Technology

Federal Investment Contributes to the Planting of 500,000 Trees in Montreal

Published

1 year ago

March 4, 2025

MONTREAL, March 4, 2025 /CNW/ – Montrealers will see a significant increase in their urban tree canopy, thanks to tree-planting efforts that will result in over 500,000 trees on the island by 2030.

At an event in Montreal today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced that la Société de verdissement du Montréal métropolitain (Soverdi) will re-launch its Un arbre pour mon quartier initiative in partnership with the Regroupement des éco-quartiers.

This flagship initiative enables Montreal residents to acquire at low cost a variety of trees suited to an urban environment, along with support in planting and maintaining them. With its roots in an ambitious vision of greening, this initiative is part of a broader project aiming to plant 200,000 trees on private and institutional properties in the city, including residences, schools, hospitals, industrial areas and businesses.

Minister Guilbeault also announced almost $49 million in federal funding to support the City of Montreal’s goal of planting over 300,000 trees on the city’s public lands. The project is expected to bring numerous long-term benefits to citizens, including:

the creation of nine new urban green spaces; andcooling areas of the city that are vulnerable to extreme heat.

The project is part of the city’s official climate plan, as increasing the urban tree canopy will also help lower GHG emissions and contribute to the city’s overall climate resilience.

In addition, the Minister highlighted a new agreement between Canada and the Province of Quebec that will plant up to 102 million new trees across the province by 2031. This tree-planting project will reforest 50,000 hectares of land in Quebec, including areas that have been devastated by wildfires and spruce budworm infestation and abandoned sites such as sand pits and wastelands.

Projects announced today are funded in part by Canada’s 2 Billion Trees (2BT) program, which is dedicated to working with governments and organizations across the country to support the expansion of Canada’s forests, green spaces and natural habitats while creating sustainable jobs in communities across Canada.

Quotes

“Trees are essential to our lives: they clean the air we breathe, they make the outdoors even more enjoyable, they provide new habitats for wildlife, and they help us adapt to a changing climate. The Government of Canada is pleased to be supporting the City of Montreal, Soverdi and the Province of Quebec in their efforts to increase urban green spaces and forests. By planting the right tree in the right place, we are creating a greener, healthier and more-resilient Canada for generations to come.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

“Forests and trees store carbon, offer habitat for wildlife, cool cities, ensure clean water and soil and deliver essential spiritual, cultural and recreational benefits to Canadians from coast to coast. Over the past decade, our government has proudly supported Montrealers in building stronger, more-resilient neighborhoods. I would like to congratulate the City of Montreal, Soverdi and the Province of Quebec for their leadership and collaboration in their efforts to achieve these important reforestation objectives and in the fight against climate change.”

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change

“Planting more trees means greening our neighborhoods and investing in a healthier future. Trees reduce pollution, fight climate change and improve our daily lives. Our government is proud to support the City of Montreal and Soverdi in expanding and improving access to our green spaces. Together, let’s build a healthier environment — today and for generations to come.”

The Honorable Rachel Bendayan
Minister of Official Languages and Associate Minister of Public Safety

“I would like to thank the federal government for the renewal of its financial support to help us plant 500,000 new trees in the metropolis by 2030. We know that it’s crucial to multiply our efforts to green our cities in order to protect the population from heat waves and the impacts of climate change. We are lucky to count on a collaborative model, unique to Montreal, with the support of Soverdi and the Alliance de la forêt urbaine, which is the key to our success and a source of inspiration for the other big cities of the world.”

Valérie Plante
Mayor of Montreal

“In urban areas, greening comes from a collective commitment. The Un arbre pour mon quartier initiative, with its simplicity and accessibility, gives Montreal residents the power to take concrete action — one tree at a time — to fight climate change. Thanks to the mobilization of citizens, municipalities and the Government of Canada, more than 20 percent of the trees planted on private and institutional properties in Montreal are part of this program. Today, we are embarking on a crucial phase aimed at greening priority areas, particularly those most exposed to heat islands, in order to give everyone the chance to live in greener, cooler and more-vibrant spaces.”

Simon Racine
General Manager, Soverdi

Quick Facts

Soverdi’s tree-planting project received $19.9 million in funding from Canada’s 2BT program and $34.5 million from the City of Montreal. This project is being supported in three phases:2021: $873,5002022–2024: $5.99 million2024–2029: $14 millionThe Government of Canada and the City of Montreal are each contributing $48,89 million toward the City of Montreal’s urban tree-planting project. The project is expected to plant 304,560 trees throughout the city by 2029. The federal government is supporting this initiative in three phases:2021: $5.28 million2022–2024: $19.81 million2024–2029: $48.89 millionThe Province of Quebec received $220 million in 2BT funding for its project titled Reboisement en contexte de perturbations naturelles et boisement de sites improductifs. Canada’s funding contribution will be matched by the Government of Quebec’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests, for a total investment of $440 million.These projects are being supported by Canada’s 2 Billion Trees program. 2BT is part of the Government of Canada’s broader approach to nature-based climate solutions. The program is dedicated to working together with provinces, territories, local communities, non- and for-profit organizations and Indigenous Peoples across the country to ensure that the benefits of tree planting will endure for generations.2BT collaborates with partners to understand their plans for preparing sites, how they are selecting species and how they plan to monitor after planting. Partners report every year, and the program has a long-term monitoring plan to monitor the progress and the health of the trees. By ensuring the initial job is done well, nature can then thrive, maintaining the long-term health of forested sites.As of September 2024, the Government of Canada has secured or is negotiating agreements with partners to plant over 716 million trees.

Related Information

2 Billion Trees program Our action: How we will get there together Planting the right tree in the right place for a better tomorrow 2 Billion Trees working with provinces and territories 2BT Monitoring Plan 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy Montréal Climate Plan La Société de verdissement du Montréal métropolitain (Soverdi) (available in French only)Un arbre pour mon quartier Update on Quebec’s Economic and Financial Situation – Fall 2024

SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

Technology

Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair Students Win Big at the 75th California Science and Engineering Fair

Published

4 hours ago

April 26, 2026

SAN DIEGO, April 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The 75th California Science and Engineering Fair (CSEF) took place April 11–12 at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, bringing together 900 of the best of 1st place winners from regional competitions covering 58 counties across the state, including the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair (GSDSEF). GSDSEF students earned 40 awards at the event, including two of only six highly coveted spots to the prestigious Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Seven students earned 1st Place awards in the categories of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Cognitive Science, Microbiology, Physics and Astronomy, and Zoology. In addition, one student won the Saban Family Foundation Scholar Prize, while another won the South Coast AQMD Air Quality Award and A&WMA Environmental Leadership Award. CSEF is the oldest science fair west of the Mississippi River and the highest level competition in the state.

Top winners were:

Arya Bhatt, Grade 7, Oak Valley Middle School, South Coast AQMD Air Quality Award, A&WMA Environmental Leadership Award, “Context Aware Real Time Air Quality Prediction Using Machine Learning”.

Joie Green, Grade 8, Muirlands Middle School, 1st Place, “Soon I will be Invisible: How to Direct Energy with Topological Metamaterials”.

Maggie Hao, Grade 10, The Bishop’s School, 1st Place, “Harnessing Tardigrade Genes to Enhance Bacterial Biosensors for Heavy Metal Pollutant Detection”.

Uma Kattamuri, Grade 7, Oak Valley Middle School, 1st Place, “Elevated CO2 During Kalanchoe pinnata Growth Reveals Enhanced Antiproliferative and Synergistic Therapies”.

Sonika Dhenuva Konda, Grade 11, Del Norte High School, Saban Family Foundation Scholar Prize, “Adaptive Swarm Coordination for Wildfire Control via Q-Learning Tuned PSO with Quantum-Inspired Coupling”.

Emma Liu, Grade 11, The Bishop’s School, ISEF Finalist, 1st Place, “Defining 3D Phenotypic Cell States of Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils via Novel Computational Pipeline”.

Sharvi Mahajan, Grade 8, Bernardo Heights Middle School, 1st Place, “Evaluating Predictive EEG Theta/Beta Features in Adult ADHD via Machine Learning”.

Sydney O’Donnell, Grade 8, The Rhoades School, 1st Place, TFJIC, “Effects of Marigold Versus Chlorella Supplementation on Yolk Lutein Content”.

Ihan Sung, Grade 11, Eastlake High School, ISEF Finalist, 1st Place, “Renewable Ammonia Electrochemical Synthesis by Glow Discharge with an Iron Based Catalyst”.

Full results and project showcase available online.

About the GSDSEF

Since 1955, the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair (GSDSEF) has provided an inspiring experience in science and engineering for tens of thousands of San Diego and Imperial County students, motivating them to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This regional competition challenges students to go beyond classroom studies to do independent research – to ask compelling questions, to design and implement innovative solutions, and to present and defend results to judges who are professionals in their fields. The GSDSEF brings together 800 of the best middle and high school students, 400+ judges who are professionals in their fields and over 60 professional societies and organizations, with $40k in prizes awarded.

The GSDSEF fosters creativity and innovation through inquiry, celebrates students’ STEM achievements, and showcases how young minds can make an impact in the present and future. Many of these student scientists are conducting world-class research and conducting groundbreaking experiments in fields ranging from Astronomy to Zoology, such as the discovery of cures for diseases, formulations of new vaccines, cancer research, applying AI to enhance medical diagnoses, using biomimicry for water conservation, novel drone technology, advances in micro robotics and autonomous driving technology. The GSDSEF is the highest-level STEM competition in the region and one of the oldest, most respected and competitive in the world. The GSDSEF is a 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at gsdsef.org and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Media Contact:
Sany Zakharia
sany.zakharia@gsdsef.org

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SOURCE Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair

Technology

Innowise Named to 2026 CRN Tech Elite 250 List By The Channel Company

Published

7 hours ago

April 26, 2026

WARSAW, Poland, April 26, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Innowise has officially secured a position on CRN’s 2026 Tech Elite 250. This annual ranking identifies IT solution providers across the US and Canada that have achieved top-tier status within the partner programs of the industry’s leading technology vendors. The inclusion follows a period of verified growth in technical proficiency and a focus on high-impact engineering.

“Innowise concentrates on creating scalable, resilient architectures that produce measurable benefits for our clients. The honor of being recognized by CRN highlights the commitment of our experts to maintain high standards in highly competitive markets,” said Dmitry Nazarevich, CTO at Innowise.

About the Tech Elite 250

The Tech Elite 250 is a directory of companies recognized as having the highest level of partnership and certifications within the global IT ecosystem. In order to reach the final list, the provider must hold the most advanced technical credentials from vendors like AWS, Cisco, Dell, HPE, IBM, Intel, Nutanix, and Nvidia.

This directory serves as a verified ledger for enterprise clients who need to orchestrate complex hardware and software stacks without letting legacy environments rot. Holding these certifications is mandatory to stop the cash bleed caused by inefficient infrastructure and unoptimized cloud usage.

About Innowise

Founded in 2007, Innowise is a global software engineering and IT consulting center. The company is focused on developing high-value technologies, including artificial intelligence, data engineering, and cloud computing. Innowise crafts technological solutions for companies across 40+ domains in order to assist them in updating, creating, and modernizing their digital ecosystems.

Innowise specializes in using established technologies and modular approaches to enable organizations to expand or shift their operations while retaining complete control over all their physical and intangible assets.

Media Contact

Lizaveta Piaskova, Innowise, 48 48 787 027 706, lizaveta.piaskova@innowise.com, innowise.com

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SOURCE Innowise

Technology

Neusoft Showcases Full-Stack & Global Innovations at Auto China 2026

Published

10 hours ago

April 26, 2026

BEIJING, April 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At Auto China 2026, Neusoft Corporation hosted a press conference on April 25th and announced three key strategic moves: the iteration of Neusoft OneCoreGo® Global In-Vehicle Intelligent Mobility Solution 7.0, the launch of Neusoft NAGIC.AI Cockpit Software Platform, and the strategic upgrade of its subsidiary, Neusoft Smart Go. By leveraging full-stack technology and a global ecosystem to drive innovation and empowerment, Neusoft is transforming vehicles into proactive, connected and collaborative mobile intelligent spaces.

OneCoreGo® Global In-Vehicle Intelligent Mobility Solution 7.0: An Evolved AI Companion for Global Intelligent Mobility

Intelligent mobility requires proactive perception, scenario integration, and global connectivity to meet personalized user needs and complex driving scenarios. Neusoft, whose products cover over 130 countries and regions worldwide, addresses these challenges with its OneCoreGo® Global In-Vehicle Intelligent Mobility Solution 7.0 through AI-driven innovation and global ecosystem collaboration. Powered by One Mate’s cross-agent collaboration and a sub-product matrix including One Map, One Sight, One Cloud, One Pay, One Store, One Link, and One Guard, the solution delivers full-link global mobility services spanning navigation, in-cabin AR, payment, app ecosystem services, connectivity and security. By breaking down functional silos, it streamlines multi-step operations into a single “depart” command, leveraging full-stack AI technology across perception, decision-making, interaction, and execution processes.

Guan Xin, Vice President of Neusoft and General Manager of Neusoft Automotive Innovative Solutions Division, said, “Adhering to the core principles of AI and globalization, OneCoreGo® 7.0 keeps innovating, evolving into a globally intelligent mobility companion that truly understands user needs.”

To enhance driving safety and mobility efficiency, OneCoreGo® 7.0 has also comprehensively upgraded its sub-products: One Map Global Navigation newly introduces 3D city effects, 3D lane-level maps, and traffic light guidance, offering dedicated solutions for two-wheelers and commercial vehicles as well. One Sight AR For Car improves navigation display effects, reducing instances of taking wrong routes. One Pay In-Vehicle Payment achieves over 90% payment coverage for parking services across core European cities. Combined with One Cloud’s global compliance cloud monitoring platform and One Guard’s full-stack vehicle networking security services, it creates a truly comprehensive OneCoreGo® Global In-Vehicle Intelligent Mobility Solution.

Neusoft NAGIC.AI Cockpit Software Platform: Dual-track Architecture for AI Integration in Every Vehicle

Amid the AI-driven transformation of the automotive industry, the market faces two challenges: limited computing power in legacy vehicles and high adaptation difficulties for next-gen models. Neusoft’s NAGIC.AI Cockpit Software Platform adopts a flexible “distributed + centralized” dual-track architecture approach. For existing vehicle models, it introduces the AI BOX solution, rapidly boosting computing power via external AI computing units, significantly reducing upgrade costs and timelines. For new vehicle models built on next-gen central computing platforms, Neusoft provides a full-stack AI cockpit software product suite, meeting automakers’ stringent requirements for system stability, reliability, and full-domain control.

Pang Hongyan, Vice President of Neusoft and General Manager of the Automotive Intelligent Software Division, said, “Our dual-track architecture enables every vehicle to embrace AI and enjoy an intelligent future. Both existing models and new-generation vehicles can find the most suitable path to intelligentization.”

Moreover, Neusoft’s NAGIC.AI Cockpit Software Platform features scenario-based, human-centric AI Agents seamlessly integrating driving safety, occupant care services, intelligent assisted driving and in-cabin entertainment. Neusoft also collaborates with global ecosystem partners to drive intelligent upgrades of in-cabin interaction products, fostering a more open and dynamic intelligent cockpit ecosystem.

Strategic Upgrade of Neusoft Smart Go: A World-leading Provider of Full-Domain Upper-Body Electronics Solutions for Intelligent Vehicles

Aligning with the trend of E/E architecture evolution from distributed control to “central computing + zonal control”, Neusoft Smart Go, a subsidiary of Neusoft in the field of intelligent vehicle connectivity, has completed a strategic upgrade, aiming to become a global leader in full-domain upper-body electronics solutions for intelligent vehicles.

This strategic upgrade positions Neusoft Smart Go to focus on full-domain scenarios in upper-body electronics, building a product matrix covering full-category in-vehicle electronics solutions, including central computing platforms, cockpit-driving-parking integration, intelligent cockpits, intelligent communications, intelligent audio systems, and zonal control units, and pioneering the integration of large model algorithms.

Jian Guodong, Senior Vice President of Neusoft and CEO of Neusoft Smart Go, said, “This strategic upgrade represents a significant leap from partial focus to comprehensive layout. Through our dual-track strategy of high-end cutting-edge solutions and mature standardized products, we can flexibly meet the mass production needs of vehicle models across different regions and price segments worldwide.” Neusoft Smart Go will provide mass-producible, adaptable hardware-software integrated solutions, empowering global automakers in achieving intelligent transformation.

Neusoft’s President, Mr.Gai Longjia stated, “In the future, Neusoft Smart Go will create stronger synergy with Neusoft Corporation by sharing internal technologies and capabilities while responding jointly to external demands. This specialized yet collaborative model will preserve business unit’s agility and expertise while enhancing Neusoft’s full-stack technological advantages.”

As a trusted partner in a smarter world, Neusoft is committed to collaborating with global automakers and ecosystem partners to build an open and inclusive intelligent automotive community together for the future of global mobility.

For more information about Neusoft, please visit www.neusoft.com.

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SOURCE Neusoft Corporation