Parks & Rec receives $10k to plant trees in Moosomin
July 20, 2021, 4:55 pm
Spencer Kemp, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A $10,000 grant will allow Moosomin Parks and Recreation to purchase 100-200 trees and families will be given the opportunity to sponsor one.
Through the Family Violence Initiative Fund (FVIF) Moosomin Parks and Recreation will be purchasing trees to plant around Bradley Park that can be sponsored by local residents.
Recreation director Mike Schwean says there will be no cost to sponsor a tree, but the planting and care of the tree will be the responsibility of the sponsor.
The trees can be used as memorials for loved ones, or as family milestones.
“They’ve approved us for $10,000 so in our grant, we will buy $10,000 of trees and people can sponsor a tree. So if a family wants to plant a tree and care for it this year they can. We have some spots we want to fill in and we would put a plaque by their family name and there’s no cost to them, they would just care for the tree,” said Schwean.
“We’re looking at doing about 100-200 trees. The idea of the grant was with Covid and economic hardship and being cooped up at home it was just an opportunity for families to get out and do something productive in the community and be recognized with some kind of plaque.”
The Parks and Recreation Department received news that they were approved for the grant last week and Schwean says it is thanks to Cst Dallyn Holmstrom who informed them of the grant.
“Dallyn Holmstrom told us about it and let us use his name when we applied for the grant,” said Schwean.
“It’s just an opportunity to get out of the house because some people are hurting money-wise. Stuffs expensive, but this is free.”
Schwean says the department is still determining which types of trees will be best to plant and anticipates they will be available by mid-August.
“We’ll look after everything and all you need to do is plant it and take care of it, give it water and stuff when it needs it,” he said anticipating the department will purchase between 100 and 200 trees.
While the department has ideas on where to plant the trees, Schwean says they will be willing to place them elsewhere if used as a memorial.
“We want to put some trees along our walking tracks and we want to put some trees along the north border of our park. We’ve got some spots picked out but if it’s memorial we can be flexible,” said Schwean.
While the trees are not expected to be available until mid-August, Schwean encourages those interested in sponsoring a tree to contact him by calling 306-435-3622 or emailing msmn.rec.brd@sasktel.net.