TD celebrates Canada's 150th birthday by revitalizing over 150 community green spaces

TORONTO, Feb. 18, 2017

TORONTO, Feb. 18, 2017 /CNW/ - As families gather for quality time this Family Day weekend, TD Bank Group launches #TDCommonGround, an initiative celebrating Canada's 150^th birthday that will invest in the future of green spaces by revitalizing over 150 community spaces across the country. 

This long weekend, visitors to Toronto's Harbourfront Centre have the opportunity to get a sneak peek of community green space revitalizations planned across the country with the pop-up of a Green Globe featuring 1,200 square feet of lush, interactive green space complete with trees, greenery, a bridge and pond open during the heart of Canada's coldest month.

"Community green spaces are an integral part of the Canadian identity. It's where we come together to meet, talk and play – it's where people find common ground and connection," said Theresa McLaughlin, Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, TD Bank Group. "TD is proud to celebrate our great nation's 150^th birthday by enriching and connecting communities across Canada."

TD has been committed to revitalizing green spaces across the country for decades. This includes support for over 25,000 environmental projects and planting over 280,000 trees through the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and the TD Forests initiative. #TDCommonGround extends this commitment to driving community and environmental leadership and marks Canada's 150^th birthday by continuing to make a lasting impact on Canadian community green spaces.

More than 150 initiatives will rejuvenate a variety of community green spaces and encourage Canadians to come together in green spaces across the country. Projects range in scale, including seven flagship initiatives:

• Dartmouth North Community Centre (DNCC) and Library
  The creation of an outdoor library with Wi-Fi access, installing a naturalized playground, an enhanced community event space, improved accessibility and pathways and improved storm water management systems.
  
  
• The Green Corridor of Five Schools in Montreal
  The introduction of the first official green corridor in Montreal, which will revitalize the area by planting 750 trees in the surrounding parks and schoolyards and creating a large outdoor classroom.
  
  
• Victoria Park Revitalization in Kingston
  The revitalization of Victoria Park, including diversifying the tree canopy, installing water play features that incorporate infiltration and water conservation education and a rain garden, the addition of natural garden and play elements, as well as a new gathering area.
  
  
• Pollinator Education Center at Morningside Park in Scarborough
  The creation of a larger visitor education centre that will connect Morningside Park and the Scarborough Butterfly Corridor, including an outdoor classroom and learning space, outdoor educational stations, a large pollinator meadow and a series of educational programs. 
  
  
• Waterloo Park Pedestrian Entrance and Bridge Twinning
  The addition of a separate pedestrian entrance to Waterloo Park's Central Promenade, as well as the twinning of the city's existing Silver Lake bridge to create a pedestrian bridge, connecting the city's two universities to uptown Waterloo. The new pedestrian bridge will accommodate both cyclists and pedestrians and will include a lookout area over the lake. 
  
  
• Ralph Klein Park Natural Playground in Calgary
  The construction of a natural playground to enhance nature-based play in child development and learning, including log and timber climbing structures, hill slides, water play and sand creations and arbour hide-outs.
  
  
• Forsyth Park in Surrey
  The creation of 1.5 acres of new park space, which will include custom-designed natural play elements, programming, trees, gardens, connected pathway systems and other greened areas. Also, working in partnership with Surrey Nature Centre and two neighbouring schools to introduce programs and outdoor studies in the park.

For more information about #TDCommonGround and the more than 150 community green space revitalizations being undertaken across the country visit: https://commongroundproject.td.com/.