City of St. Catharines residents can get a free tree from the City later this month. The fall tree giveaway is set for the morning of Saturday, Oct. 28 at the  Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre parking lot.

Residents must pre-register for a tree prior to the pick-up date. Online registration opened on Monday, Oct. 16. Residents can visit stcatharines.ca/treegiveaway to request a tree. Trees are available to St. Catharines residents only with a limit of one tree per household.

600 trees are available on a first-come, first-serve basis through the online orders. Registration will close as stock is reserved. Tree varieties this fall include Eastern redbud, Red cedar, Basswood and American sycamore.

“We are excited to continue this popular event. It’s an important part of achieving our goal of increasing the tree canopy in the city of St. Catharines. Environmental stewardship is also a key pillar of the City’s strategic plan and maintaining and expanding a healthy tree canopy is a key piece of that. Benefits of a healthy urban canopy include reduced storm water runoff  and capturing greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.”

Development Horticultural Technician Mike Kraft

Curbside pick-up of the trees will happen from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct 28 at Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre parking lot at 240 St. Paul Street West.

Below are some important reminders for pick-up day:

•  Have your QR Code (print or digital) ready to be scanned by staff prior to entering the pick-up line.
• Please remain in your vehicle while waiting in the pick-up line. There will be an opportunity to fold seats down and empty trunks at the end of the line when the tree is being loaded into the vehicle by City staff.
• Trees must be picked up in a vehicle to ensure safety. No walk ups are permitted.
• Pick-up your tree only during the designated time slot for your variety of tree.