Helping Hands in Action

Seven trees were planted in downtown Strathroy on Saturday, September 22, thanks to the support of Union Gas and the Strathroy Lions Club. The tree planting project was initiated by the municipal Progress through Partnership committee and the Strathroy Business Improvement Area (BIA). The project is part of an ongoing effort to beautify the commercial core through physical improvements identified in the Downtown Master Plan, adopted by Strathroy-Caradoc Council in 2010.

The Strathroy Lions Club contributed $1,400 toward the project in keeping with the challenge set by Lions International to support tree planting initiatives in their community. Union Gas committed an additional $1,000 and coordinated a group of employees and volunteers to assist with the planting through the Union Gas ‘Helping Hands in Action’ program. The financial contributions supported the purchase of the trees – including maple, flowering cherry, linden and locust varieties – as well as new decorative wrought iron tree guards.

The Downtown Master Plan calls for additional street tree plantings in other areas of the downtown, to be addressed in future years.

Photo Caption: Members of the Strathroy Lions Club and a number of staff and volunteers of Union Gas gather for a group photograph to kick off the planting project. (Photographer: Jerry Rozek)