“Watch it Grow, Canada!/ Un arbre pour toi, Canada!” is an initiative the Celebrate Canada Committee for British Columbia    started in 1994, with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage.  The initiative has also been supported by the Pacific Regeneration Technologies Inc.

There is a direct link with the Canada Day Youth Award since one of the criteria is the environmental initiative which encourages preservation and protections of the environment and increases awareness of environmental issues (for example: organization clean up campaigns and implementing tree planting initiatives).

1994 was the pilot project of this initiative; there were a few problems with excess trees, but overall the initiative was very well received.  There were 84, 500 seedlings for B.C. and the Yukon and 26, 100 seedlings for 30 citizenship ceremonies across Canada.

In 1995, 67, 400 seedlings were distributed for Canada Day events and Citizenship ceremonies nationally.  This included approximately 90 different communities nationally.  The initiative was very well organized and well received by the general public and all levels of governments.

In 1996, the initiative made some fundamental changes and sent out Tree Kits instead of seedlings.  85, 000 Tree Kits were distributed for Canada Day events and Citizenship Ceremonies nationally.  These Tree Kits were shipped to 150 different points across Canada.

The project was resumed once again in 1998 with many changes.  Pacific Regeneration Technologies Inc. (PRT) was kind enough to donate $40, 000 worth of their seedlings for the initiative.  The seedlings were approximately a  year old and stood about 12 inches high.  Also, instead of the seedlings being delivered to every Canada Day Celebration in the country, they were shipped to each Department of Canadian Heritage office nationwide for their internal distribution within their own province.  Over 74,000 seedlings were given to communities across the country.

In 1999, the project followed the same guidelines as the year before.  Pacific Regeneration Technologies Inc. (PRT) donated seedlings from their British Columbian nurseries to be sent out nationally.    The seedlings were accompanied with kits to the Department of Canadian Heritage offices and from there they were distributed to the various Canada Day celebrations.  Over 70, 000 seedlings were distributed that year.

In 2000, the project was continued with the generous support of PRT.  They donated over 80, 000 douglas fir, spruce and pine seedlings.  These seedlings were distributed from various nurseries in Western Canada and were sent to various locations across Canada.  Information Kits accompanied the seedlings to the various Celebrate Canada events across Canada.

In 2001, the initiative saw over 65,000 seedlings distributed across Canada for Canada Day Celebrations.  PRT graciously supplied these seedlings from their B.C. and Ontario nurseries.  In an effort to make the project more publicized, the information kits came with a facts sheet about each type of tree and the seedlings were distributed with bags provided by PRT.

In 2002, the initiative continued under the theme “Plant a Tree for the Queen’s Jubilee!”.  This year we were able to distribute almost 120,000 seedlings through PRT’s support.  Information Kits were sent out that included a media fact sheet about PRT, to promote knowledge of their involvement in the project.

In 2003, the program continued, following the theme “Celebrating Canada’s Natural Beauty”. The initiative successfully delivered over 65 000 seedlings all across Canada.  A system was developed to better support the interested groups by setting up a mailing list and arranging for direct contact with all those groups to allow for more comprehensive communication between the initiative coordinator and the seedling recipients.

In 2004, the initiative successfully delivered over 84,000 seedlings under the theme “Acadia: First Dialogues - The Meeting of Two Worlds”.  Douglas Fir, Lodgepole Pine, Western White Pine, Spruce, and Red Cedar, generously donated by PRT, were planted across the country to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Acadia and 400 years of continuous French presence in Canada.

In 2005, the program delivered over 53, 000 Douglas Fir, Ponderosa Pine, Western Red Cedar Spruce, and Lodge Pole Pine seedlings under the themes “Canada from East to West” and “Year of the Veteran”.  The year was marked with changes in shipping preparation and the creation of a “Watch it Grow, Canada!/ Un arbre pour toi, Canada!” logo to be used in 2006. 

In 2006, the initiative partnered with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to deliver over 62,000 seedlings to seven provinces/territories.  Under the theme “Images of Canada” this year celebrated the 10th anniversary of National Aboriginal Day.  To mark this milestone, a special seedlings bag was produced and material was created to broaden awareness.  Indian and Northern Affairs graciously covered the cost of shipping, the creation of the seedling bag, and promotional items.

2007 saw the distribution of the one millionth seedling by the initiative under the theme of “A Portrait of Canada: Celebrating 140 Years”.  A total of 69,455 seedlings were distributed among nine provinces, thereby making a grand total of 1,005,058 for the history of the initiative.  Additionally, twenty Canada Day citizenship ceremonies were supplied with seedlings which were held in locations ranging as far west as British Columbia and as far east as Newfoundland and Labrador.

PROUD CONTRIBUTORS AND SPONSORS

The “Watch it Grow, Canada!/ Un arbre pout toi, Canada!” initiative was made possible by the efforts of many people.  Most responsible for its achievement success are the Celebrate Canada Committee for British Columbia, the Department of Canadian Heritage, Pacific Regeneration Technologies Inc. (PRT), Hawkeye Holdings and Evergreen Farms. Each has its own mandate but all came together in a joint effort in making this project a huge success.

THE CELEBRATE CANADA COMMITTEE FOR
BRITISH COLUMBIA

The Celebrate Canada Committee for British Columbia is non-profit organization that works in conjunction with the Department of Canadian Heritage.  The committee was founded in 1981 and its primary goal is to celebrate Canada through various programs and projects.

The Committee developed the “Watch it Grow, Canada!/ Un arbre pour toi, Canada!” initiative in hopes of exploring a new avenue to celebrate our environment, citizenship, family values and love for our country.  The idea behind the initiative is that by planting and caring for the seedlings, you will honor this land with hopes, dreams and ambitions you may have for Canada.  The initiative was started in 1991 and has full support from all twelve of the British Columbian Zone Directors from  the Celebrate Canada Committee.  The initiative has also gained national support from the other provincial/ territorial Celebrate Canada Committees across the country.

PACIFIC REGENERATION TECHNOLOGIES INC. (PRT)

PRT first started out in 1988 in Vernon, British Columbia.  They had a clear vision, to build a company that would serve its’ customer by giving top quality seedlings for reforestation through enhancements in their nurseries.
They are one of North America’s largest forest seedling container nursery companies.  PRT’s growers and managers are among the most experienced in the business and they work through their vast nursery networks. Their mission is brief and simple: to offer quality nursery products to the forest industry and government.  They do this by working with the customers to gain full understanding of reforestation requirements.  They achieve this through a variety of ways, whether it is growing seedlings, treating seeds, providing storage or other related products and services.