220 vouchers for a tree costing up to $90 are available from the City of Nanaimo starting Wednesday, May 29. (Pixabay)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

laying roots

Popular tree voucher program returns to keep Nanaimo green

May 26, 2019 | 2:07 PM

NANAIMO — An affordable way to keep Nanaimo green is once again being offered to residents eager to provide shade and help the environment.

The City of Nanaimo is providing 220 $25 vouchers for trees costing up to $90 from the Green Thumb Garden Centre.

Urban forestry coordinator Patrick McIntosh told NanaimoNewsNOW the popularity of the program, which has always sold every voucher available, shows how environmentally-minded Nanaimo is.

“If a tree grows to maturity, a large canopy tree can produce the oxygen required for a family of four,” he said. “It can save on cooling and heating costs, provides habitat for birds…and it’s an important measure in fighting the effects of climate change.”

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The cost of the voucher recently increased to $25, up from $10 two years ago when the City was overwhelmed with people wanting to buy one.

McIntosh said the cost of the voucher has increased due to a limited supply of trees at nurseries, which sell an increasingly large amount of trees as Nanaimo expands.

Only two vouchers can be used per property.

They’re available first-come-first-serve from the Services and Resource Building on Dunsmuir St. from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., starting on Wednesday, May 29.

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