Partnerships and conservation go hand in hand. Thanks to many longstanding corporate partners we’re accomplishing great things in the Credit River Watershed.
Last month, Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) and Canon Canada partnered with St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School in Brampton, where staff teamed up with students to help build a new rain garden on school grounds. The project is an important addition to the school, adding new green space and providing an exciting and immersive educational tool for students to learn about water management and climate change.
St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School, one of the few schools located in the Fletchers Creek SNAP area, was identified by CVC as a priority school partner for a variety of projects. After consulting with the school’s administration, we learned they had a major drainage issue. During the winter months, the sidewalk in front of the school’s athletic track would become unsafe because of ice build up.
How Rain Gardens Can Help Reduce Flooding
The rain garden will alleviate drainage issues by collecting and storing rain water or melting snow and create a berm, or raised bank of soil, to hold back and redirect some of this water. This rain garden is an example of how low-impact development can address the concern of ice buildups on sidewalks around the school property. Rain gardens are important low impact development solutions that slow down, soak up and filter rainwater coming from rooftops and parking lots.
Building the Rain Garden
First, contractors prepared the rain garden by grading and digging the area. Next, a consultant created a planting plan for the area. Canon staff volunteered to help plant the trees and shrubs and some of the herbaceous stock. Students from all grades participated in planting the remaining herbaceous stock.
Support from Partners Brings Project to Life
Canon Canada had a fundamental role in bringing this project to life. They funded the project, including costs of construction and consultants, all construction and planting materials and supported educational programming for all grades. This project highlights the value of partnerships in the community. This is the second rain garden Canon has completed with CVC. The first rain garden was constructed at Glendale Public School in Brampton.
Accomplishments of Canon’s Partnership with CVC
Canon and CVC have partnered on environmental initiatives since 2016. Through the partnership, Canon employees have participated in 20 events, committing more than 4,370 volunteer hours. Accomplishments of these events include:
- 1,340 native trees and shrubs planted
- 2,250 native wildflowers planted
- 9,236 square metres of land restored
- 1,596 square metres of invasive species removed
- 55 pounds of garbage removed
Canon has also made significant contributions towards projects that support a thriving environment that protects, connects and sustains us.
Learn more about Students for Stormwater.
Do you have questions about rain gardens? Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
By Jamie Williams, Specialist, Marketing and Communications