A Summer Message from Deb Pella Keen, MLF Executive Director
Our spring newsletter was delivered to your inbox while a major ice storm was being experienced across south-central Ontario and into Quebec. The March 29-30 ice storm had accumulations of up to 30 mm and was immediately followed by northwest winds gusting to 50 km/hr, which also helped contribute to the damage to trees and power lines. Several municipalities declared states of emergency, while over 1 million customers were without power, some for weeks!
Tree and woodlot owners who had ice damage and are still dealing with the aftermath might find the following links to resources helpful.
- Forests Canada: Offers guidance on caring for trees after ice storms.
- Ontario Woodlot Association: Provides information on woodlot management, including resources for dealing with ice storms.
- LandOwner Resource Centre / Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources:
- Maple Leaves Forever’s post from after the 2013 ice storm in Ontario is still relevant today: Ice storm retrospective – Native trees are better at weathering the storm
- South Nation Conservation Authority: Offers a woodlot storm recovery program for eligible property owners.
Ken Jewett, MLF Founder and I had the honour of attending Forests Canada’s Provincial Envirothon Competition at the end of May, held at the University of Waterloo. This year’s Ontario Envirothon engaged almost 500 students in learning more about the environment, including forest stewardship. I helped judge the highest scoring presentations and Ken gave a key note speech. In his speech Ken said, “Maple Leaves Forever is pleased to support this program (since 2016) that helps young people get involved in the environment. I think all participants should be winning awards!” You can learn more about the program here.
Soon it will be Canada Day, and from coast to coast to coast, let’s show our Canadian identity and let our pride shine! If you are interested, here are some Canada Day activities planned this year:
Happy Canada Day!
Deb Pella Keen
On behalf of the Maple Leaves Forever Team
Part of the MLF Summer 2025 ENewsletter – Subscribe for quarterly news right to your INBOX!