SJC and Trees for Life Plant for the Future to Mark Milestone Anniversaries

On October 30, SJC staff joined Trees for Life and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) at Mississauga's Arsenal Lands to plant 200 native trees and shrubs. We were joined by members of Toronto Life Insider, Toronto Life's members program. The afternoon marked two anniversaries: SJC's 70th and Toronto Life's 60th.

Trees for Life is a national charity that plants native trees where Canadians live, work and play. It grew out of the Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign and has since supported the planting of more than 3.5 million trees.

The Arsenal Lands, on the waterfront along the Mississauga-Toronto border, were once used to make munitions. Today the site is being restored as natural parkland, with new forest cover for migratory birds and pollinators. In all, 700 native trees and shrubs went into the ground that day.

The site also holds special meaning for us. It’s one of the places where Trees for Life plants in honour of Michael de Pencier, who died in 2024. Michael bought Toronto Life in 1971 and led it for more than three decades. He was also a passionate environmentalist and a driving force behind Trees for Life, starting with the Highway of Heroes Tree Campaign along Highway 401. He was the one who introduced our CEO, Tony Gagliano, to Trees for Life.

Asked by Toronto Life in 2016 why he chose trees over other causes, de Pencier said, "planting trees makes me feel like I'm doing something tangible, something to benefit my grandchildren. And I've always liked trees."

To open the afternoon, the group planted a ceremonial Red Oak to mark SJC’s 70th anniversary and Toronto Life’s 60th. It joins the hundreds of native trees and shrubs now taking root on the site.”

A founding partner of Trees for Life, SJC supports reforestation through its Partners in Growth®. For every ton of paper used in client print projects and SJC’s own magazines, including Toronto Life, Maclean’s, FASHION, Chatelaine, Châtelaine and HELLO! Canada, SJC contributes to the planting of a tree by Trees for Life.  Since the program launched in 1990, it has contributed to the planting of millions of trees.

This past Earth Day, we renewed our partnership with Trees for Life for another five years. Beyond Partners in Growth®, our staff and clients join a Trees for Life planting each year, and we donate ad space in our magazines to help the charity reach more Canadians. Its new campaign, Plant Trees Now, is running in our titles this season.

‍