Require 60% of Calgary's Tree Planting Budget to Go to Low-Canopy Communities

Calgary has committed to planting 930,000 trees by 2029 with significant federal funding. But without a binding equity requirement built into how those dollars are allocated, the natural pressure is to plant where conditions are easiest — which tends to be the neighbourhoods that already have trees.

We propose that Calgary City Council formally require that a minimum of 60% of all new tree planting investment be directed to communities with below-average canopy coverage — defined as communities below 8% canopy, the current city average.

This would be written into the program mandate rather than left to annual political negotiation, and progress would be reported publicly by ward every year so residents can track whether the commitment is being kept.

Why this matters: Communities like Saddle Ridge have as few as 3% canopy coverage while some established neighbourhoods exceed 25%. Every year that planting dollars flow to easy locations rather than necessary ones widens that gap. An equity mandate closes it systematically rather than depending on individual councillors fighting for their wards every budget cycle.

Who needs to act: Calgary City Council, Urban Forestry and Parks Administration

What success looks like: Within five years the gap between the highest and lowest canopy communities in Calgary measurably narrows, with annual public reporting confirming progress ward by ward.