Twenty-two new trees were planted Sunday at Duchess Park. Photos – 250 News

Prince George, B.C. – A lot of sunshine and a cool breeze that seemed to come up at the right time greeted the people who turned out Sunday for the TD Tree Days event at Duchess Park.

Employees of the TD bank and volunteers who wanted to pitch in planted 22 trees on the park grounds. Spokesperson Stephen Duck, a commercial banking relationship manager, explained that the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation runs the national campaign. “We go to public places around Canada and plant a number of trees as part of our commitment to the environment and community involvement.” He says it’s not exactly a beautification project. “I don’t think I’d use that word, I think it’s just a way to enhance some of the public parks and engage with the community.”

The campaign has been active here for five or six years and focuses on a different location each year, wherever there is a need for some trees. Last year it was the Rotary Skate Park, the year before the ice rink at Southridge, and the year before that was at the Hudson Bay slough.

The trees were supplied by TD, which had a hand from the City of Prince George in ordering them from Grand Forks. TD provides a funding grant and uses the City’s expertise in placing the order. Eleven varieties of trees were planted this year, including a couple of different types of maple and birch, as well as Lilac, Pine, Spruce and Ornamental Cherry.

The folks on hand doing the work told us some of the holes they were digging were deep, other quite shallow depending on the length of the base of the tree. They were digging through clay and gravel and sand, and occasionally hit a rock and some chunks of asphalt parking lot which apparently weren’t dug up when the old school and parking lot were demolished.