Canada Supports a Greener Future With More Than 30 New Projects Signed Under the 2 Billion Trees Program

The 2BT program is part of the Government of Canada’s broader approach to nature-based climate solutions. By working together with partners across the country, we will ensure that the benefits of tree planting will endure for generations, creating a greener, healthier, and more resilient Canada, especially in the face of a changing climate.

On November 6, 2024, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, provided an update on the important progress made under the 2BT program since March 2023. The Minister also announced over $200 million in investments for more than 30 new projects which will help further restore forests and improve climate resilience by increasing carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. 

Urban Stream

Project name: Trees for Life Golden Horseshoe Planting Projects 2024-2028
Recipient: Canadian Trees for Life
Location: Southern Ontario
NRCan Contribution: $4,000,000
Description: The objective of this project is to plant 120,000 trees in Southern Ontario by working in collaboration with planting partners that are not able to meet 2BT program planting minimums or are not intending to apply directly to the 2BT program themselves.

Project name: Trees for All:  Niagara Peninsula Watershed Tree Planting Partnership
Recipient: Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
Location: Ontario
NRCan Contribution: $2,000,000
Description: The objective of this project is to plant over 1,000,000 trees in the Niagara Peninsula Watershed in an effort to improve the health of watershed woodlots and forests, as well as build a more resilient natural system.

Project name: 10 000 ménages, 10 000 arbres!
Recipient: Ville de Joliette
Location: Quebec
NRCan Contribution: $1,125,000
Description: The objective of this project is to plant 10,000 trees in the city to improve the urban canopy and improve quality of life in low-income areas, as well as reduce urban heat islands.

Project name: Growing forests in the Wolastoq-Saint John River Watershed
Recipient: World Wildlife Fund Canada
Location: New Brunswick
NRCan Contribution: $841,274
Description: The objective of this project is to plant more than 65,000 trees over two years in the Wolastoq-Saint John River watershed to yield cumulative net-emissions reductions to support the recovery of multiple at-risk species and build climate resiliency through the afforestation of riparian areas.

Federal Stream

Project name: CFHA Long-Term Tree Planting Strategy
Recipient: Canadian Forces Housing Agency
Location: Across Canada
NRCan Contribution: $1,083,833
Description: The objective of this project is to plant 14,450 trees to increase the urban forest in private military quarters. This project will seek to achieve human well-being co-benefits for occupants within the various housing sites by providing shade, improving aesthetics, reducing soil erosion, fostering a sense of connection with nature, and providing a windbreak for the housing units within each site.

Project name: 2BT - NCC/NRCan National Capital's Canopy Plan
Recipient: National Capital Commission
Location: National Capital Region
NRCan Contribution: $12,450,000
Description: The objective of this project is to plant approximately 10,000 to 15,000 additional trees annually, over eight years. This would see a total of 88,500 trees planted in the NCR ensuring a climate-resilient national capital region, enhancing ecological, social and economic benefits of the urban forest in the national capital region.

Indigenous Stream

Project name: Caribou Habitat Restoration
Recipient: Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd
Location: British Columbia
NRCan Contribution: $1,765,000
Description: The objective of this project is to plant 400,200 trees over 6 different sites in the Chilcotin district of British Columbia to rehabilitate roads in key caribou habitat, which will restore a safe and continuously forested habitat for the local caribou population.

Project name: Healing the Land
Recipient: Yinka Dene Economic Development LP (YLP)
Location: British Columbia
NRCan Contribution: $29,040,000
Description: The objective of this project is to restore biodiversity to forest habitats, increase capacity, and revitalize the economy for the Wet’suwet’en First Nation. YLP will plant 12 million trees in BC using best practices from a combination of Western Science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

Project name: Osoyoos Nursery and Planting
Recipient: Osoyoos Indian Band
Location: British Columbia
NRCan Contribution: $18,639,213
Description: The objective of this project is to rehabilitate Osoyoos Indian Band traditional territory areas that were severely impacted by wildfires by planting 5 million trees by 2031, and establishing a tree nursery to produce locally sourced seedlings.

Project name: Penasq Road Rehabilitation and Habitat Enhancement Project
Recipient: Okanagan Nation Alliance
Location: British Columbia
NRCan Contribution: $505,500
Description: The objective of this project is to plant 100,000 trees by 2030 to rehabilitate logging roads in the traditional Syilx Okanagan territory, which has also been negatively impacted by Mountain Pine Beetle infestations.

Project name: Fox Mountain/Sugarcane Wildfire Plant Part Two
Recipient: Williams Lake First Nation
Location: British Columbia
NRCan Contribution: $1,029,482
Description: The objective of this project is to plant 817,900 trees to restore lands around Williams Lake First Nation that were negatively impacted by a wildfire in 2017. It will increase the density of the forest in an area that requires regeneration for biodiversity and has no legal obligation to be replanted.

Project name: Caribou Habitat Restoration and Enhancement within Ulkatcho Ancestral Lands
Recipient: Yun Ka Whu'ten
Location: British Columbia
NRCan Contribution: $15,617,000
Description: With this funding, 2.3 million trees will be planted to enhance caribou habitat zones through road rehabilitation and reforestation on Ulkatcho First Nation ancestral land by integrating traditional knowledge systems and past studies of road density and caribou habitat.

Project name: Bell Fire Restoration and Forest Stewardship
Recipient: Shoal Lake Cree Nation
Location: Saskatchewan
NRCan Contribution: $6,176,382
Description: This Project will build capacity within the Shoal Lake Cree Nation and surrounding nations and plant 3,310,000 seedlings to restore forests that were damaged by the 2021 Bell Fire.

Project name: Pink Mountain: Priority Area 2 Restoration of Linear Disturbances
Recipient: Blueberry River First Nations
Location: British Columbia
NRCan Contribution: $6,122,685
Description: The objective of this project is to restore Blueberry River First Nation Lands within the Pink Mountain area previously disturbed by oil and gas seismic exploration by planting 1,325,704 trees at 7 sites in BC.

Private Lands Stream

Project name: Wildfire, Flood, and Landslide Restoration
Recipient: Cariboo Carbon Solution
Location: British Columbia
NRCan Contribution: $44,474,626
Description: With this funding, approximately 46 million trees will be planted to restore areas within British Columbia that have been impacted by major natural disasters. It aims to restore lands impacted by the 2021 Lytton wildfire. 

Project name: Increasing Climate Resiliency in Kespukwitk (SWNS) Through the Restoration of the Wabanaki (Acadian) Forest.
Recipient: Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve Association
Location: Nova Scotia
NRCan Contribution: $1,134,900
Description: The objective of this project is to plant over 250,000 native trees to restore the Wabanaki (Acadian) forest. This will improve climate resiliency by increasing carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and ecosystem services, and enable regional knowledge mobilization. 

Project name: Planting for Renewal
Recipient: Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve Association Inc.
Location: Saskatchewan
NRCan Contribution: $167,825
Description: Under this Project, Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve Association Inc. will build on a one-year 2 Billion Trees capacity grant that resulted in an Indigenous tree nursery, seed collection and training. Seedlings will be grown from locally sourced seeds and 50,000 trees will be planted on sites located in the Aspen Parkland and the Boreal Transition eco-region.

Project name: Wabanaki-Acadian Forest Restoration Program
Recipient: Community Forests International
Location: New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
NRCan Contribution: $896,955
Description: The objective of this project is to plant 951,000 trees as well as secure, reforest, and restore degraded forestland. All reforestation will be stewarded for long-term climate resilience and carbon storage.

Project name: Demain la forêt – Infrastructures vertes
Recipient: Jour de la Terre
Location: Quebec
NRCan Contribution: $1,774,528
Description: The objective of this project is to plant 202,103 trees native to Quebec for the afforestation and restoration of over 120 hectares of agricultural land.

Project name: Agrégation de projets pancanadiens de séquestration du carbone à grande échelle, à partir de la plantation de diverses espèces d'arbre à croissance rapide.
Recipient: Groupe Ramo Inc.
Location: Quebec
NRCan Contribution: $18,999,382
Description: The objective of this project is to plant over 37,000,000 rapid growing trees to contribute to the reduction of climate change impacts and increase carbon sequestration.
Project name: Eastern Ontario Derecho Reforestation Project
Recipient: South Nation River Conservation Authority
Location: Ontario
NRCan Contribution: $550,000
Description: The objective of this Project is to restore and reforest woodlot areas affected by the Derecho storm and ensure healthy forest growth, biodiversity and carbon sequestration by planting 200,000 trees.

Project name: Mistehae Lake Fire Planting
Recipient: TELUS Environmental Solutions Inc. O/A Shakti Reforestation
Location: British Columbia (Alberta planting)
NRCan Contribution: $4,999,967
Description: The objective of this Project is to plant a mixture of 3.9 million trees across 30 hectares of provincial land in the Slave Lake Forest area in Alberta. This Project will be part of a non-regulatory planting.

Project name: Reforestation and Afforestation in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia   with One Tree Planted
Recipient: One Tree Planted
Location: Quebec
NRCan Contribution: $4,727,292
Description: The objective of this project is to reforest wildlife corridors, biodiversity habitats and wild spaces through the planting of 6,203,248 trees. The project will help restore degraded forest lands which will be monitored for the long-term, prioritizing increased climate resilience and carbon storage.

Project name: A Nature-Based Solution to Reach Net Zero, Build Healthy Ecosystems & Create Jobs: Smart Forests™
Recipient: Canada Forest Trust
Location: Across Canada
NRCan Contribution: $323,208
Description: The objective of this project is to plant 705,000 trees from 2023 – 2024 in Smart Forests, to combat climate change, create jobs, and democratize forest building by engaging businesses, schools, organizations, communities, and individuals.

Project name: Trans Canada Trail Tree-Planting Initiative
Recipient: Trans Canada Trail
Location: Across Canada
NRCan Contribution: $1,602,000
Description: The objective of this project is to plant 50,000 trees across Canada each year for 3 years, for a total of 150,000 trees. The work will be done in collaboration with rural municipalities and trail partners while working to build capacity, foster community involvement and increase awareness of the commitment nationwide.

Project name: Future Forests – Trees on Trails in and out of Winnipeg
Recipient: Winnipeg Trails Association
Location: Manitoba
NRCan Contribution: $281,000
Description: The objective of this project is to plant 300,000 trees along active regional trail corridors connecting Winnipeg with surrounding communities by 2026.

Provincial/Territorial Stream

Project name: Reforestation of Burned Forest Areas
Recipient: Government of Alberta, Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA)
Location: Alberta
NRCan Contribution: $27,242,017
Description: The objective of this Project is to plant 45,697,485 trees in Alberta to reforest areas that have been burned by wildfires. These areas are not naturally regenerating at the anticipated pace due to the severity of the wildfires, so this reforestation will encourage regeneration to the previous natural conditions, as well as increasing long-term forest resilience to natural disturbances.

Grants

Project name: Building Capacity to Plant Forests of the Future in the UNESCO Fundy Biosphere Region
Recipient: Fundy Biosphere Initiative Inc.
Location: New Brunswick
NRCan Contribution: $284,965
Description: With this funding, Fundy Biosphere Initiative Inc. will be able to build capacity from their existing urban stream project to increase planting to 50,000 trees per year. This project specifically will plant 10,000 trees and support future small-scale planting projects.

Project name: Renforcement des capacités de restauration des habitats en milieu agricole dans le but de faciliter la planification et la mise en œuvre des aménagements agroforestiers en Montérégie
Recipient: Nature-Action Québec
Location: Quebec
NRCan Contribution: $300,000
Description: The objective of this project is to build the capacity of organizations involved in restoring ecological connectivity through tree planting in the Montérégie region. This project aims to facilitate and accelerate the implementation of tree planting projects and the development of a larger-scale planting project.

Project name: Expanding the FGCA Certified Seed Collector Course Across Canada
Recipient: Forest Gene Conservation Association
Location: Ontario
NRCan Contribution: $299,345
Description: This project will support the FGCA to meet the existing and future demand of the Certified Seed Collector course across Canada by creating a series of virtual training modules, which will help to increase seed collection and tree planting for 2BT.

Project name: Open Urban Forests – Phase 2: Expanding the First Interactive View of Urban Forest Data in Canada
Recipient: Canadian Institute of Forestry/Institut forestier du Canada
Location: Ontario
NRCan Contribution: $300,000
Description: This project will expand on an earlier 2BT capacity building grant and expand the Open Urban Forests project, which established the first national view of urban forestry geospatial data and open-access resources in Canada. This part of the project will involve building it out and increasing stakeholder awareness of the tool.

Project name: Niagara Peninsula Watershed Native Seed Collection Community of Practice
Recipient: Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
Location: Ontario
NRCan Contribution: $300,000
Description: This project will support future planting activities by collecting seeds in the Niagara Peninsula Watershed to establish a native stock supply.

Project name: Roots of Renewal – Seeds for the Future
Recipient: Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve Association Inc.
Location: Saskatchewan
NRCan Contribution: $224,191
Description: The objective of this project is to collect local seeds and plant 2,100 trees to create demonstration sites for two different planting styles at Redberry Lake Biosphere Reserve’s (RLBR) Education and Interpretive Center.

Project name: Forest Management Capacity Building for the Central Interior of British Columbia.
Recipient: Cariboo Aboriginal Forestry Enterprise (CAFE)
Location: British Columbia
NRCan Contribution: $300,000
Description: The objective of this Project is to train six people in forestry management. These six individuals will become capable staff who will manage reforestation and land surveying on future tree planting projects.

Project name: Planting Hope for Acadian/Wabanaki Forest Restoration: Capacity Building, Public Engagement and Tree Planting within the Upper Wolastoq River Valley Watershed of Western New Brunswick
Recipient: Knowlesville Art & Nature Centre
Location: New Brunswick
NRCan Contribution: $300,000
Description: To build capacity to fully participate in the 2BT program by creating a plan for community-based restoration plantings, strengthening relationships with the community and increasing the availability of local seeds and seedlings, while also planting 5,000 trees in a riparian area.

Project name: Pembina Valley-Redboine Tree Development Project
Recipient: Pembina Valley Watershed District
Location: Manitoba
NRCan Contribution: $295,264
Description: The objective of this project is to build capacity and increase the number of outreach activities of several organizations within the region’s watersheds to deliver forest management education programs, conduct community tree inventories and plant 21,500 trees until 2025.

Project name: Replanting Our Traditional Lands to Protect and Nurture Our Mother Earth
Recipient: Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug
Location: Northern Ontario
NRCan Contribution: $284,660
Description: The objective of this project is to increase community capacity to plant 27,000 trees in areas that renew poorly within the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug traditional territory while supporting sustainable forest stewardship and provide youth training in forestry operations.

Project name: Building Capacity for Urban Forestry Management in Gananoque
Recipient: Town of Gananoque
Location: Ontario
NRCan Contribution: $284,000
Description: The objective of this project is to build capacity in support of urban forestry by implementing knowledge-building training, developing outreach activities towards effective forest management and planting 1,000 trees in the town of Gananoque by the end of March 2025.

Project name: Solutions at Scale: Capacity Building Initiatives to Increase Tree Planting in London-Middlesex and Beyond
Recipient: ReForest London
Location: Ontario
NRCan Contribution: $294,390
Description: The objective of this project is to build community capacity for tree planting projects by developing a suite of initiatives that includes piloting a community tree nursery, the expansion of a regional seed hub, the hosting of webinars and conferences and the creation of a multi-stakeholder planting plan for London-Middlesex among others.