Ottawa is getting 310 more trees and 295 more shrubs as part of national planting program
Fall is the best time to plant trees in Canada, and Trees for Life (TFL) is encouraging Canadians to take advantage of the season to help grow healthy, resilient urban forests. While spring is often considered the traditional planting season, fall offers cooler temperatures and increased soil moisture, giving newly planted trees a chance to focus on establishing strong root systems before winter.
This fall, TFL is supporting more than 55 tree planting initiatives across eight provinces, bringing together community organizations, volunteers, local governments and partners to put more than 100,000 trees and shrubs in the ground. Fall tree plantings begin September 16 and run through early November.
Building on one of the organization’s largest spring planting efforts to date, TFL and its partners will have planted 135,000 trees and shrubs across Canada in 2026, adding approximately 13.79 hectares of urban canopy with the potential to reduce local temperatures by to 2-10°C on average. To date, Trees for Life has supported the planting of over 3.5 million trees across Canada.
Why Fall is a Great Time to Plant
One of the most common misconceptions about tree planting is that spring is the best time to get trees in the ground. While spring is a great time to plant trees, fall can offer several advantages:
- Strong root development: With cooler air temperatures and warm soil, trees can focus their energy on establishing roots before winter.
- More moisture, less stress: Increased fall moisture and cooler temperatures can reduce the stress placed on newly planted trees and typically require less watering than trees planted during the heat of the summer.
- A head start on spring: Trees planted in the fall can become well established, long before temperatures rise and summer heatwaves hit.
- Winter protection: Snow can provide moisture and insulation around tree roots, helping protect newly planted trees through the winter months.
Trees for Life’s Fall Planting Schedule
Additional planting events and partnerships will be added throughout the season.
Trees for Life is seeking volunteers to support various community plantings. Grab a shovel, dig in and help grow a greener future by volunteering at a local event. Advanced registration is required. Sign up at treesforlife.ca/events.
| FALL PLANTING SCHEDULE | |||
| Sept. 16 | WHITBY, ON: Durham CollegeIn partnership with Durham College and Ontario Alzheimer’s of SocietyCeremonial first tree to be planted on the site of a future Memory Forest. | Sept. 16 | HALIFAX, ON: Hope BloomsCo-Funded by Green Communities Canada, in partnership with Hope Blooms20 trees | 25 shrubs |
| Sept. 17 | TORONTO, ON: Providence HealthIn partnership with Providence Health Care, Toronto Region Conservation Authority and City of Toronto150 trees | Sept 18 & 19 | DIEPPE, NB: 46.0963058171484 -64.70242156016916Co-Funded by Green Communities Canada, in partnership with Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance and supported by RBC FoundationMini Forest – 150 trees | 150 shrubs |
| Sept. 24 | CALGARY, AB: Taradale ParkIn partnership with Amazon Web Services and AGF1,400 trees AM – Volunteer Registration HERE PM – Volunteer Registration HERE | Sept. 26 | WHITBY, ON: Fallingbrook ParkIn partnership with LEAF500 trees & shrubsVolunteer Registration HERE |
| Sept. 26 | TORONTO, ON: Biidaasige ParkIn partnership with City of Toronto and Waterfront TorontoMichael de Pencier Legacy Forest 500 trees Volunteer Registration HERE | Sept. 26 | ST. JOHN, NB: 246 Mark DriveCo-Funded by Green Communities Canada, in partnership with ACAP and supported by RBC FoundationMini Forest – 75 trees | 75 shrubs |
| Sept. 27 | CALGARY, AB: Calgary ZooCo-Funded by Green Communities Canada, in partnership with Calgary Climate HubMini Forest – 250 trees | 250 shrubs | 212 wildflowers & edible plantsVolunteer Registration HERE | Sept. 29 | HAMILTON, ON: local school Co-Funded by Green Communities Canada, in partnership with Green Venture and supported by RBC FoundationMini Forest – 100 trees | 100 shrubs |
| Sept. 29 | OTTAWA, ON: National Capital Commission Lands Co-Funded by Green Communities Canada, in partnership with Forêt Capitale Forest and Algonquin College Indigenous Knowledge Work and Entrepreneurship program Mini Forest – 100 trees | 100 shrubs | Sept. TBC | PETERBROROUGH, ON: Elementary SchoolIn partnership with GreenUPMini Forest – 100 trees | 200 shrubs |
| Sept. / Oct. TBC | OTTAWA, ON: Woodroffe High School Co-Funded by Green Communities Canada, in partnership with EnviroCentre and supported by RBC FoundationMini Forest | 210 trees | 195 shrubs | Sept. / Oct. TBC | GUELPH, ON: Arkell SpringsCo-Funded by Green Communities Canada, in partnership with the City of Guelph and supported by RBC Foundation4 x 250m2 Mini Forests – 844 trees | 436 shrubs | 535 plants |
| Oct. 1 | HAMILTON, ON: local school Co-Funded by Green Communities Canada, in partnership with Green Venture and supported by RBC FoundationMini Forest – 100 trees | 100 shrubs | Oct. 2 | ST. JOHN, N.B: 105 Belmont Street Co-Funded by Green Communities Canada, in partnership with ACAP and supported by RBC FoundationMini Forest – 75 trees | 75 shrubs |
| Oct. 3 | KITCHENER, ON: Sunnyside Public SchoolCo-Funded by Green Communities Canada, in partnership with Sustainable Waterloo RegionMicroforest – 100 treesVolunteer Registration HERE | Oct. 3 | VAUGHAN, ON: McClure Meadows ParkIn partnership with LEAF500 trees and shrubs Volunteer Registration HERE |
| Oct. 4 | OSHAWA, ON: Conlin Meadows ParkIn partnership with LEAF500 trees and shrubs Volunteer Registration HERE | Oct. 5 | OTTAWA, ON: Mer BleueIn partnership with OACFP and Forêt Capitale Forest 1,500 trees and shrubs |
| Oct. 6 | BRAMPTON, ON: Indian Line CampgroundIn partnership with Draft Kings and Toronto Region Conservation Authority | Oct. 8 | SURREY, BCIn partnership with Arbour Day Foundation and Cummins 300 Trees |
| Oct. 8 | WHITBY, ON: Lynde Shores Conservation Area Mark’s Forever Forestcelebrates co-founder of Trees for Life and board member, Mark Cullen’s 70th birthday.70 trees | Oct 14 | THOROLD, ON: Thorold Dog Park Trees for Pet Heroes in partnership with the City of Thorold 1,035 trees and shrubs Volunteer Registration OPEN SOON |
| Oct. 17 | KING, ON: Bluff ParkIn partnership with LEAF500 trees and shrubsVolunteer Registration HERE | Oct. 17 | WHITBY, ON: Central ParkCo-Funded by Green Communities Canada, in partnership with Central Lake Ontario Conservation, Little Forests Durham and the Town of Whitby. Mini Forest – 250 trees | 250 shrubs |
| Oct. 18 | NEWMARKET, ON: Audrie Sanderson ParkIn partnership with LEAF500 trees and shrubs Volunteer Registration HERE | Oct. 23 | ODANAK, QC: 104 Rue SibosisIn partnership with REVE Nourricier and Conseil des Abénakis d’OdanakMini Forest – 40 trees |
| Oct 24 | PETERBOROUGH, ON: Ecology ParkIn partnership with GreenUp. Little Forest – 300 trees | 50 shrubs | Oct. 24 | GEORGINA, ON: Terry Fox Park Memorial Trail In partnership with LEAF1000 trees and shrubs Volunteer Registration HERE |
| Oct 24-25 | KINGSTON, ON: Starr Reid ParkCo-Funded by Green Communities Canada, in partnership with Little Forests Kingston Little Forest – 150 trees | 150 shrubs | Oct. 30 | MISSISSAUGA, ON: Arsenal LandsIn partnership with AGF, Toronto Region Conservation Authority and SJC Media500 trees and shrubs |
| Oct. 31 | AURORA, ON: Thomas Coates ParkIn partnership with LEAF500 trees and shrubs Volunteer Registration HERE | Oct. TBC | ST. THOMAS, ON: Parish ParkIn partnership with the City of St. ThomasMini Forest – 346 trees |
| Nov. 7 | CAMBRIDGE, ON: Northview Heights Lookout ParkCo-Funded by Green Communities Canada, in partnership with REEP Green Solutions and supported by RBC Foundation100m2 Mini Forest – 275 trees | 25 shrubs | Fall 2026 | COBOURG, ON: Burnham Public SchoolIn partnership with GreenUp300 trees | 50 shrubs |
| Fall 2026 | PETERBOROUGH, ON: Edmison Heights Public School In partnership with GreenUp300 trees | 50 shrubs | Fall 2026 | VAUGHAN, ON:New Forest North Restoration SiteIn partnership with the TRCA, Harrington and Associates, and Juel Group600 trees and shrubs |
| Fall 2026 | TORONTO, ON: Low Canopy NeighbourhoodsIn partnership with Black Environmental Initiative, LEAF and City of Toronto300 trees and shrubs | Fall 2026 | TORONTO, ON: Low Canopy NeighbourhoodsIn partnership with LEAF and Toronto Community Housing350 trees and shrubs |
| Fall 2026 | CHARLOTTETOWN, PEIIn partnership with the City of Charlottetown200 trees | 250 shrubs | 450 plants | Fall 2026 | PETERBOROUGH, ON: Kenner Collegiate Vocational InstituteIn partnership with GreenUp300 trees | 50 shrubs |
To learn more, donate, or suggest a project, visit treesforlife.ca
