The two national youth organizations will each get $50,000, which will be used to purchase 20,000 trees on behalf of the vehicle maker and its employees.
GM wanted to do something to commemorate the company's 100th anniversary and at the same time do something to help the environment, said Neil Macdonald, vice-president and general counsel of GM Canada.
"We could think of no better way to celebrate our centennial than to share it with the next generation of youth," Mr. Macdonald said.
The announcement was made at Camp Samac in Oshawa Monday, where a group of Scouts and Guides were on hand for a ceremonial tree planting.
"I think it's great they made this donation," said Brianne Menchion, 8, a Brownie with the 2nd Oshawa unit who plants about 10 trees a year. "It's better to plant new ones because many are cut down."
John Rietveld, president and executive director of the Scouts Canada Foundation, said the continued support of GM Canada to Scouts Canada has helped with many programs over the years.
"The partnership is important for the viability of Scouting," said Mr. Rietveld, adding that this year alone his organization will be responsible for planting one million trees. The organization has been responsible for planting 80 million trees in Canada since 1972.
With renewed attention on the state of the planet's health, there's never been a better time for Scouts Canada and Girl Guides and their tree-planting programs, he said.
"We want our members to develop an appreciation for the outdoors and have opportunities to care for the environment. Planting trees is one of the things we can do to sustain a healthy environment. They provide oxygen, prevent soil erosion and provide a habitat for wildlife."
Tree planting also supports Canada's lumber industry, a key export.
Some 1,500 Scouts and volunteers (from 21 Oshawa Scout troops) will be involved in planting some of the trees in City parks and around creeks during a major planting on May 3, he said.
Shauna Klein, manager of marketing and strategic alliances for Girl Guides Canada, said they appreciate GM Canada's generosity over the years. Various units are involved in developing formal business proposals to access donated funds so they can undertake tree-planting projects.
"(It) empowers these girls and young women to make a difference in their communities while promoting youth leadership and advocacy of an important issue -- the environment," Ms. Klein said.
The donation also underscores GM's focus on developing "greener" or more environmentally-friendly vehicles, said a GM news release. The company is engineering a diverse range of vehicles and technologies that offer greener alternatives such as reducing fuel consumption, using hybrid power and developing hydrogen fuel cells and plug-in electric cars, the release said.
