From left to right: Rev. Dave Holmes – Minister of St. Andrew’s United Church, Grant Creasey – City of Lacombe Mayor, Doris Thesenvitz - First Chair of St, Andrew's Green Team, Rod Guilbault – City of Lacombe Parks Supervisor, Cynthia Pohl – Principal of Living Lands Landscape + Design, & Ecological Landscaper, Joan Fredeen – Gardener, Kaiden Bruning – Local Farmer. (City of Lacombe/ supplied)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Tree project

Crews break ground on St. Andrew’s United Church Woodland Sanctuary Project in Lacombe

Jun 13, 2025 | 4:58 PM

The City of Lacombe officially broke ground on the St. Andrew’s United Church Woodland Sanctuary Project.

They officially announced the beginning of the project with a ceremony that took place a week ago on Friday.

The final design for the tree project was approved by Lacombe city council in March of this year, which is a collaborative effort between the city and the United Church.

Together they’ll transform a 1.7-acre municipal reserve on the west end of Woodland Drive into a natural forest ecosystem with 100 native trees and shrubs.

The initiative was brought forward in hopes of making a positive impact on the environment and promote sustainability.

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The cost of installing all of the plants, trees, and shrubs as well as habitat structures, and seating is over $50,000. It is funded through private donations and grants through the United Church.

The estimated budget for the city is $36,000 over three years, which is covered under the 2025 budget.

The City of Lacombe will manage ongoing site maintenance, including watering in the first three years, mowing of the path, and ongoing weeding as necessary.