section of the City, at the corner of Edward Street and Lennox Street.

To learn more about the City of Cornwall’s Sustainability Project, go to cornwall.ca. For the RRCA’s Forestry Program, visit rrca.on.ca/Trees. For Transition Cornwall +, visit transitioncornwall.com.