Recently a tiny Quebec town recognized trees as living beings with rights. Terrasse-Vaudreuil ( a small municipality of just under 2,000 residents located on Île Perrot, slightly west of Montreal Island in Quebec) became, on the 9th June 2026, the first municipality in Canada to adopt the Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Tree! 

Please click on the "Trees have Rgihts!" button below to read more about this small, but very meaningful, decision.

Once you have read the CBC article OPT hopes you will be inspired enough to have OPT push the Town of Perth to become the first municipality in Ontario to adopt this Universial Declaration of the Rights of the Tree? 

Just think what that might mean? If Perth took up the challenge that little Terrasse-Vaudreuil threw out to other Canadian towns and cities then perhaps we might have more trees planted and maintained in our pretty town? If Perth was to adopt a property tax of $200 for each "treeless yard" then finally each property owner would be encouraged to plant a tree on their front yard. At the very least it could prompt property devlopers to plant a tree in the front yard of each new building it develops. It might also encourage the Town to adopt the Homeowners Tree Planting (HOTP) program that has worked so well to plant trees in our neighbouring towns like Carelton Place. We might even see more Little or Tiny Forests (see articles below) planted as has already been started by OPT volunteers.

Our Perth Trees cannot do this on our own as we need to know whether you, the reader of this column, would support us in making a presentation to the Town of Perth? Please use the Contact Us form to give OPT your ideas and encouragement? Either scroll over to the Contact tab or use the "Contact Us" button below to be taken to the same page. If you wish to see some of the responses from others, please click on the "Responses" button below.

Thank you for loving trees that will love us back, if only silently and with lots of shade!