September 9, 2014

Veterans Memorial Parkway presentation

Landscape Ontario members are active participants and contributors to the City of London's Veterans Memorial Parkway Community Program (VMPCP) by providing expertise and machinery needed to plant large trees along a stretch of road formerly known as Airport Road, now titled the Veterans Memorial Parkway (VMP).

On Sept. 28, 2013, over 600 volunteers, with 4,000 pounds of mulch and 800 tree stakes in tow, planted over 400 trees along the Parkway.

Expert advice and year-over-year experience have contributed to the innovative and highly successful planting process now utilized by the VMPCP. After hundreds of large caliper trees are delivered onsite, professional LO members volunteer to drill holes to ready the ground for planting. Each tree weighs 200 to 300 pounds. In 2013, over 100,000 pounds of trees were planted.

Long-time and new partner organizations continue to generously contribute resources to push the program towards achieving its ambitious goal of planting an additional 2,800 trees by 2017. Several sponsors renewed their commitment to the program for another four years this spring.

To fulfill its goals, the program will need help from current and new partners as well as those in the London community, including professional landscapers.

Landscape Ontario members taking part in the Veterans Memorial Parkway Community planting in 2013 included, TLC Professional Landscaping, Tydan Landscape Design, Coldstream Land Escape Company, Rural Roots Landscaping, Jay McKinnon Company, Escapes Outdoor Living Designs, Beamish Landscape Services, Mountview Services, Outdoor Aesthetics,  MPH Hardscapes, Parkside Landscaping, PGS Landscape, Stone in Style, Unilock and Kimmick Landscaping.

The project began in 2006, when Landscape architect Ron Koudys CLD developed the original long-term plan for the project.

The City of London jump started Koudys’s plan in 2009, utilizing infrastructure money from both the federal and provincial governments. Over $1-million was invested and, as a result, over 1,000 trees were planted and several stone memorial features were installed along the Parkway.

Any members interested in helping with labour, machinery or plant material for the project can contact Barry Sandler at bsandler@treesfortheparkway.ca