Bracebridge General Committee approved the creation of the Bracebridge 150 Forest legacy project, in the October 1, 2024, meeting.

According to the agenda, the project involves planting 150 trees of various sizes and placing commemorative signing on Town property at Little Ryans Way and Gostick Park next June, as a part of their 150^th anniversary celebration.

It adds that staff will manage the project, with the help of the Bracebridge 150 Committee for fundraising.

$100,000 will also be included in the draft 2025 Municipal Budget to help fund the project.

Mayor, Rick Maloney, expressed enthusiasm for the project. He said, “We were always looking for opportunities for these types of projects that we can look back on and say, ‘Yes, this was done at a marker in our history’, and the 150 is that marker.”

He added that the project fits with other Town priorities that are aligned with the overall well being of the community and environment.

Councillor, Archie Buie, suggested the project as “of fundamental importance.” He added, “We should be doing a lot more of this, not just because of our 150^th anniversary, but this should be a policy in place about planting trees and working into our policies on tree cutting.”

Buie indicated that some people cut trees down on their property out of necessity and/or lack of space, and that the Town has plenty of space to replant them.

He added that they can incorporate a new policy into their anniversary celebration as a step further than planting trees “to maintain the green forest that we have and just not a one time off.”

Councillor, Don Smith, suggested there’s community interest in adding more trees and that the Town should have a sponsorship program for this type of initiative.

Director of Public Works, Geoff Carleton, advised that the Town currently has various initiatives for tree planting, such as the Memorial Program, where trees are dedicated in areas such as parks, and the Urban Management Plan involves tree planting along streets in ideal areas. 

He added that the Town used to have arbor days where the community was involved in tree plantings and could also purchase them from the municipality at a discount and plant them on their own properties.

He continued that staff are considering expanding initiatives on Town properties in various ways.

Smith expressed the importance of providing ongoing communication about the projects to the community for people that are interested.

Deputy Mayor, Brenda Rhodes, advised that the 150 Committee are also considering corporate partnerships with businesses that already have these kinds of initiatives in place.

Staff will report a cost breakdown and other project details to the Planning and Development Committee in February 2025.