001-43_EJQR9_SUMMER26_PT - Flipbook - Page 19
Heading for cover
In the face of this climate polycrisis, one wouldn’t blame our urban
leaders, professionals or those in administration on the front lines to
head for cover. And in fact, in many instances, they are. But in a good way.
The word “canopy” comes from the Ancient Greek word kōnōpeion,
which refers to a protective mosquito net. Fast-forward a few millennia
and canopy is now used by cities to describe the amount of tree cover
that exists. A cover that also provides a form of protection against heat
islands, 昀氀ooding and air pollution cities.
SHARON MACGOUGAN
Compared to cities such as Fredericton, which already boasts a tree
canopy of 67 per cent, on the surface, Calgary’s goal of getting 16 per
cent seems quite modest.
But Paul Atkinson, the city’s urban forest lead thinks otherwise. “What
we’re doing is quite audacious in the fact that we’re doubling the size of
our canopy. Calgary historically is a prairie city with few pockets of tree
stand (because) there was no forest in the 昀椀rst place. So, we’re doing sort
of a colonialist expansion of forest where we’re introducing all kinds of
species.”
E N V I RON M E N T J OURN A L QUA RT E RLY RE PORT • S UM M ER 2 02 6 • P AGE 1 9
