FERGUS – Neighbors and Tree Trust executives alike are coming together to try and save several trees on Gartshore Street in Fergus. With preliminary work being done for the new Centre Wellington Operations Centre, a pair of sugar maples were cut down.
Tree Trust’s Director Toni Ellis says concerned citizens gathered at the site as work was being done, and prompted a visit from Centre Wellington Mayor Shawn Watters.
Watters tells The Grand at 101 after conferring with staff, he thought it would be best to direct the tree removal to a different area of the site until the site plan is looked over more thoroughly.
The trees in question, Ellis says are no ordinary trees.
Five sugar maples stood on the property, and now three remain.
Watters explains depending on where the trees lie in the site plan, the remaining three may have to follow suit and be removed.
Ellis explained Tree Trust has several ideas on how Centre Wellington could better protect trees in development zones.
She says an urban forest committee of some sort could aid township council and staff through development processes, with an eye towards protecting trees. She added legacy trees have great value to the region.
Five or six people were standing in the area of the trees concerned about their removal, says Watters. He added in the end, the township plans to replenish cut-down trees twofold.
Ellis noted Tree Trust actually got its roots when a different selection of these types of trees, sugar maples, were removed without what she considered due consideration.
Ellis says she’s happy the township is responsive to concern, as Watters explained the site plan will be looked at more thoroughly before removing the remaining trees.
