Tree Planting Programs

The Canadian Institute of Forestry is the tree planting partner in the Memorial Tree Planting Program. In this role, the Canadian Institute of Forestry works with organizations on-the-ground to ensure that all trees purchased through the program get planted.

All trees are purchased online (associated with a specific obituary) or through HAL Trees and all payments go to these organizations, not the Canadian Institute of Forestry.

At this time no trees can be purchased directly from the Canadian Institute of Forestry. If you are not sure who/where to purchase trees, we would be happy to suggest one of our Tree Planting Program partner organizations.

As the CIF-IFC is not involved in the sale of the trees, we ask that you direct any and all questions you have to the organization through which you purchased the tree(s).

To the best of our ability, the trees will be planted in the province in which the funeral took place. At this time, it is not possible to request a location or a specific species of trees to be planted. The organizations that assist the Canadian Institute of Forestry in planting the tree(s) have expertise of their local area, site conditions and suitable species and are responsible for determining the species and planting location.

At this time, it is not possible to request a specific planting location. The organizations that assist the Canadian Institute of Forestry in planting the trees have expertise of their local area, site conditions and are responsible for determining the planting location.

Trees planted as part of the Memorial Tree Planting program are seedlings.

There are no plaques or identifying markings on the trees or at the planting sites.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to visit the trees that are purchased, as they are often planted in rural or remote areas that may not be accessible to the public.

Trees are planted on a “year behind” system. This means that the trees will be planted the year after they were purchased (i.e. trees purchased in 2021 will be planted in 2022). Trees are planted annually between May and November and the location of the planting is known by December of that the planting year.

Currently, there is no mechanism in place to monitor the long-term health of the trees.

Over the years, the Canadian Institute of Forestry has planted more than 100,000 trees as part of the Memorial Tree Planting Program and the number increases every year. We are proud to participate in this program which has resulted in thousands of trees being planted in provinces across Canada!

In addition to leaving a lasting memory of your loved one, trees provide many  critical environmental, social, economical, cultural, and health benefits. These benefits include providing oxygen and filtering the air we breathe, providing food and habitat for wildlife, reducing greenhouse gas emissions through carbon capture, improving soil and water conservation, creating recreational areas, improving mental health, and much more.