The City of Parksville will oversee maintenance for 34 elm trees along Memorial Avenue.
In a release, the city said that maintaining and enhancing the health and safety of the trees planted in memory of those who gave their lives in the First World War is important. The trees were planted more than 100 years ago and have now reached what can be called the ‘senior years’ for an urban street tree. The release stated that the city’s priority is to preserve these trees for as long as they can ensure they are safe.
In anticipation of streetscape upgrades to Memorial Avenue, the city said a detailed inspection of the trees was completed in 2019 and confirmed that some of the trees are failing. The 2019 report also required an annual inspection of the trees and this year’s inspection confirmed that three trees are now in an advanced stage of declining heath and must be removed. In 2012, one elm was removed due to poor pruning practices in the early 1970s.
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Three trees, now classified as hazardous, must be removed due to incurable fungal infections and poor health. Should there be any salvageable wood, the city hopes to repurpose the wood for possible future projects.
Through ongoing arborist inspections, the city will determine if any further actions for specific trees require further assessment. The city said the removal of the three trees is related to their current condition, and not because of future work on Memorial Avenue.
Removal of the three trees is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 19 and Friday, Nov. 20.
The release said that parking will be limited on the north side of Memorial Avenue, and a partial road and sidewalk closure may occur to ensure the public’s safety. Detours will be provided.
Once the trees are removed the city said they will ensure replacement at a suitable time in the future. Further maintenance, crown cleaning and other works for the remaining elms will be scheduled for a later date.
— NEWS Staff, submitted