What to know
- Toronto’s Sugar Maple was named the city’s Tree of the Year for 2027, winning 4,549 votes during Kids Vote Weekend and beating the runner-up Red Oak by more than double.
- More than 10,000 ballots were cast by children at 50 advance voting locations on Oct. 10 and 11. The Basswood, White Pine, and Paper Birch also competed.
- Native to Toronto, the Sugar Maple is known for its vibrant fall foliage, broad canopy, environmental benefits, and sweet sap used to make maple syrup. Its leaf also closely resembles the maple leaf on Canada’s flag.
- The city will celebrate with a ceremonial tree planting at Elm Park in North York on Nov. 3, from 10 a.m. to noon. Toronto also plans to plant 1,000 Sugar Maples on public land in 2027, with community events, school programs and free tree giveaways.
The Sugar Maple tree, found in Toronto, has been dubbed the Tree of the Year for 2027, after thousands of children cast their ballots during Kids Vote Weekend.
Toronto Elections announced on Thursday that the Sugar Maple received 4,549 votes, winning the annual contest by nearly 50 per cent.
More than 10,000 ballots were cast on Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11, at 50 different advance voting locations across the city.
Five tree species were “running” for the top spot, including the Basswood, Paper Birch, Red Oak, White Pine, and, of course, the Sugar Maple.
The Red Oak landed the runner-up spot with 2,036 votes, while the Basswood collected 1,551 votes, the White Pine got 1,133 votes, and the Paper Birch got 913 votes.
What is a Sugar Maple tree?
The winning tree is known for its vibrant red, orange, and yellow leaves in the fall and is native to the city, playing an important role in the city’s forests.
The Sugar Maple’s large-spanning canopy gives shade to both neighbourhoods and local wildlife. The trees also contribute to cleaner air for healthier communities.
The maple leaf plays a major role in the country’s identity.
While the leaf on the Canadian flag is a generic design that represents all 10 native maple tree species in Canada, its shape most closely resembles a sugar maple leaf, which is the most well-known of its species.
The winning tree is known for its extra-sweet sap, contributing to maple syrup. The leaves also twirl as they fall, creating beautiful autumn scenes as the seasons change.
The Sugar Maple tree was the only one of the maple species on the Tree of the Year ballot.
What is Kids Vote Weekend?
The annual Kids Vote Weekend program encourages youth to vote in the future by teaching them about democracy, as well as giving them an early education on how the voting process works.
How the city plans to celebrate
To celebrate the winning tree, the city will hold a ceremonial Sugar Maple planting on Nov. 3, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Elm Park in North York.
Additionally, the city plans to plant 1,000 Sugar Maple trees on public land across Toronto throughout 2027.
As part of the initiative, multiple community planting events, school programs, and tree giveaways can be expected.
Schools will also have the opportunity to secure free Sugar Maple trees to plant on their properties.
The win for the maple tree means Torontonians can expect to see more of the native species across the city.
