• Message from Mayor David Miller
• Sponsors: Lead Sponsors, Major Sponsors, Sponsors, In Kind Sponsors, Prize Sponsors
• Working for the Environment

Toronto is uniquely green with its outstanding collection of parks, natural areas and trees. We are proud to make investment into preserving this vital community asset a priority but recognize that philanthropic support is vital to the enhancement of our public green spaces.

Since 2002 the Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation has partnered with the City of Toronto to do so. Through their efforts thousands of trees have been planted towards the goal of doubling Toronto's tree canopy and offsetting the effects of climate change. The Foundation Community Grant Program has enabled 116 community groups to actively participate in enhancing their neighborhood parks. Hundreds of youth in our priority neighborhoods have been supported to lead community beautification projects with 200.000 daffodils being planted across the City. Canada's first Lung Cancer Canada Grove has been created - providing a place of remembrance and solace while gracing us with a unique aboriginal aesthetic in the heart of Toronto.

Toronto 3rd annual Green Tie fundraising event, gTO₃, is an opportunity for all of us to join together in investing in Toronto's green legacy for generations to come.

I would like to thank the Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation for their continued work, and in particular, all the sponsors and participants here today. You are contributing towards building a green, healthy and liveable City!

Mayor David Miller

The City of Toronto currently manages, with public funds, about 7,400 hectares of green space and an urban forest of over 3 million trees. Ultimately it is the responsibility of the entire community to look after these invaluable natural assets. A contribution to gTO3 will be an investment in protecting, preserving and enhancing Toronto’s parks, public green spaces and urban forest, which all contribute to sustaining a healthy and highly livable community.

Or put another way:

The Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation is a not-for-profit, charitable organization established to nurture Toronto’s green spaces.

Since 2002 the Foundation has been working to double Toronto’s tree canopy to offset the effect of climate change and pollution. We do this by planting. Every donation, sponsorship and volunteer helps us plant more trees, shrubs and bulbs in our city.

By targeting the neighborhoods and urban areas which will most benefit from being green, we help beautify Toronto at the same time as we make our city more environmentally stable.

The Foundation looks for solutions that contribute to the three key elements of sustainability: environment, economy and community.

Environment

By aiming to preserve and enhance Toronto's parks, natural areas and trees, the Foundation is poised to be a significant contributor to offsetting the effects of climate change and air/water pollution.

By working to create a more beautiful city through better parks, preserved natural areas and more trees, the Foundation helps make Toronto more livable and attractive to businesses and their employees.

The Foundation works with groups and individuals to build a green and beautiful city that contributes to Toronto’s green infrastructure. This exerts a calming influence on urban life, adds value to our neighbourhoods, and helps to support safe communities and healthy lifestyles.

Parks are Toronto's public gardens. Without them, the lives of every citizen would be poorer. The Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation promotes philanthropy, corporate support and community involvement to achieve a range of enhancements to the parks system that can no longer be achieved through City funding alone.

With a population of more than 2.5 million people, Toronto's nearly 7,400 ha. of public parkland and over 1,500 parks provide essential public space for play, sports, culture and quiet places to experience nature in the city. In an era of growing public use of parks, but declining public funds, there is an urgent need to involve private stakeholders to invest in our park system.

HOW YOUR DONATIONS ARE USED

The Foundation is guided by a Board of Directors that collaborates with the City of Toronto Parks, Forestry & Recreation Department to identify areas of need. Working in partnership with corporations, foundations, private donors and community groups, the Foundation provides a range of enhancements to Toronto's parks that could not otherwise be achieved.

For twenty years, Steven Page was the lead singer and songwriter with Barenaked Ladies, the Toronto- based band he formed in 1988 with Ed Robertson. Known for his dynamic, physically exuberant performances, his powerful tenor, quick wit, and an arsenal of songs that span the gamut between humor and pathos, Steven and the band toured the world, selling out venues ranging from Madison Square Garden to the Royal Albert Hall; sold nearly 15 million albums and won numerous Juno awards as well as two Grammy nominations, and two Gemini awards for their work on Canadian television. He left the band this year to pursue a solo and theatrical career.

On his own, Steven released an album written and produced with Stephen Duffy, called "The Vanity Project" in 2005. He has composed music for Shakespeare's "As You Like It,"(2005) "Coriolanus," (2006) and Ben Jonson's "Bartholmew Fair" (2009) for Canada's Stratford Shakespeare Festival. In 2007, he hosted his own national radio documentary series, "All The Rage" on Canada's CBC Radio One. "A Singer Must Die", an album of songs Steven recorded with the Art of Time Ensemble, was released in February 2010.

Steven Page is now finishing up work on his new solo album, slated for release later in 2010. In the meantime, Steven is back on stage again, performrng a mix of familiar favourites and test-drives of new material. Steven has this to say about gTO:

"Toronto is a city woven together by its beautiful wild spaces, its trees and its community parks. I am proud to help celebrate my hometown's green spaces, as they help make this city great"

Mark Cullen reaches over one million Canadians every week through various media outlets with a message that is distinctly Canadian. He has a familiar style that people relate to. He delivers a message that is compelling, fun, informative, inspirational &emdash; all based on his organic approach to gardening.

He provides gardening advice each Wednesday morning on CTV's Canada AM and his regular green feature is heard three times a week on 680 News. He is a regular contributor to the Toronto Star, Gardening Life Magazine and Home at Home.

Mark is the author of several best selling books including: The New Greener Thumb, The All Seasons Gardener, A Sandbox of a Different Kind, and his most recent &emdash; The Canadian Garden Primer.

Mark's philanthropic work and volunteerism is exemplary. He is the Honorary Patron of SHARE Agricultural Foundation, providing relief to under privileged farmers in 3rd world countries &emdash; "A Hand up is not a Hand Out." In 2003 he earned the 'Queens Jubilee' medal for his "outstanding contribution to helping to feed the hungry through his work with Plant a Row Grow a Row"

After many years of service on the Board of Directors of the Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation, Mark was inducted as a "Patron of the Foundation" in December, 2009. He continues with his tireless and enthusiast support, inspiring all of us to make Toronto more beautiful and healthy through trees and gardening.

Mark is a confirmed environmentalist, especially where tree planting and preservation is concerned. To quote him: Trees answer so many of our questions about global warming, urban density, wildlife shelter, carbon sequestering, oxygen production, storm water management, recreation and natural/urban beauty. They are our best bet and shortest route to a green future."