CALEB NICKERSON

CAMPBELL’S BAY

May 28, 2021

MRC Pontiac held its annual tree distribution day on Friday, shelling out several thousand saplings of a wide variety of species.

“Every year the ministry of [forests, fauna and parks] sends trees to distribute to . . .

the population, so we have satellite distribution centres in various municipalities,” explained MRC environmental coordinator Kari Richardson. “And this year we were given just over 5,000 trees, which is more than usual because some of our municipalities decided not to do distribution just because of the pandemic.”

“We had fewer varieties this year, we’ve got red pine, white spruce, white pine, red oak, some black cherry and yellow birch,” she added. “Usually maples are the popular one and we only got like 50 this year so they were gone right away.”

Trees were also available in the following municipalities: Sheenboro, Alleyn et Cawood, Otter Lake, Clarendon, L’Isle aux Allumettes, Rapides des Joachims and L’Île du Grand Calumet.

She estimated that they had around a hundred people come through the MRC location throughout the course of the day, which is down from previous years, but she noted that they typically have a fundraiser barbeque at lunch that brings out the crowds.