Flag Raising Ceremony | National Forest Week

Community based support for Urban Forests – Celebrating National Forest Week – “Our forests – Continually giving”
Come out and show your passion and dedication in support of urban forests!

Urban forests celebrated by National Forest Week and Maple Leaf Day in September. Commemorations for trees and forests resonates with the City of Saskatoon strategic goal of environmental leadership, Green Infrastructure Strategy, Climate Action Plan, Low Emissions Community Plan, and the city’s official community plan. A celebration focus on forest heritage, culture, traditions, and history highlights the importance of trees, their essential ecological services. Trees support biodiversity and ecosystems, mitigate flooding, raise the water table, absorb carbon dioxide, and provide life saving oxygen. National Forest Week provides public support for the tree decisions made by Urban Forestry, Parks, Public Works, Long range planning. It’s a time for residents of the city to tell stories about their love of trees, and appreciation of forests, and how very blessed we are. The flag raising and proclamation are a reminder of our responsibilities, relationship and solidarity with trees and forests.

The purpose of the flag raising is a great way to show support for urban forests! Urban forestry, and sustainability YXE green infrastructure strategy are both of importance to the City of Saskatoon. The name of the flag to be raised is the National Forest Week flag. A formal ceremony is planned for this event.

Vexillology for the National Forest Week Flag is online

This program for National Forest Week is brought to you by the Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas an environmental non-profit charity that was created to preserve and restore the 326-acre Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and the 148-acre George Genereux Urban Regional Park. Our work reinforces the 1979 City Council decision designating these afforestation areas on the western fringe of Saskatoon to “be preserved in perpetuity.” They are important habitat for wildlife as well as semi-wild public spaces for recreation and nature immersion. The larger of these two areas is named after Richard St. Barbe Baker (1889-1982), who has been called the “first global conservationist” and in recognition of this he was made the first Honorary Life Member of the World Wildlife Fund in 1969. A British forester who also homesteaded and studied in Saskatoon, he dedicated his entire life unfailingly to the preservation and planting of trees and forest events.