BONNYVILLE - The Bonnnyville Jr. Pontiacs have partnered with Imperial Oil to start the Imperial Oil Goals for Trees program.
Neil Langridge, vice president of operations for the Bonnyville Jr. Pontiacs, explained that for every goal the team scored, Imperial Oil has donated one tree for the team to plant at the end of the season.
“The Pontiacs totaled 153 goals this year, and we kept track on a big thermometer, so throughout the year everyone could see the progress. Then, we waited until the ground thawed to get everyone together to plant them. We have representatives from Imperial Oil, the Pontiacs, The Town of Bonnyville, as well as our friends at LICA,” said Langridge.
The group gathered on June 12, and everyone pitched in to help get the trees planted.
LICA advised on what type of trees to plant, and helped pick out the location from a few possibilities offered by the Town of Bonnyville. White Spruce trees were planted on a hill behind the new staging area and RV dump station for the Iron Horse trail, near the RCMP detachment.
“LICA did a lot of advising with us, and on top of that, our friends at the Bonnyville Forest Nursery donated all the trees. So, it worked out as a really great collaboration project. We were excited about how it all turned out,” said Langridge.
He also explained the program aligned with the Town of Bonnyville’s intentions to beautify the community with a focus on nature. Once established, the trees will not only provide year-round greenery, but they will also act as a wind break.
Langridge said the Jr. Pontiacs team came up with the idea, and found that it aligned with some of Imperial Oil’s key initiatives.
“I think it was a good partnership for a company that’s very well ingrained in our area. It’s a new initiative for them to get excited about, and for us to partner with them,” said Langridge.
Iliana Hachey, a representative from Imperial Oil, came out to help plant the trees.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Imperial. A couple of our pillars last year were about helping communities and the environment, so we’re hitting on those pillars . . . We’re going to do this next year as well . . . It’s really awesome,” said Hachey.
Langridge said the program also offered the players a physical representation of their efforts throughout the season.
“It’s one more thing that gets them trying to score as many goals as possible. [Now] they get to see some of the fruits of their labour be put into the ground . . . It’s really cool to see it come to life,” said Langridge.
