Earth Day activities sow seeds for annual festival in Sudbury

The University of Sudbury and Sudbury’s École secondaire du Sacré-Coeur spread the seeds of Earth Day in a symbolic gesture that, when all is said and done, will see 100 trees planted on the grounds of the Francophone high school.

In recognizing April 22 as Earth Day, students and dignitaries from both the University of Sudbury and Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario planted a small fraction of those 100 trees in pots indoors at the school. Those trees will later be transplanted outside to highlight the common history between the University of Sudbury and Sacré-Coeur.

The collaboration between the two institutions is not a mere coincidence since they share a common history: in 1913, the Society of Jesus established a classic college for boys called Collège du Sacré-Coeur. Through the years, the college would become a centre of excellence in education for Franco-Ontarian youth and would take the name of University of Sudbury in 1957. The college itself closed its doors and ceased offering secondary school education in 1967. In recognition of the long-standing Catholic Francophone tradition of this historical site, the Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario opened in 2003 the new École secondaire du Sacré-Coeur on the very same grounds where the former college once stood.

And now, the city is gearing up for a larger event to celebrate Earth. On April 26, reThink Green will host the ninth annual Greater Sudbury Earth Day Festival at Sacré-Coeur, located at 261 Notre Dame Ave.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This year’s Earth Day Festival features events for the entire family with live entertainment in the form of dancers, live music, and an all-day onsite DJ. There will also be trade show booths with Earth-friendly products and services, exhibitors with educational materials, and bicycle demonstrations.

One of the key features this year is the “Reuse for Play” children’s area presented by PLAYLearnThink. Children will be able to work with volunteers to build and create using recyclable materials.

For more information, contact Grant Turcotte at 705-674-1685 or email at [email protected].