Kids Vote Weekend

Pick Toronto’s Tree of the Year!

Calling all Toronto kids.

There are five candidates running for Toronto’s 2027 Tree of the Year. You can vote for one during Kids Vote Weekend on October 10 and 11. 

Kids Vote Weekend encourages young people who are under the age of 18 to learn about elections and start their journey to becoming a lifelong voter.

Kids Vote Weekend is from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on:

  • Saturday, October 10
  • Sunday, October 11

Starting September 1, you can find your voting place by using the web application MyVote, available on www.toronto.ca/elections.

The winning tree will be announced after the October 26 municipal election to kick off a year of celebration.

Trees fill our parks, forests and green spaces. The City plants up to 130,000 different types of trees a year that help clean the air, provide shade and much more. This year you will be voting for the 2027 Tree of the Year.

1. Get Ready

To help you decide who to vote for, learn about each candidate and why it might make a great tree of the year.

2. Learn Where to Vote

Starting September 1, find out your voting place by using MyVote a web application available on www.toronto.ca/elections.

3. Go to Vote

You vote at your advance voting place on Saturday, October 10 or Sunday, October 11, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

4. What to Expect

An election official will greet you at the door of the voting place and direct you to the Kids Vote Weekend area. There, an election official will give you your ballot and step by step instructions.

Remember: you can only vote once!

5. Results

After October 26, find out what tree was elected as Toronto’s 2027 Tree of the Year and how it will be celebrated.

Kids Vote Weekend ballots will be hand counted after the close of voting and results will be announced after the October 26 municipal election.

The winning Tree of the Year will be featured in special plantings and activities in 2027, including:

  • 1,000 plantings of the Tree of the Year on public land across Toronto.
  • Tree of the Year saplings offered to Toronto schools to plant on school property.
  • Free Tree of the Year saplings available at all public tree giveaway events.

Coming soon!

Learn About the Candidates

Icon Candidate Profile
Yellow icon image for kids vote weekend of a basswood leaf with a cartoon-like smiley face. Basswood

  • Basswood makes amazing shade, great for staying cool on hot days.
  • In summer, Basswood grows sweet-smelling flowers full of sugary nectar that pollinators love.
  • Basswood grows smooth and even, making it a traditional favourite for carving or making musical instruments.

Learn more about the Basswood: www.ontario.ca/page/basswood 
Green icon image for kids vote weekend of a paper birch leaf with a cartoon-like smiley face. Paper Birch

  • Paper Birch is fast-growing when it is young, helping establish new forests quickly.
  • Paper Birch has bright white and papery bark with dark lines making it easy to recognize.
  • Paper Birch has tiny seeds that can float long distances on the wind, helping new trees grow in different places.

Learn more about the Paper Birch: www.ontario.ca/page/white-birch
Red icon image for kids vote weekend of a red oak leaf with a cartoon-like smiley face that is winking. Red Oak

  • Many animals love Red Oak’s acorns, including blue jays, chipmunks, deer, squirrels and turkeys.
  • Red Oak’s leaves provide important food for caterpillars, which later turn into moths and butterflies.
  • Red Oak grows deep root systems that help them to stay strong in storms and prevent soil erosion.

Learn more about the Red Oak: www.ontario.ca/page/red-oak 
Orange icon image for kids vote weekend of a sugar maple leaf with a cartoon-like smiley face that is winking. Sugar Maple

  • Sugar Maple is famous for its extra sweet sap – pass the pancakes!
  • Sugar Maple seeds spin like little helicopters as they fall to the ground.
  • In the fall, Sugar Maple puts on a colourful show with orange, red and yellow leaves.

Learn more about the Sugar Maple: www.ontario.ca/page/sugar-maple
Green lines icon image for kids vote weekend of a white pine needles with a cartoon-like smiley face. White Pine

  • Many animals snack on the seeds hiding in White Pine’s cones, especially squirrels and birds.
  • White Pine keeps its needles all year round, creating cozy shelter for wildlife.
  • White Pine often grows to be the tallest tree in the forest.

Learn more about the White Pine: www.ontario.ca/page/eastern-white-pine