"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."

This timeless proverb reminds us that while the benefits of trees grow slowly, the decision to invest in their future can’t wait.

At Assiniboine Park — one of Winnipeg’s most cherished green spaces — the towering elms, maples, and oaks are more than just beautiful backdrops. They are living infrastructure cooling the air, anchoring biodiversity, storing carbon, and offering shade and shelter to millions of visitors.

But these trees, many of them decades old, now face mounting threats from climate change, disease, soil stress, and aging. Planting new trees is vital, but so is something often overlooked: investing in the long-term care, health, and resilience of the trees we already have.
 

A Plan Rooted in the Future

In response, we’ve developed a new Forest Management Plan focused on long-term forest health, biodiversity, and community engagement. This plan reflects our deepening responsibility to manage these trees as vital infrastructure. It aligns with the City of Winnipeg's Urban Forest Strategy and aims to ensure the Park remains a vital green space for future generations.

Key goals include:

  • Planting and regeneration: At least 300 new trees planted annually, with a long-term goal of increasing canopy cover.
  • Species diversity: Applying the “10-20-30 Rule” (no more than 10% of one species, 20% of one genus, 30% of one family).
  • Forest health: Addressing invasive plants like European Buckthorn and reducing the impact of tree-killing pests like the Emerald Ash Borer through species diversification.
  • Forest maintenance: Regular inventory, assessment, and pruning on a 12-year cycle.
  • Public education: Raising awareness of the value of trees in the Park and our communities through education, events, and engagement. (Join our 'Prune Like A Pro' workshop on October 19)
     

A close-up picture of hands planting tree roots

a member of the Assiniboine Park horticulture team kneels to plant a tree

In 2025, approximately 450 trees were planted across the Park to enhance canopy coverage and support the replacement of trees lost to Dutch Elm Disease.
 

Local Urgency, Broader Context

The need for action is not unique to Assiniboine Park. Winnipeg’s urban forest, made up of over three million trees, is under serious threat from invasive pests, climate change, and urban development, with up to 50% of its public trees at risk.

The City’s Comprehensive Urban Forest Strategy outlines a plan to address these challenges through increased funding, strategic planting, and proactive management, aiming to stabilize or grow canopy cover to 24% by 2065.

On a national level, initiatives like Canada’s 2 Billion Trees Program are helping fund urban canopy restoration across the country — including here in Manitoba.
 

Growing Forward, Together

With the Forest Management Plan as our guide, we’re committing to the long-term health of Assiniboine Park’s urban forest — not just for today, but for the generations who will walk its paths decades from now. While the best time to plant a tree may have been 20 years ago, the second-best time — to plant, protect, and plan — is right now.