City of Peterborough Enhances Urban Canopy with FCM Grant

Peterborough, ON – The City of Peterborough is restoring its urban canopy and enhancing tree coverage throughout the city, planting thousands of new trees through a grant from the Government of Canada’s 2 Billion Trees Program and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund (GMF).    

The City has received $1,623,230 from GMF’s Growing Canada’s Community Canopies (GCCC) initiative, to plant up to 4,000 trees throughout the city, maximizing benefits for residents and the City’s urban canopy. 

Jointly announced by the Government of Canada and FCM in May 2024, GCCC will support the planting of at least 1.2 million new trees across Canada by the end of March 2031 while offering funding, resources and coaching to communities.  

"I’m delighted that Peterborough is benefitting from the Growing Canada’s Community Canopies grant. This initiative reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing the impacts of climate change by restoring the vital ecosystems in our community. Planting trees brings immediate benefits to all living beings and lasting benefits for generations to come. I’m proud to be part of planting the seeds today that our children and grandchildren will one day enjoy," said Emma Harrison, MP for Peterborough. 

“Fair and equal access to trees means ensuring that every resident, in every neighbourhood, can enjoy the cleaner air, shade, and beauty that our urban forest provides. The support from this FCM grant will not only help us expand canopy coverage city-wide, but it will also allow us to replace the many trees we’ve lost. Peterborough's tree canopy has been greatly impacted over the last few years by a derecho in May of 2022, the ice storm in March of 2025, and the invasive emerald ash borer. With this grant, we'll be able to rebuild and replenish our urban forest, making sure the benefits of trees are shared equitably while building a greener, more resilient Peterborough for the future,” said Mayor Jeff Leal.  

“With the right trees in the right places, communities of all sizes can unlock environmental, social and economic benefits,” said Rebecca Bligh, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. “Through the Growing Canada’s Community Canopies initiative, our municipalities now have access to the funding, training and resources they need to make tree planting a smart investment in the long-term health and resilience's of our communities.” 

Trees will be planted along road allowances, parks and open spaces. Trees will be maintained by the City.   

Factors like space, soil conditions, sunlight, nearby utilities and structures will help determine the location and species of tree that is planted. Large growing, native species of trees are planted whenever possible.  

As part of the City’s annual tree planting program, notification letters are sent to property owners when a tree is going to be planted on a boulevard or road allowance. A door hanger is also provided when the tree planting location has been marked in advance of the planting.  

Residents can also request a tree if the property frontage does not already have a tree on it. Visit peterborough.ca/trees to submit a form online or call 705-745-1386.  

More information on the City’s urban forest, including the tree planting program and tree maintenance, can be found online at peterborough.ca/trees. 

About FCM’s Green Municipal Fund  

FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF) is a globally unique organization providing funding and education to municipalities to help them both reach net-zero and build resilient communities, while also delivering economic and social benefits such as jobs, housing and infrastructure. Since inception in 2000, it has helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.98 million tonnes, funded more than 16,000 person-years of employment, enabled nearly 31,000 sustainable affordable housing units, and contributed $1.53 billion to the national GDP via the more than 2,736 approved projects. GMF manages approximately $2.4 billion in programs funded by the Government of Canada.  

The Green Municipal Fund’s Growing Canada’s Community Canopies is a $291M initiative, ending in 2031, funded by the Government of Canada’s 2 Billion Trees program and delivered by the FCM. Capacity building is enabled through a partnership with Tree Canada.