Living Green Barrie is making Simcoe County’s largest city greener, one tree at a time.
The local environmental organization is hosting several tree-planting events throughout October, kicking off at Shear Park with the Barrie U15 Colts hockey team.
Living Green Barrie, together with its partners, has already planted thousands of trees throughout the city to boost biodiversity, cut carbon emissions, and deepen the community’s bond with nature. The current initiative is expected to add more than 100 new trees.
Executive Director Andee Pelan said the events are a way to bring the community together for a good cause.
“It’s a sense of community — this is really what Living Green Barrie is trying to do,” she said.
“We want to show that simple actions can help people get involved, build community, and feel good about their place in it.”
Pelan said the organization aims to plant 10,000 trees across Barrie. So far, around 7,500 have been planted, with the goal expected to be reached by 2026. She said the initiative will continue beyond that.
“That’s the best thing about goals — reaching one and then exceeding it with the next,” she said.
Barrie U15 Colts head coach Lee Archer said volunteering to help plant trees gives his team a sense of fulfilment.
“We are giving back to our community, and decades from now, when these trees have fully grown, people will see the impact of the work we did,” he said. “It creates involvement and a sense of fulfillment for us.”
Coun. Jim Harris, who represents the area, joined in to plant trees. A past volunteer with Living Green Barrie, he said events like this bring the community together.
“It’s great community building. We have young hockey players helping, along with others, all coming together to do some teamwork,” he said.
Upcoming tree-planting events will take place at Ferris, D’Ambrosio, McConkey, Pringle and Patterson parks.
