Latest news with #treeRemoval
CTV News
13-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Toronto's century-old enormous elm tree to be cut down
The elm has been a staple in Christie Pits for generations, but next week it will be coming down. A native elm tree towering over the Christie Pits neighbourhood for a century is coming down. At the end of May, the City of Toronto determined that the American elm, located on Barton Avenue, was nearly dead. Tree plaque The plaque recognizing the Enormous Elm Tree in Christie Pits. Road closure signs have been posted on the street, indicating that the removal of the enormous elm will take place between Tuesday and Thursday. 'I've lived in the neighbourhood for 25 years, and our family even has a name for this tree - Eddie the elm,' said Brenda Cooke, who came by to take pictures of the tree Friday. 'I'm very upset. A tree like this doesn't come along every day. I'll never see a tree like this again in my lifetime,' an emotional Cooke added. Tanya Neumeyer, who also lives nearby, says she has been admiring the tree from Christie Pits parks for years. Tanya Neumeyer Tanya Neumeyer hugs the Enormous Elm Tree. (CTV News) 'I love this tree,' she said. 'It had a full canopy of leaves providing shade and shelter for birds and humans, and this year, as you can see, there are no leaves on 95 per cent of it.' Joel Harrison-Off, the acting supervisor of the city's forest healthcare and management, said the tree is one of the largest native elm trees in Toronto and was one of the few survivors of Dutch Elm disease, which ravaged the population. 'I'm sad, to be honest,' said Harrison-Off. 'I've been investigating and inspecting this tree for the past 10 years.' The tree had been getting injected with fungicide, and while tissue tests for disease were inconclusive, he said illness can develop quickly. 'This is a big hit to that downtown urban canopy; it's a big hit to people familiar with that tree, who liked to see it through the seasons,' Harrison-Off said. 'It's a big hit for us forestry people who are trying to maintain these trees, to replace something that large, you know, takes hundreds of years.' Preserving the elm's legacy Eric Davies hopes to see the elm's legacy live on. He and his team at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Forestry are working to collect the elm's seeds in an effort to get more native tree species back in the ground. Eric Davis Eric Davis showing a small elm tree growing at the foot of the dead, enormous elm tree that is coming down. (CTV News) 'Knock on wood, the seeds are viable, the cuttings are viable,' he said. Davies explained that come Tuesday, when the tree begins to come down, his team will collect seeds and then take them to the university to evaluate them. He said that if they grow, the elm trees can get to a good size quickly. 'I think it's hopeful considering the history of this tree throughout many years,' said local resident Daniel Damiao. The city said removing the tree will prevent it from becoming a hazard because dead branches are prone to breaking and help prevent the further spread of disease.
CTV News
10-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Winnipeg elm tree loss overshoots target: report
City of Winnipeg crews work to cut down an elm tree on March 23, 2021. (Mason DePatie/CTV News Winnipeg) The City of Winnipeg marked 6,616 American elm trees for removal last year due to Dutch elm disease, resulting in a 3.4 per cent loss rate — extending beyond the annual average target. According to an administrative report on the status of Dutch elm disease management in Winnipeg, the city has approximately 194,390 American elms, described as 'the largest American elm population of any North American city.' The annual average target for the city's loss rate of American elms is listed at two per cent. Dutch elm disease is a fungal infection that blocks the tree's water-conducting tissues, spread mainly by native elm bark beetles, according to the city's website. Altogether in 2024, just over 7,000 elms were removed under the Dutch elm disease management program, which includes trees that were tagged during previous years. The report says that approximately $172 million has been directed to management since the disease was detected in the city 50 years ago to 'slow the spread' and to preserve the elm canopy. The widespread planting of American elms, 'once a characteristic of many Winnipeg neighbourhoods,' is listed as a contributing factor in the spread of the disease. City would lose 'almost all' elms by 2045 without management: report According to the report, the city would lose 'almost all' of its American elms in the next 20 years if Dutch elm disease management were to stop today. Under this scenario, the total removal cost would be approximately $200 million, without adjusting for inflation. The city said though the average annual loss rate in Winnipeg has 'varied considerably over time,' the loss rate over the past five years has been approximately 2.2 per cent in parks and on boulevards. The five-year average annual loss rate for elms on all property types is 3.6 per cent. The city's Dutch elm disease management program includes removal of diseased and declining trees, firewood monitoring and disposal, elm bark beetle control, reforestation and public education. The report said, 'The City of Winnipeg program has been the most successful (Dutch elm disease) management program in North America.' Nearly 6,500 trees were planted last year on boulevards and in parks as part of reforestation efforts, according to the report. Elm trees currently represent 22 per cent of the city's public tree inventory.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Teen Loses Foot After Freak Accident. Days Later, He Learns Man Who Saved Him Had Been in a Crash and Was Down the Hall
18-year-old Bryson Wilkinson from North Carolina was working a shift at a tree removal company when he got caught in a rope and ultimately lost his foot and part of his right leg A man rushed to apply a tourniquet while they waited for first responders Soon Wilkinson and Gary Caldwell, the man who saved him, were reunited at the hospital after Caldwell was injured in a crashA North Carolina teenager who lost his foot in a tree removal accident quickly found himself recovering in the same building as the man who helped save him. Bryson Wilkinson, 18, was working a shift at a tree removal company on Wednesday, May 21, when he got caught in a rope and ultimately lost his foot and part of his right leg in the accident, according to local NBC affiliate WECT. 'I thought it was over for me. I thought that was about to be the end of my life,' Wilkinson said. Gary Caldwell, a resident of the area, rushed to apply a tourniquet and Wilkinson was taken to a local hospital to undergo an amputation. Just two days later, Caldwell found himself at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, down the hall from Wilkinson, according to local station WRAL. "He ended up in a motorcycle accident," Wilkinson told the outlet WRAL. "I just couldn't believe what I saw." Doctors helped reunite them as they both began to heal. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'As soon as I walked in I broke down crying. I couldn't believe it,' Wilkinson told WECT. 'I'm going to keep staying in touch with him as long as I can.' Since getting home from the hospital, Wilkinson has been sharing updates about his recovery on TikTok. A GoFundMe to support him has raised more than $1,000. 'I want to tell people that their life's not over if they lose a limb. Things happen,' he told WECT. 'They can get past it in life. They don't need to give up. They don't need to lose hope.' Read the original article on People
ABC News
21-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Hyde Park islands to be stripped as shot-hole borer infestation takes hold
Vegetation on the two lake islands at Perth's historic Hyde Park will be cleared over six weeks, after it was found to be heavily infested with polyphagous shot-hole borer. The tiny, invasive, tree-killing pest was detected in 2021 and has since led to the destruction of more than 4,000 trees in the Perth metropolitan area as the state government follows an intensive elimination strategy. Laid out as a classical English garden in 1890 and beloved for its Moreton Bay figs and London Plane trees, Hyde Park has been seriously threatened by the shot-hole borer. Alison Xamon, Mayor of the City of Vincent, which manages the park, said the loss of so many trees was "crushing", but the council believed that removing the trees and implementing a restoration strategy was the best way forward. Because the tiny borer beetles can fly, removal of the island's trees is seen as the best way to stop further spread in the park. "The priority out at Hyde Park is to do everything possible to try to preserve the massive fig trees, which are over 100 years old, and provide the majority canopy at Hyde Park," Ms Xamon said. Vincent Lanoiselet, chief plant biosecurity officer at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), which is managing the state's response to the borer, said complete removal of the affected plants in Hyde Park was the best option. "On those islands, we have coral tree and she-oaks or casuarina. There's a couple of melaleuca as well." Dr Lanoiselet told Mark Gibson on ABC Radio Perth. "That's, unfortunately, the kind of tree that has been found to be infested quite heavily with PSHB [the borer]. Ms Xamon said the efforts to protect the historic Moreton Bay figs had so far been largely successful. "17 months ago, the state government presented us with a scenario where we were about to lose about 20 massive trees," she said. "Since then, City of Vincent has worked really hard, with DPIRD and volunteer arborists from ArbWest, to take a more nuanced response to how we're dealing with the polyphagous shot-hole borer, particularly in the plane trees and the fig trees. "We have had to remove three trees, but the other trees which have been infested, we've been able to simply remove infested limbs rather than going straight to removing the entire tree." Dr Lanoiselet said efforts to treat some of Hyde Park's trees with insecticide were also ongoing. "I can tell you that 45 trees within the park have been treated with contact and systemic insecticide as part of an ongoing chemical trial that we are undertaking with the City of Vincent," he said. The department is also working closely with the City of Canning, in Perth's south, on a trial that involves injecting trees with pellets containing fungicide and insecticide, that has shown promising early results. In the meantime, the council is focusing on rehabilitation efforts. Ms Xamon said the City of Vincent had developed a three-year plan for replanting, involving 4,000 trees and shrubs that would be planted on the islands this winter. "The timing of the removal of the trees is designed to minimise any disruption to the breeding seasons of both the birds and the tortoises that use the islands to breed." The city will have an animal handler on site during the replanting program to protect birds and tortoises that might remain during the replanting program. Ms Xamon has reiterated her calls for more government funding to cover the costs of fighting and rehabilitating council parks affected by the borer, saying the final cost of the restoration is likely to be millions of dollars. "We need to continue to look at addressing this because Hyde Park is not just a park for residents, it's a park for all West Australians."
CBC
09-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Part of this Burlington, Ont., golf course is becoming housing — cutting down 425 trees in the process
City of Burlington, Environment and Climate Change Canada investigating amid protests over tree removal Image | Cynthia Shanahan and Sonia Robinson wide angle Caption: Cynthia Shanahan and Sonia Robinson, left to right, are members of Millcroft Against Bad Development, which opposes the redevelopment of the golf course seen behind them in this photo. (Justin Chandler/CBC) Nicky Marwaha says she was shocked last Thursday when she came home to find her neighbourhood had changed. Several tall trees on the normally lush golf course her backyard borders were gone — they'd been cut down to make way for a housing development that will see 90 single-detached homes and a six-storey apartment built in the area. Across the privately owned Millcroft Golf Club course last week, in total 425 trees were cut down, drawing outrage from neighbours, some of whom have been frustrated with the development for the past several years. "It's a massacre," Marwaha said. The doctor and mother of three moved to the neighbourhood 13 years ago, she said. The biggest draw for her was a beautiful green backyard. "It's like you have a paradise that's been ruined," Marwaha said, adding her young children have been crying and she's been "devastated." Developer says removing trees 'necessary' to build homes In a statement to CBC Hamilton, a spokesperson for developer Millcroft Greens said they acknowledge "many in the community are disappointed to see the removal of trees," but it's often a "necessary step" in creating new homes. The spokesperson acknowledged 425 trees were cut down but said Millcroft Greens protected and kept 425 trees and will plant "over 2,600 new trees in the developed blocks." WATCH | Drone footage shows trees downed across golf course: Media Video | Members of Millcroft Against Bad Development react to 425 trees coming down Caption: Community group Millcroft Against Bad Development (MAD) opposes developer Millcroft Greens' plan to build 90 homes on a redeveloped golf course that runs through a neighbourhood in north Burlington, Ont. In early May, the developer cut down 425 trees in preparation for work. MAD members share their frustration. Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. Critics, including members of community group Millcroft Against Bad Development (the group uses MAD for short), have questioned whether it was appropriate for the developer to cut down the trees when they did. Kirk Robinson, the group's founding director, told CBC Hamilton that birds are nesting and now many will have lost their homes. "We've already noticed since they chopped the trees down, we're not getting the birds in our backyard like we usually do." Trees' removal under investigation, developer says it followed rules In a statement on May 2, the City of Burlington said it was aware of Millcroft Greens cutting down the trees and was "investigating this activity." On Tuesday, CBC Hamilton asked why the city is investigating and whether it could provide an update. A city spokesperson refused to comment, citing an ongoing investigation. Environment and Climate Change Canada is also investigating the tree removal and development. "Enforcement officers collected information during an on-site inspection," a spokesperson told CBC Hamilton, adding the information is "currently being reviewed" to determine whether there has been any non-compliance with the Migratory Birds Convention Act (MBCA) and Migratory Birds Regulations. The act prohibits the disturbance or destruction of migratory birds, their nests and eggs, but does not protect trees themselves. Millcroft Greens said "all work that has been conducted on site was undertaken only after the necessary approvals were obtained." The developer added that a "certified ecologist conducted multiple nest sweeps to ensure no active migratory bird nests were disturbed." Embed | Millcroft neighbourhood in Burlington, Ont. Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. The suburban north Burlington neighbourhood, which has been around for 40 years, is highly integrated with the golf course, which forms a figure eight through the area. The neighbourhood was built around the golf course, Burlington Coun. Angelo Bentivegna told CBC Hamilton in an interview. He said city council did not approve the Millcroft Greens development because it wanted to protect green space as per Burlington's official plan. The developer successfully appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal — a provincial body that rules on land-use decisions. In response, council requested the province overrule the decision, using a Ministerial Zoning Order (MZO), to ensure some open space is maintained. "We haven't heard back," Bentivegna said Wednesday. "We are basically at their will at this point." The premier's office did not respond on whether it was considering the MZO request. Bentivegna said the development has been of great interest to people in the neighbourhood and beyond, as evidenced by a large community meeting held by MAD in late April. "This kind of development obviously is affecting many people." Critics say development not worth the loss of green space Robinson and MAD member Cynthia Shanahan told CBC Hamilton on Tuesday that the group has been opposed to the development since learning about it in 2020. Their concerns include the loss of green space and its associated environmental and mental health benefits, and the fear of increased flooding as parts of the land are paved. While the golf course is not publicly accessible space, the neighbours say it is home to trees, birds and animals, and that landscape is beneficial for nearby residents. "Ninety homes are affecting the lives of 4,400 homes," Shanahan said, referring to the broader neighbourhood. That's not worth it, she and Robinson said, adding they don't think the construction of 90 homes will meaningfully increase the supply of housing in the city. They also said the homes won't be affordable. The City of Burlington has a goal of building 2,724 units of housing by the end of 2026, according to its website to meet "the housing needs of the community." That includes 228 affordable units, which it defines as housing for which rent costs no more than 30 per cent of the gross annual income of low- and moderate-income households, or for which rent is at or below the average market rent for similar units. "Millcroft Greens is designing and implementing a number of measures to ensure that the conditions related to stormwater management will be improved," the developer said. It said those measures were sufficient to satisfy the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT), which approved the development after Burlington denied it. Millcroft Greens also said it's up to the builder, Hallett Homes, to determine prices and that Burlington's official plan encourages building homes that are similar to those in an existing neighbourhood. Developer notes golf course is private property Marwaha, Robinson and Shanahan expressed frustration with the OLT decision. "You need to listen to the people," Shanahan said. Critics have argued the OLT is unaccountable, but others argue its oversight is necessary and say the body can help promote the construction of necessary housing. Millcroft Greens said the request for a zoning order to stop parts of its work is invalid. "The OLT issued a decision and our position is that it's inappropriate to ask for that decision to be overturned. Further, it should be noted that the golf course is private property, not 'public' space."
