E By KuauuuSu Wlilmuf < CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF MVe Town of Milton is considering :3a $6-million project ta protect and stimulate the.growth of trees. zOn Monday, the Community Ser- 0vices Standing Committee heard a *E presentation by Urban Forestry In- novations nc., a consulting firm, Ucentered on the town's need ta sus- Stain its urban forest. The 1O0-year plan called for increased awareness of the Z importance of trees, a risk assess- 0 ment strategy and more dedicated Cresources, both human and financial. l'i "Milton is very aware of the land E use change from rural ta urban and Eya strategic plan is needed ta help o manage it,' said Philip van Wassen- raer, principal consulting arborist and Sfounder of Urban Forestry Innova- Stions lnc. SAccording ta van Wassenaer, the Sneed for action i5 pressing. Milton is ICanada's fastest-growîng municipal- ity and is transitioning from rural ta urban at an alarming'rate. Milton's population is expected ta grow ta 161,750, up 200 per cent from the current population of 95,879, accord- ing ta the report. This will increase the need for housing and infrastruc- ture and threaten the viability of the tawn's green spaces. These pressures, combined with other threats such as pests, diseases, climate change and competition for resources will require long-term planning, said van Wassenaer. The benefits of trees ta urban residents include cleaning the air, improving stream water quality, mitigating climate change through carbon storage, reducing energy use, providing habitat for wildilife, reducing exposure ta heat, increas- ing praperty values and reducing car accidents. Mayor Gord Krantz was supportive of the presentation and asked van Wassenaer how ta engage resîdents, who ultimately contraI 80 ta 85 per cent of the urban forest. Van Wassenaer said the Town must lead by example by maintaining the 18,729 Town-owned trees and stress the benefits 6f tree maturation ta residents. The strategy, envisioned back in 2011, wasn~t without critics. Ward 4 Councillor Rick Malboeuf held the 113-page document in his hand, asking how many trees had to be chopped down ta produce the 30 copies handed out ta counicil and successful careers teaching in Milton, according ta CFUW locals. Gray, who was a founding member of CFUW Milton and District, is weIl remembered by her fellpw teachers and students at Milton District High Schoal for her lively humour and dedica- tian especially ta her French classes. She has served many years on the local clubs executive and has always lent a hand especially at the an- nual community book sales and market booth. Dryden is also a lang-time member of the club. As a teacher of English in Milton, Dryden has aI- ways kept the mem bers on their toes grammati- cally. Shes fondly remembered by her students and fellow staff members. Dryden is a past presi- dent of the Milton club, held variaus other ex- ecutive positions and has servedi on the national board as a regional director. Shes a past recipi- ent of a local ATHENA award. The Scholarship Award Committee has estab- lished a minimum amount of $5,000 for this award but will accept outside donations ta in- crease its value. AIl donations wlll be eligible for a charitable receipt as the trust is a registered charity. To add ta the award's value, email cfuw- milton@hatmail.com or caîl (905) 878-7339. ami" CFUW Milton and District, a member of the1 Canadian Federation of University Wamen, is pleased ta announce that as part of the national arganizatian's lOOth anniversary celebrations a special schalarship award will be given. The award will be named the CFIJW 1OOth An- niversary Gwen Dryden Margaret Gray Award. It will be presented ta a femnale graduate from the Milton area who's pursuing post-secondary education. The criteria hasn~t yet been set but is expected ta b. similar ta those detaiîed on the current application forms. Margaret Gray and Gwen Dryden bath had very wnR lieng $6- Town staffers. *Was it really necessary ta go through these extremes and ln- cur the costs ($48,000 for consult- ing) ta produce this report? We've managed our forests for years when weve had a lot more forests and trees than we do now,»' he said. Local and Regional Councillor Co- lin Best questloned howto marry the ideas of plantlng new trees while ensuring theyre not the source of destruction when natu- raI disasters occur, Ilke the August 4 flooding in Burlington. Van Wassenaer noted the difficulty of getting people ta, act now ln or- der ta save time and energy later. urban forest poject He used the example of two golf courses he worked with, one that properly-pruned trees throughout the year and one that didn't. When the winter ice storm hit in Decem- ber 2013, the former incurred no damage while the latter was out $1 00,OoQ. The $6 million estimated cost over LONNO Sales & Production Yard Watordown Gardon Centre NURSERIES 656 Robson Rd., Waterdown, ON 383 Dundas St. E, Waterdown, ON Poo .5.VADRKU MLMSLI. Tel.: 905.689.7433 Tel.: 905.689.4631 con non.*c a ROTH L.OCATIONS JUST MINUTES WEST 0F BURUNGTON 10 years includes a management strategyta protect ash trees, in- crease administrative staffing, main- tenance costs, risk assessments and management of the Tawn-owned tree inventory. The report was received and wiII be reviewed for future budget consid- eration. Rachael Williams can be reached at rwilliams@miltoncanadiancham pion. corn and an Twitter @MiltonReports. Volunteers soughit for Pink Ribbon Days The Canadian Cancer Society is look- ing for volunteers ta help paint Hal- tan Region pink this fail with its an- nual Pink Ribbon Days. From October 2 ta 4, Pink Ribbon Days will see Canadian Cancer Soci- ety volunteers collect donations and distribute pink ribbons throughout the community ta raise funds and awareness for breast health. Dubbed Pink Ribbon Ambassadors, the volunteers are needed. for two- hour shifts at various retail stores in Halton ta collect donations and hand out ribbons. Site co-ordinators are also needed ta assist at various retail stores in Halton by picking up and dropping off pink ribbons and supplies for volunteers. Shifts take place on the following days and times: Thursday, Oct. 2, 10 a.m. ta 8 p.m.; Friday Oct. 3, and Sat- urday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m. ta 6 p.m. For information on locations or ta sign Up, go to http://l y59jkk.myccss- chedule.ca/events/index or contact Sandy at smcdanald@ontario.cancer. ca or caîl (905) 845-523 1, ext. 3163. CFUW Milton and District to award special scholarship