Two Saskatoon afforestation areas receive $100K to build barriers to stop illegal garbage dumping
Two historic afforestation areas in Saskatoon are receiving federal funding to help stop illegal garbage dumping and provide educational resources.
The money will help protect and restore the 326-acre Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and the 148-acre George Genereux Urban Regional Park, both situated on the west edge of the city.
These man-made forests are the only remaining portions of a 1970s city plan to create a greenbelt around Saskatoon.
The areas will receive $100,080 through the Government of Canada’s Climate Action and Awareness Fund (CAAF) from now until the end of 2022.
Non-profit charity Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas helped secure the money.
Julia Adamson, chair of the Friends, said a portion will go towards installing barriers to stop motorized vehicles from entering and dumping garbage in these man-made forests.
The rest will go towards ongoing garbage clean-ups, educational programming and conducting ecological surveys and bio-blitzes to identify significant species and landscape features.
The Friends have led garbage clean-ups in the larger afforestation area, named after world-renowned forester Richard St. Barbe Baker, since 2015 and got permission last fall to do similar clean-ups at George Genereux Urban Regional Park, according to Adamson.
During that time, around 38,300 kilograms or 84,439 pounds of illegally dumped trash has been collected from both parks.
“We don’t want to keep doing that year after year after year,” Adamson said.
“With barriers up, the truck loads of trash cannot come in. We don’t have to worry about shingles and construction supplies and hotel garbage anymore.”
Richard White, a board member of the Friends, said the afforestation areas are a place where people of all ages to gather, connect with nature and enjoy a boreal forest type of woodland within the city.
“Here, we have the opportunity to have such a large and semi-wild natural area right within an urban area and that’s very rare, certainly on the Prairies,” White said.
“We have a really unique opportunity to develop this as a special spot, just like we have Wanuskewin and other spots in the city that attract not only locals but visitors.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.