Arbor Day May 25, 2019

Background of Arbor Day

Some of the beginnings of tree planting festivals around the world are lost in antiquity. Some who have gathered this afternoon will remember when Arbor Day was proclaimed annually by the Province of Saskatchewan. Schools and community groups, and individuals, marked the day by planting trees, caring for tree plantations and shelterbelts, cleaning up yards, streets and alleys. Arbor Day as an annual spring commemoration began in Nebraska as an idea and movement initiated by a newspaper publisher and editor, J. Sterling Morton in 1872. By 1883 the idea had spread to Japan and soon had international expressions around the globe. From the beginning of our province of Saskatchewan (officially formed in 1905) Arbor Day was proclaimed by the government and promoted especially through the schools. Today some of us are involved in a Call to Government of Sask – and to Nature Saskatchewan – urging the proclamation and promotion of Arbor Day in 2020 and annually thereafter. Thanks to the Town of Saltcoats for proclaiming the Day for 2019.

Ceremony Speech of Walter Farquharson

I’m pleased today to participate in the planting of this tree. I first want to commend Mayor McCallum and Council – and Saltcoats Public Works Staff and the Office Administration Staff for their service and their willingness to play their important role in local government and community building. We are close by the new Public Works Shop, one of many initiatives undertaken by the Town of Saltcoats. Specifically I want to thank Council for declaring today “Arbor Day 2019”. This was in response to a request from the Community Beautification Committee, a Committee that is appointed by the Town and operates as a sign of the Town’s commitment to community beautification and the preservation of our history and long held commitments. The call to again celebrate an annual Spring Arbor Day is part of an initiative of the Yellowhead Flyway Birding Trail Association.

Celebrating Tree Planters

This is a good time to honour the tree planters of our community over the years – the Agricultural Society, the Board of Trade, the Horticultural Society, the Fuss 2000 Committee, and since 2000 the Community Beautification Committee. It is worth noting that student and teachers of Saltcoats School have been active planters of trees through several decades. And, we can all name specific individuals who have planted trees on private properties and participated in public plantings in community parks and greens spaces. Planting a Tree – like local government and community involvement – is planting for tomorrow - it is an act of faith, hope, love, promise. The tree planted today is a seedling Ohio Buckeye. It was probably seeded by blue jay or squirrel. Councilor Corey Larsen dug the tree from the Farquharson yard and secured it in place to limit the degree of trauma the tree would experience. We will now complete the planting, adding more soil, firming it in, and again watering it. Anyone wanting to see a quite mature Ohio Buckeye (planted probably in 1977) is invited to see the tree that is thriving lakeside in the Farquharson yard.

Mayor Grant McCallum proclaimed that Arbor Day in Saltcoats would be on May 25, 2019. In recognition of Arbor day, a tree planting ceremony was held at the New Town Shop located at 302 Tupper Street. Former Mayor

Walter Farquharson and Councilman Corey Larsen are shown below.

Pictured below is Councilman Corey Larsen and family helping with the planting of Ohio Buckeye tree.

Thank you to Walter Farquharson for “The Trees of Saltcoats”

The Trees of Saltcoats The 1880s and the Arrival of the Tree Planters Visitors to the Town of Saltcoats often comment on the beautiful trees and plantations of trees that enhance the beauty of each season, provide habitat for an amazing number of nesting or foraging birds, offer summer cooling and shade and help to break the force of winter winds. It is surprising to see in the earliest pictures of the community that there were few trees, neither on the town side of Anderson Lake nor on the Regional Park and farmland side. Some pictures dated from 1905 show the beginning of tree rows -some between lots and some rows of young trees delineating private properties from public roadways. Remnants of these ‘rows’ can still be seen around town. Trees of choice were Green ash, American elm, Manitoba maples, poplars. In winter these rows often hung heavy with glistening hoar frost – in fall the gold of the ash has been spectacular. Lovers’ Lane (Crescent Lake Road from York Road running north and east) was a secluded, shady area with native fruit trees, shrubs and aspen poplar on both sides of the road. The first settlers recounted accessing wood for building and wood for fuel at the Perley Bush and the Rothbury Bush. Prairie fires accounted for the absence of trees over vast tracts of land. The breaking of land and the control of the fires resulted in suitable conditions for the growth of aspen groves and native willow, alder, dogwood, pincherry and chokecherry. Over the years, residents began planting hardy fruit trees and some imported spruce available as native trees not far north and east of Saltcoats. Caragana, lilac, and cotoneaster hedges were common. Some residents planted Scots pine, birch, varieties of willow, or experimented with trees better suited to less harsh winters. Today the warming climate, available water in dry years, hardier varieties, contribute to a greater variety of trees being grown including ornamental crabapples, oak, silver maple, basswood and linden, mountain ash, Ohio buckeye.

Anderson Lake, Community Beach and Regional Park

In Saltcoats Regional Park, the Frank Garstone spruce grove celebrates the determined effort of one man to beautify the park area. Postmaster in Saltcoats for many years, Garstone was active in community organizations and was a great

promoter of the community. In 1937 he had been part of a delegation from the Sports Club attempting to get the Agricultural Society to join with the Sports Club to develop a new fair ground area across the lake - an idea that had been unsuccessfully proposed years earlier. The property where the school and arena are located today was , from

earliest days of settlement, Agricultural Society property and was used as fair grounds. As described in the local history Roots and Branches, this tract of land was the site of a hall that served as the first community hall, exhibition halls and

barns.

Through Board of Trade and Sports Club, Garstone, who died in 1959, worked persistently for improvements to the park area – including the planting of the grove of spruce trees. His family story in Roots and Branches (1982) states that Garstone was, “ … instrumental in tree planting and improvements in carving a park and beautiful grounds from swamp bush and rocks.” It was in 1962 that the park was organized as a Regional Park. Over the years different

individuals from Wilf Thorsness to Steve Farquharson have championed tree planting at the Regional Park. Trees were planted in 1963,1977,1978 but the mortality rate proved to be very high. Drought, flooding, fires, mowing's, over

abundance of beaver, vandalism have all contributed to tree losses.

In the Millenial Year (2000) the Leflay Trail was created, accessed through the Regional Park and traversing Klause family property. Along the trail, the walker can identify native trees, trees or shrubs seeded by birds who had

breakfasted in town, and spruce, pine and a variety of deciduous trees planted by the Klause family and by volunteer groups from town. Unfortunately, there is no listing of the various years in which plantings occurred.

The Legion Park and Arboretum

The Legion Park and Playground was established as a Canadian Centennial project (1967). This hidden treasure is easily accessed off Crescent Lake Road where an attractive sign points down the alley 500 meters. (It can also be accessed off the alley between York Road and Ayr Street behind the properties facing Montreal Avenue). Spruce and deciduous trees were planted around the perimeter of the Park. A few Manitoba maples survive on this property that had once been the site of the community’s first hospital. In the Millennial Year (2000) the Legion Park was identified as an Arboretum and several varieties of trees (many as memorials) were planted under the direction of Gilbert Courchesne and with the assistance of members of the Year 2000 Fuss Committee and teachers and students from Saltcoats School. Students were also involved in plantings at other locations around town and at the Saltcoats Cemetery. It was also Millennial Year (2000) that Bob and Wendy Hume and Walter Farquharson planted the nursery rows of trees across the road from the entry to the Regional Park. The Scout Troop with Scoutmaster Cam Louttit also planted some of these trees. This property had once been the location of the “Section House” where the Railway Section Foreman and his family lived. A major cleanup and weeding of the rows was undertaken in 20… with Gordon and Naomi Barnhart chalking up the most hours spent tree weeding in that location. Again the Humes and Farquharsons were involved. As trees were planted along High Street the Humes with Ron and Gerri Knudsen moved many trees from these nursery rows to a new home along High Street.

Agricultural Society, Horticultural Society, and Community Beautification Committee

The Saltcoats Agricultural Society, founded in 1888 had always included garden produce as part of an annual fair. They also sponsored 4H garden clubs that included an emphasis upon tree planting and tree nurture. In 1963 a Horticultural Society was formed that took over the horticultural portion of the Annual Fair but also sponsored workshops including workshops on fruit trees for the prairies, landscaping, shelterbelts and ornamental tree plantings. Rural and Town garden and grounds competitions were annual events. Since 2000, the Community Beautification Committee has undertaken various tree planting projects and the establishment and care for various garden and park areas. The support of Councils and Town Staff (Office and public Works) has been an important part of the success of this committee. Many trees have been planted as memorials, as tributes or appreciations, and in celebration of specific events. The Resting Place opposite the Post Office on Commercial Street is marked by beautiful spruce and mountain ash that provide an abundance of seed-filled cones and berries for winter birds. In the early 1970s the lakeside lots adjoining the war memorial were declared a green area within the town and named Gunn Park. George Gunn was recognized as one who over many years had been a community builder and an avid promoter of the town.

Bring your Rakes and Spades….It’s Arbor Day

Students and teachers from Saltcoats School have often been involved in the planting of trees. Sometimes that was related to the celebration of Arbor Day in May when tree planting and community clean-up was a time of significant learning while experiencing the hands on work of building and shaping community and life-giving environments. Trees planted were usually small seedlings or cuttings. Sometimes each student received a tree for planting at home, or in some public place. The tree shelterbelt on Block K (Stirling Heights) was planted by students with teacher Walter Farquharson. The same year they planted a row of Scots pine and buckthorn at the cemetery. (1976???) Other plantings that involved groups from Saltcoats School occurred in 1978, 1979, 1982, and in many subsequent years. When a tragic horseback riding accident claimed the life of a grade three student, Craig Vaughan, his classmates were given ash trees to take home and plant. Some of these trees still thrive and serve as a memorial to a classmate and playground friend. The Vaughan family provided crabapple trees to be planted in front of the school Where they faithfully provide spring blossom and welcome back to school fruit to pick.

Landscaping and More

Trees and shrubs are planted to accent or compliment buildings and to provide shade and outdoor living rooms. While this landscaping emphasis enhances many individual properties, it is also evidenced at the United Church where the trees and shrubs were planted as memorial to George Strachan; the Anglican Church; the Community Services Building (Town Office); the Community Hall. At Lakeside Manor Care Home , Hugh Skinner designed the landscaping emphasizing what each resident would see from their room, not so much what passersby would see from the road. Over the years, residents, staff and volunteers have helped maintain gardens and planters around this highly valued facility. An outstanding individual effort of tree planting and nurture occurred when in 1991 Bert Kirham received permission from the Town to plant a row of evergreens on the Town side of the shelter belt planted earlier by students from the school. Bert cared for these trees faithfully, assisted by his neighbor, Eldon Warkentin. One of the well-treed areas in town stretches along High Street from Hill Street and the Immigration Hall Garden to Crescent Lake Road. There are clumps of trees and bush including several Manitoba maple where there had once been the Railway Station and Stationmaster’s Home. Some Scots pine had been planted many years ago and were faithfully watered and fertilized for years by Hettie (Rose) Ludwig whose home was just across the street . What began as isolated islands of trees along High Street has become a fairly contiguous plantation featuring different species. Some trees have been donated as memorials and a significant number of spruce came as donation from the farm plantations of William Bobyk and of Robert Barnhart. Seedlings were transplanted from various yards and gardens in town. These included such species as oak, linden, mountain ash. Other trees for planting were purchased by the Community Beautification Committee using money donated or raised by fund-raising activities. This plantation is part of the Heritage Trail , a tribute to Gordon Barnhart and honouring his service to the people of Saskatchewan as Saskatchewan’s …. Lieutenant Governor. Many of these trees are planted on what is Canadian Pacific Railway property. Another portion of this land was owned by Shell Oil. When approached and told of our community’s plans for the tract of land, Shell Oil facilitated the transfer of their property to the Town of Saltcoats and in addition made a generous and appreciated donation to the project.

A Word of Appreciation

The Community Beautification Committee’s work has benefitted from the assistance of many individuals. Long-term key planners and planters and builders have included Barb Straker, Helen Westberg, Ron and Gerri Knudsen, Elwyn and Marie Vermette, Wendy and Bob Hume, Walter Farquharson. Some, including Val Trowell, and Edith Morgan and her daughters, seldom missed an opportunity to arrange for another tree to be purchased and planted. So many have planted, nurtured, appreciated and encouraged the planting of trees. Thank you all. The extent to which a community plants and cares for its trees is often an important indication of how much investment residents have in their community. Trees in public places speak of involved and caring community members. They speak welcome to visitors and to passersby. They speak of continuity and history while announcing a commitment to, and care for, the future. Trees are simply amazing. They clean air and water, slow climate change, ease poverty and hunger, prevent species loss, and feed the human soul. All we need to do is plant and care for them. -Arbor Day Foundation-

Town of Saltcoats Arbor Day May 25, 2019