Barrie residents can help rebuild the city’s tree cover during a free community planting event on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Hosted by Living Green Barrie, the gathering gives people a chance to plant and name trees while spending time with family and friends, all in support of expanding Barrie’s urban canopy.
The event takes on added importance after an ice storm on March 30, 2025, knocked down more than 5,000 street and park trees. That loss wiped out over 10 percent of the city-owned tree inventory, leaving neighbourhoods with noticeable gaps. The City of Barrie has since launched a replanting and recovery program, and the June 6 planting fits directly into that push.
Living Green Barrie is working toward a goal of 10,000 trees planted across the city. As of May 2026, the count sat at 9,571. The organization has been a local environmental voice for over 33 years, starting in 1991 as Environmental Action Barrie. It now operates as a registered charity without core government money, leaning on volunteers, sponsors and donations to keep going.
Executive Director Andee Pelan, a certified arborist, has often said the group tries to build a community of hopeful people who want to leave the world better for the next generation. For the June 6 event, the focus is squarely on giving neighbours a hands-on way to make that happen. Attendees can bond over putting trees in the ground and even name their new leafy additions.
Anyone interested in joining can find details on the Living Green Barrie events page. No registration fee is required.
