Red Deerians will be breathing a little easier going into 2019.

A Canada Winter Games project to reduce the City’s carbon footprint by planting more than 2,000 trees took place Saturday.

About 40 volunteers were out on the chilly morning planting 600 trees allotted for the stretch of grassy lawn along 22nd St. near Inglewood Dr.

Scott Robinson, chief executive officer with the 2019 Canada Winter Games, said the tree planting project is part of the sustainability plan for the upcoming Winter Games.

“We made a decision that we wanted to reduce our carbon footprint, so one of the ways we researched we could do that was trees,” he said. “We are planting 2,019 trees as part of the 2019 Canada Games sustainability initiative.”

In partnership with the City of Red Deer, Canada Winter Games volunteers will also plant trees on Edgar Industrial Dr, in Red Deer County, Piper Creek and the storm pond behind the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre. The trees are Elderberry, Saskatoon and Alpine Currant trees.

Games sponsor Parkland Nursery and Landscape Services donated all the trees.

Volunteer Lisa Wood said the project is a great way to do some good and had her husband and two children join her.

“I love that my family is helping me out today and I also enjoy that as they grow up, the trees will grow with them.”