Students celebrate Arbour Day and the importance of trees

Grant MacEwan Elementary School has special ties to Arbour Day. In 1958, it was at the direction of the school’s namesake, then Alderman Grant MacEwan, that seedlings were distributed to students.

Students tied blue tartan in honour of MacEwan.

Each year a different Calgary elementary school is awarded the honour of hosting the official Arbour Day ceremony, and an official Arbour Day tree is planted on the school's grounds.

The staff and students at Grant MacEwan School were thrilled to host this special day with the community and students from St. Jerome School, the host school for next year’s Arbour Day.

It's all about the trees

“My favourite thing about Arbour Day is the trees!” One student said enthusiastically. Another student added, “it really helps us understand how important our environment is and how we need to protect it.”

With origins in 1905, Arbour Day is the longest running civic greening project in Calgary. The event is celebrated on the first Thursday in May each year.

Students take home trees to plant

An estimated 425,000 tree seedlings have been distributed to Grade One students in celebration of the day.

For more information on Arbour Day and the importance of trees in Calgary, visit calgary.ca/trees.

Submitted by Althea Livingston, Parks