Residents affected by 2023 Halifax-area wildfire receive trees

Communities that suffered total losses in Hammonds Plains, N.S., and Upper Tantallon, N.S., in the 2023 wildfire received a donation of trees from Northern Pulp on Saturday. (Paul Dewitt/ CTV News)

Communities that suffered total losses in Hammonds Plains, N.S., and Upper Tantallon, N.S., in the 2023 wildfire received a donation of trees from Northern Pulp on Saturday.

Tricia Murray-D’eon, the chairperson for the Highland Park Ratepayers Association, said 6,200 trees, a mix of sugar maples, yellow birch, and red spruce trees, were delivered to the communities on Saturday.

“We had almost 100 families opt in to receive the tree donation. So, everybody received up to 80 trees depending on their property size,” said Murray-D’eon.

“In Highland Park we had 71 homes destroyed, 38 majorly damaged and many more who’s property was damaged. Many of whom lost hundreds of trees. Our community is not the same as it once was. We are hoping to rebuild, as we are rebuilding homes people are moving back. We are now looking to practice reforestation in the devastated communities.”

Professional tree planters were on site to share demos on how to plant and space out the trees properly.

MLA for Hammonds Plains-Lucasville Ben Jessome says the turnout for the initiative was excellent.

“The initiative by Northern Pulp to sponsor our community with trees is very important. It represents not only rebuilding and regeneration of our forested area, but it also is a reminder that while we have seen people start to come back to the community and families moving back in that our recovery is still happening and it bares repeating and reminding to people that we are still trying to rebuild and there are still people in making their way through a difficult situation.” 

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