No trees left standing

MARCH 17, 2022

On the morning of March 16, a chainsaw operator arrived at the site where a towering Scotch pine and an equally large maple tree had spent their last night alive on the planet. He told residents who hurried to the site when they heard his chainsaw that he received a call the night before (from whom is unknown) and was doing their bidding.

By 10 a.m. nothing remained of the two trees.

Twenty-four hours before this final cut, the two trees appeared to be the only ones "saved" from a group of 25 that the LRT construction crews working for a consortium called KEV had planned to demolish completely.

Photo shows 2 trees still standing on March 15 and their stumps after they were destroyed early on March 16, 2022.

The demise of these 2 last trees obliterates the small forest that had formed a boundary along a path well-trod by residents of this densely populated enclave north of Richmond Road. It is home to at least 3 high rise condo and rental buildings, a seniors residence, and numerous townhouse and single dwellings.

Bob Thomson, who lives in the Barclay condo building on Dominion Ave. was at the site March 15 and16 along with neighbours, one of whom alerted him to the chainsaw whine on March 16.

He photographed a chickadee in the downed branches of the Scotch pine before they were hauled away.