Local company steps forward with plans for a greener Brantford

By Alyssa Molfetta, Special to B-cause

Green was the theme of Brantford’s City Council meeting this week.

Chris McCurdy, director of product supply for SC Johnson & Son, told council of his company’s commitment to clean up trails and plant trees in Brantford for Earth Week, which is scheduled to take place from April 19 – 24.

The company has kick-started a cleanup of the canal behind their factory, which is a vital component of Brantford’s water supply and also plan to remove garbage and waste from part of the Trans-Canada Trail running through the city.
Last year’s cleanup resulted in 2.6 tonnes of garbage being removed from Brantford’s public trails. However, the issue of the lack of trees in the city was McCurdy’s main focus as he spoke to the council, and he presented his planned course of action to help resolve the issue.

The federal government’s recommendation for tree canopy percentage in Canadian urban communities is 40 percent.

“A recent satellite analysis says that the tree canopy in Brantford is currently between 15 and 20 percent,” McCurdy told council.

With 2010 marking SC Johnson’s 90th Anniversary Tree Plant, McCurdy shared the company’s plans to raise that number.

“To mark this special occasion,” he said, the company is “willing to plant 1090 native trees.”
Part of their plan to do so includes providing all current and retired SC Johnson employees with trees to plant in their yards at home, and each current employee has been asked to plant two trees in two separate locations somewhere along the Veterans Memorial Parkway.

This will promote cleaner air in one of the busier parts of the city, and will hopefully encourage citizens to keep the area free of trash and waste.

All 11 members of council were in favour of SC Johnson’s Tree Plant, and supportive of the company’s aim to create a greener city.