Neighbours attempt to save century-old trees in Fergus

FERGUS – Three of five 100-year-old silver maple trees got a temporary reprieve on March 10, but by the time neighbours saw what was going on and called the township, it was too late to save two others.

The trees in question are located 965 Gartshore St., the future site of the new Centre Wellington operations centre, and removing trees is part of work being done to prepare the site for construction, which is to commence this spring.

Crews got going on it Monday morning.

Carolyn Crozier said she got a call from a friend walking her dog on the rural road who saw the trees coming down.

“I called the township to see why it was happening,” Crozier said in a phone interview.

Mayor Shawn Watters met with Crozier and a small group at the site and was able to put a halt to the project.

“It’s been put on hold to see the issues around servicing,” Watters said in a phone interview. “So it’s a bit of a reprieve for now.”

Watters said there are 330 trees on the site in total; 200 will be preserved and 130 will be removed to make way for the building, internal roads and driveways, sand and salt storage and other amenities.

When the building is complete, two trees will be planted for each removed tree, he added.

The trees were on the property and not the right of way and so the township did not have to post signage warning that the trees were coming down, Watters said.

But he still asked staff to see if they have to come down at all.

Staff will take another look at the site plan and see if they can be saved, Watters said, noting there is an identified woodlot on the property that will be preserved.

“It’s nice the mayor came out,” Crozier said. “We hope that we saved those trees.

"They looked healthy and it sure is discouraging to see them come down.”

Toni Ellis, executive director of Tree Trust, stated in an email that she too, was dismayed to learn of the tree loss.

“It’s really awful to see these big old trees come down,” she said.

“It seems there should have been a process where maintaining trees should have been a priority in the design.

“Maybe some weren’t in best of shape but that doesn’t mean they needed to be removed.

"We need these trees.”