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    • Canada has only planted 29 million of the 2 billion trees promised by 2030

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    The federal government is two years and just 29 million trees into its campaign promise to plant two billion trees by 2030, coming in below the goal it set last year.

    During the 2019 campaign, the Liberals committed to planting two billion trees this decade, but so far are falling short at nearly 1.5 per cent of the end goal, something they attribute to the years it takes to grow seedlings that can then be planted.

    Despite this, Natural Resources Canada says the government is on track, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lauded the project at a tree planting event in Sudbury on Thursday.

    Trudeau was joined by Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault and anthropologist and primatologist Jane Goodall to celebrate the area’s re-greening efforts and plant the city’s 10 millionth tree.

    The prime minister called projects like the one in Sudbury an “integral part†of how the government can reach its tree planting goal.

    Spread out over the 10-year commitment, the government would need to plant an additional 200 million trees a year beyond current tallies. That’s nearly 548,000 trees a day, however, tree planting is a seasonal effort and can’t be done year-round, instead taking place during four to five months of the year.

    Natural Resources Canada set out to put 30 million seedlings in the ground last year, in partnership with organizations and projects vetted by an expert panel.

    Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson called the 2021 planting season a “success†in a statement released last month.

    “We have achieved 97 percent of our planting target and are on track to plant two billion trees over the course of 10 years,†he wrote.

    Wilkinson said the government now plans to sign longer-term partnerships so it can ramp up planting between 250 and 350 trees a year by 2026. The lower planting targets in the next few years are meant to account for the time it takes to grow a seedling enough to be planted.

    “The program is working to build a strong foundation by focusing on long-term agreements with tree-planting organizations that will in turn fuel stable demand on nurseries,†wrote Keean Nembhard, a spokesperson for the minister of natural resources, in an email to CTVNews.ca on Thursday.

    “As contribution agreements are signed and purchase orders are made, nurseries will be able to invest in infrastructure and seedling production,†he added.

    The goal of the two-billion-tree target, according to the government, is to boost both climate change efforts and the economy, creating thousands of jobs while reaping the benefits of two billion more trees in the environment.

    A Parliamentary Budget Office report from January stated the plan to plant two billion trees by 2030 would cost nearly double what the Liberals budgeted.

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    Toronto police are looking for a stolen vehicle in connection with at least eight separate shootings in the city over the weekend.

    A B.C. man who reneged on a deal to split the cost of removing a tree with his next-door neighbour is now on the hook for the whole amount, B.C.’s civil resolution has ruled.

    A nearly 50-year-old church hall in Halifax is coming down at the end of summer, prompting a daycare and a non-profit organization using the space to find new accommodations.

    Canada

    • Toronto police are looking for a stolen vehicle in connection with at least eight separate shootings in the city over the weekend.

    • With dozens of WestJet flights unceremoniously cancelled to and from Vancouver International Airport Sunday, many travelers have been forced to sleep at the airport, or pay out of pocket for a flight from another airline.

    • Toronto police say they're investigating a pair of suspected hate-motivated offences after two city synagogues were damaged early Sunday morning.

    • Several people were injured Saturday night after a man allegedly stole an occupied RV during a police chase at a campground in Lloydminster.

    • Gatineau Fire says though no injuries were reported, over 200 people were evacuated from their apartments Saturday night after a fire broke out in an apartment building in the Aylmer sector of Gatineau, Que.

    • The city is entering the final stages of resuming water service through its repaired feeder main, as water consumption continues to fall below the city’s threshold level.

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    • It used to be cash was king and that you could get a better deal if you paid for a car in full, but now many dealers want you to finance your purchase so they can make more money.

    • Several stolen vehicles believed to have been used in organized and serious crime, including one homicide, have been found in Alberta during an investigation into an auto theft ring.

    Local Spotlight

    When Zhya Aramiy was living in Turkey and Iraq, he had to keep his Pride flags hidden away.

    A rave at the Ontario Science Centre was the place where Greg LeBlanc says his relationship first began with his husband Mark in 1997.

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    A grandfather and grandson duo proudly graduated alongside each other at the same northern Manitoba school.

    A large basking shark was captured close to the shoreline on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore.

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    For half a decade, a Saskatoon family has been trying to bring their orphaned niece to Canada, they say now it’s a matter of life or death.

    • With dozens of WestJet flights unceremoniously cancelled to and from Vancouver International Airport Sunday, many travelers have been forced to sleep at the airport, or pay out of pocket for a flight from another airline.

    • A new spot to snap a picture popped up in Coal Harbour this weekend, and it’s pretty hard to miss it.

    • A crowd of around 100,000 people were treated to a surprise appearance from a B.C. star during Coldplay’s set at Glastonbury Festival in England this weekend.

    • It's Canada Day. The statutory holiday will see several events and celebrations held across the city, and some businesses and services closed. Here’s everything you need to know to plan your 2024 Canada Day,

    • Toronto police are looking for a stolen vehicle in connection with at least eight separate shootings in the city over the weekend.

    • A strike by WestJet plane mechanics forced the airline to cancel hundreds more flights on Sunday, upending the plans of roughly 110,000 travellers over the Canada Day long weekend and prompting the carrier to demand action from the federal government.

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    • Emergency crews are on scene of a serious collision along Highway 36 north of Taber.

    • The national Canada Day celebrations will be held at LeBreton Flats, while festivities are also planned on Parliament Hill and in Old Hull. Across Ottawa, Canada Day celebrations will be held in communities.

    • CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at what's open and closed in Ottawa over the Canada Day long weekend.

    • Several events across the city will be hosting fireworks displays as part of their celebrations next Monday, while residents are allowed to host private fireworks displays on June 30, July 1 and July 2.

    • A pedestrian in his 70s was struck and killed at an intersection in Brossard, on Montreal's South Shore.

    • Quebec merchants are facing another deadline to comply with new French language rules found in Bill 96 related to the size of French script on signage.

    • Canadian keeper Maxime Crepeau is among the five soccer players from Quebec making names for themselves as Canada advances to the Copa America quarterfinals.

    • A man was shot and killed by police Saturday night after a car crash in northeast Edmonton.

    • Several people were injured Saturday night after a man allegedly stole an occupied RV during a police chase at a campground in Lloydminster.

    • A strike by WestJet plane mechanics forced the airline to cancel hundreds more flights on Sunday, upending the plans of roughly 110,000 travellers over the Canada Day long weekend and prompting the carrier to demand action from the federal government.

    • A nearly 50-year-old church hall in Halifax is coming down at the end of summer, prompting a daycare and a non-profit organization using the space to find new accommodations.

    • At least five players with Maritime connections were selected during this weekend’s 2024 National Hockey League Entry Draft.

    • Colchester County District RCMP said a man involved in a stabbing Sunday morning in Tatamagouche, N.S., has been arrested.

    • A 31-year-old man is dead and two others are still missing after a group of boaters disappeared near Grand Rapids early Friday morning.

    • Central Park transformed into a hub for Indigenous culture on Sunday afternoon as part of this year’s Sakihiwe Festival. The free event brings music, art, fashion and heritage to inner city communities.

    • Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) crews were at the scene of a blaze in the city’s Centennial neighbourhood on Sunday morning.

    • The Regina Police Service (RPS) released photos of the suspect involved in an assault with a weapon on Friday night in the North Central neighbourhood.

    • Canada Day is on Monday, and here's what’s happening in the Queen City and some things to keep in mind.

    • Katepwa Point Provincial Park received an upgrade on Sunday, courtesy of Co-op.

    • Members of a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Waterloo have broken their silence surrounding a lawsuit and injunction filed by the school.

    • From abandoned animals to an 'unbearable' living situation and a fond farewell to one of CTV Kitchener's own, here are the most-read stories of the week.

    • Starting on July 1, all drivers pulled over by Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) officers may face an alcohol screening test.

    • Significant rainfall on Thursday and Friday put a major damper on people’s long weekend camping plans at Pike Lake Provincial Park, about 40 kilometres south of Saskatoon.

    • A Saskatoon staple, Nestor's bakery, which was founded nearly a century ago and has served Ukrainian baked goods on 20th street, will be changing ownership.

    • WestJet service out of Saskatoon is grinding to a halt on Canada Day long weekend after the airline’s mechanics walked off the job on Friday, citing the company’s “unwillingness to negotiate.â€

    • A local teen is facing several impaired driving-related charges following a traffic stop on Lakeshore Drive in New Liskeard on Friday.

    • For the last several years Manitoulin Transport has been delivering food, medical supplies and cleaning materials to Ontario Wildlife Rescue centres across the province at no charge.

    • Municipal officials and provincial police are baffled by the theft of some unique deer in the northern Ontario community of Elliot Lake.

    • To celebrate the holiday, many different firework shows will be on display Monday night.

    • Several area athletes are heading to the Olympics in Paris and the U20 World Championships in Peru after qualifying at the Bell Track and Field Championships in Montreal Friday.

    • Fire crews were called to the scene of a detached garage fire in the 100-block of Springbank Drive late Saturday night.

    • Provincial police have confirmed that a man was found dead near the Highway 400 and Bayfield Street overpass in Barrie on Friday.

    • Officers have shut down a riding trail due to a crash in Port Severn.

    • Muskoka's first-ever annual traditional Powwow brought hundreds to Bracebridge for a weekend of First Nations culture.

    • An active investigation is underway in McGregor where OPP are dealing with a barricaded individual.

    • If you're driving around Windsor and notice a group of cyclists clad in maple leaf gear, they want you to know it's part of a long-standing tradition for Canada Day among friends and family.

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    • Dozens of WestJet flights to and from Vancouver International Airport were cancelled Sunday, as a strike by airline mechanics continues.

    • With dozens of WestJet flights unceremoniously cancelled to and from Vancouver International Airport Sunday, many travelers have been forced to sleep at the airport, or pay out of pocket for a flight from another airline.

    • A B.C. man who reneged on a deal to split the cost of removing a tree with his next-door neighbour is now on the hook for the whole amount, B.C.’s civil resolution has ruled.

    • A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect Sunday for a swath of the B.C. Interior, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

    • Mounties in Kelowna say a suspect is at large after a man was stabbed in the city Sunday afternoon.

    • Police are remaining tight-lipped about a woman’s death in a Kelowna park on Friday.

    • With the recent moisture and cooler temperatures, fire bans and restrictions in the Lethbridge area are no longer in effect.

    • Plenty of tourists will descend on Lethbridge to see what the city offers. Locals, too, will have no shortage of activities this weekend.

    • The 122-year-old Raymond Stampede is set to get underway this weekend, but this year’s event will occur at a new location.

    • For the last several years Manitoulin Transport has been delivering food, medical supplies and cleaning materials to Ontario Wildlife Rescue centres across the province at no charge.

    • Sault police did nothing wrong when a man had a medical crisis while in a police cell, Ontario’s police watchdog has concluded.

    • Municipal officials and provincial police are baffled by the theft of some unique deer in the northern Ontario community of Elliot Lake.

    N.L.

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