Toronto Port Authority Invests $150,000 in New Green Spaces for Downtown Schools

Over the next three years, a $150,000 investment made by the Toronto Port Authority (TPA) in Evergreen’s Children’s Program will help turn six of Toronto’s downtown school grounds into dynamic, outdoor classrooms where kids can re-connect with and learn about nature and, most importantly, play in the great outdoors.

Many of the schools that benefit from Evergreen’s program are located in high-traffic neighbourhoods in the downtown core where there is a limited ability to connect with nature through a lack of green space. 

“There are a lot of advantages to living in the city, especially a city like Toronto,” said Deborah Wilson, Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs, Toronto Port Authority. “But there is sometimes a trade-off with an urban environment in that it lacks the green space that enables kids to connect with nature and get some dirt under their fingernails. The Toronto Port Authority is proud to support Evergreen’s Children’s Program which endeavours to bring nature to school yards and create natural hubs where positive social interactions between students, teachers and the community as a whole develop.”

Since it began in 2000, Evergreen’s program has provided funds to over 3,000 schools across Canada, giving countless students new and important opportunities to engage with nature on their school grounds.

Through the TPA’s support, Evergreen will provide six new schools with site consultation and customized green space design proposals, funding to assist with the purchase of landscaping materials, and workshops and tools geared at promoting awareness around the importance of the environment and watershed. Projects designs are inspired by the natural world, incorporating elements such as trees, rocks and shade to create a diverse landscape for children to explore.

The six schools chosen to take part in this year’s program will be announced by Evergreen in January 2015, with project work beginning in spring 2015. For details on how your school can be considered for the program, click here.

For more information about Evergreen’s Children’s Program, click here.