AN ANCIENT proverb commands each of us to plant at least one tree in our lifetime because the shade of the trees we enjoy now always comes from the tree planting activities of those who have gone before.
In 1950, some United Church women in St. Catherine’s, Ont., planted a tree. They were concerned about the lack of supportive housing available to seniors. They figured it would be cheaper for the church to build seniors housing than for the government to do it. They also thought that a group of dedicated volunteers could help keep the costs down for a vulnerable population on fixed incomes.
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They calculated that if every United Church in the region raised $1.50 per member, they would have enough to build the home. On the basis of that calculation and their conviction of the merits of the project, the Women’s Auxiliary of the United Church’s Niagara Presbytery opened an account and deposited the inaugural sum of $25. Janet Aikens, secretary of the Women’s Auxiliary, received that cheque.
Today, the Niagara Ina Grafton Gage Retirement Village occupies 15 acres and is home to more than 400 seniors who live in either rental units, life lease apartments and bungalows or long-term care. Nursing care is available on a 24 hour basis and a satellite meal service provides more than 40,000 meals annually to seniors in the region. The United Church Women planted one extraordinary tree.
There are several seniors homes in Canada named after Ina Grafton Gage, including one in Moose Jaw, Sask. Ina was the name of both the mother and the wife of Sir William Gage, publisher and philanthropist. His estate provided key funding for these homes in return for honouring the names of the two most important women in his life.
Years ago, the same Janet Aikens who received that $25 cheque also moved into the Niagara Ina Grafton Gage Retirement Village. She passed away this spring well into her tenth decade. She would have been about 40 when she helped plant that tree.
What issue in 2006 is as important as seniors housing was in 1950? Let me make a suggestion. Global climate change is the one issue that dwarfs all others. It will take 50 years to effect meaningful change and if we don’t start now, our children and grandchildren will be wondering why we were killing the trees rather than planting them.
This summer the Saskatchewan government planted a forest when they announced the first step in a plan that could replace the coal fired generating station in Estevan.
Seventy-six percent of the climate changing greenhouse gases are made up of carbon dioxide. Forty-three percent of the carbon dioxide comes from coal fired power stations like the one in Estevan.
If our children are going to have any shade at all, we have to do this and more. For a start, we have to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels. So what trees will you plant?
Christopher Lind writes extensively on ethics and economics. He is researching a book on practical ethics while serving as senior resident at Massey College, University of Toronto.
