Russell County Councillor Recognized for Environmental Good Deeds

Green Leader Reforests Property and Donates Land for a Park in Embrun

OTTAWA, March 14, 2019 /CNW/ - I met André Brisson in the bustling lobby of a hotel in Toronto's Chinatown district. The Russell County Councillor joked with me about the notorious city traffic.  He'd come for the Royal Winter Fair, where his daughters were showing calves.

André comes from a long line of dairy farmers. He's the fifth generation of Brissons to carve out a living on the family farm in Embrun. It's a small, rural community of about 8,000 residents. Even so, with Ottawa only a 30-minute drive away, it's far from isolated. Embrun's residents have noted the ever-encroaching suburbs, he tells me. As things around the rural community become less green, André began to think more about trees.

In 2013, a health issue caused André to sell his cows. His land sat idle.

"I wanted to give the land a second chance," he tells me. "The former pasture land wasn't suitable for crops, and I didn't want it to go to weeds." André was particularly keen on using his land to help the local environment.

In 2015, André's first year as a Municipal Councillor for Russell County, he heard about the Government of Ontario's 50 Million Tree Program (50MTP). He was already taking part in a tree planting initiative along the Castor River with students from École élémentaire publique De La Rivière Castor and Russell High School. The event was run by South Nation River Conservation Authority, and it was through them that André was introduced to the 50MTP.

Administered by not-for-profit organization Forests Ontario, the 50MTP provides financial and technical assistance to landowners for large-scale tree planting.

"The 50MTP was a great fit for what I wanted to do," André recounts. "I decided to go for it!"

Cheyene Brunet, a forestry technician with South Nation River Conservation Authority, worked closely with André to develop a site plan to reforest 2.5 acres of former pastures with a mix of conifers and hardwoods.

"We started planting in May of 2017," explains Cheyene. "We went with several species – White pine, White spruce, Sugar maple, Red and Silver maples, and Red Oak trees. About 2,000 trees in all."

Cheyene was impressed by André's drive throughout the experience. "It was clear that André was really passionate about helping the environment and his local community."

André's trees have had an excellent survival rate, which he attributes to the time he spent tending them. "Since I wasn't farming anymore, I had a lot more time on my hands. I would take the weed trimmer out and get rid of the trees' competition."

Before the 50MTP planting, André's land had been nearly void of trees for more than 160 years. "When the first Brisson in Embrun settled on the farm in 1856, the trees had already been cut," André tells me. "Most of the land in Russell County is of good quality for agriculture. That's why our forest cover is so low."

Continuing with his environmental good deeds, André donated nearly an acre of his land to his municipality so that a park could be built. He hopes this will be a step toward having more greenspace in his town.

André was recently given the distinction of Green Leader by Forests Ontario. The Green Leader Program recognizes landowners who have participated in the 50MTP and demonstrated outstanding commitment to healthy forests in Ontario, improving environmental health in their community, and reducing the negative effects of climate change.

"Green Leaders like André Brisson are a positive example for landowners across the province," said Rob Keen, CEO of Forests Ontario. "We appreciate that when his needs changed, André saw it as an opportunity to help his community by planting trees and by donating land for a park. The trees that André planted will provide habitat for wildlife and capture carbon from our air, helping to build a greener future."

When asked how he feels about being a Green Leader, André says, "It's an honour! I hope my story will encourage others in Russell County to plant trees. Investing in greenspace here should be a priority!"

For more information about the 50 Million Tree Program, contact Forests Ontario at 416-646-1193 or visit www.forestsontario.ca/50MTP.

About Forests Ontario
Forests Ontario is the voice for our forests. Working to promote a future of healthy forests sustaining healthy people, Forests Ontario is committed to the re-greening of Ontario through tree planting efforts on rural lands and in urban areas, as well as the renewal and stewardship of Ontario's forests through restoration, education and awareness. Visit www.forestsontario.ca or follow us @Forests_Ontario.

SOURCE Forests Ontario