Tree-Mendous Success

MOOSE JAW’S TREE-MENDOUS SUCCESS

Sarah Wist Regent City Horticulturalist, City of Moose Jaw

Moose Jaw - Tree of Significance Program winner, of the Saskatchewan Communities in Bloom Trees and Urban Forestry Award by SPRA!

The Tree of Significance Program has been operated annually by the City of Moose Jaw Parks and Recreation Department since 2011. The program recognizes special trees in our community and celebrates National Tree Day. A total of 16 trees have been recognized by the program so far, all for their own unique reasons. Trees can be nominated for their outstanding beauty, exceptional size, rarity, or special place within the community’s history. All of the trees nominated contribute to quality of life, sense of place, and our natural heritage. Each year the winning tree or trees are announced on National Tree Day (the third Wednesday of September every year), the Wednesday of National Forest Week. The tree’s picture and story is shared in the community so that everyone can appreciate the role trees play in our heritage.

2019

The 2019 Tree of Significance is a large silver maple at the corner of 4th Ave SW and Lillooet St W. This tree is the namesake tree of the Maple Leaf Bakery.

Past Trees of Significance

2020

The 2020 Tree of Significance is a large weeping birch in the front yard of 1515 Spadina St. This tree is one of the few fully mature weeping birches left in Moose Jaw - after the bronze birch borer caused the death of most of the birch tree population.

2018

The 2018 Tree of Significance is a tatarian maple on the Saskatchewan Polytechnic campus. This tree is not only an impressively large specimen of a relatively rare species in Moose Jaw, but was also the tree used to display red dresses as part of the REDress Exhibit. This Exhibit was part of the Atamiskākēwak National Gathering held in April, 2018.

A full list of past winners is available at https://moosejaw.ca/ awards/tree-of-significance/ for residents to review and reflect on. ■