Eighteen new trees will be planted along Wellington Street in front of the Parliament Buildings in the spring to replace 18 elm trees removed by the National Capital Commission in October.
The trees had developed Dutch elm disease, a fungal infection that affected the trees’ roots.
The disease is commonly spread by the elm beetle. The beetle infects the bark of the tree and the disease can spread throughout the bark and into the roots.
The disease first started affecting Canadian elm trees in the 1960s. The NCC says the trees it removed were between 10 and 80 years old.
“There is no cure for severely infected or root infected trees,” says Jolanta Kowalski, a spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
The trees were removed in October after almost 10 years of efforts by local arbourists to keep them alive.
In the end, however, “as dying or dead trees, they were a safety hazard,” says NCC spokesperson Joseph Zebrowski.
The NCC was worried the trees posed a risk to pedestrians, cyclists and even vehicles because branches are more prone to breaking off from strong winds and heavy snow-fall.
The NCC says it does not think the removal will seriously affect the visual appeal of Confederation Boulevard – the downtown Ottawa-Gatineau ceremonial route that includes Wellington Street- in the Winter because the trees were planted far apart from eachother.
The street does not look as though it is missing anything, and the spots where the trees used to stand tall do not look empty, but the street does seem to be missing some of its usual personality.
Replacements are to be planted after the coming winter, but the species has yet been chosen.
According to Centretown News, last year the city allocated $1.2 million to fight the emerald ash borer, another insect disease targeting trees in Centretown.
“I know that in the past it was very common, for what we call mono culture – to plant just one kind of tree in an area,” says Zebrowski. “And with emerald – ash or Dutch elm disease, trees are very vulnerable when they are located very close to the same kind of tree. So I think that’s something that will have to be taken into consideration.”
“That stuff still has to be worked out but (replacement trees) definitely will be replanted in the spring.”
The Centretown Citizens Community Association, which works to preserve trees and green spaces in Ottawa’s heavily developed downtown area, says the NCC should strive to recreate the general look of the lost trees when the replacements are planted.
“They should be something that reflects a similar component whether it be size, shape, function, and survival. I’m not sure that planting elm trees would be in the best interest if the forestry department would decide it’s a long shot for them to survive,” says Tom Whillans a member of the CCCA’s trees and greenspace committee.
The NCC could use hybrid elm trees instead of native elm trees, says Kowalski: “Some of these hybrids have the same general shape and form as native elm but are resistant to Dutch elm disease,”
The NCC does not provide an exact time for when the replanting will occur, but said it will happen at the most opportune time for the survival of the trees they choose to plant.
The cost of planting trees along Wellington is also unknown at this time.
“We try to keep an eye on everything, but it’s kind of hard this time of year,” says Whillans and reminds residents that anyone who sees a dead or dying tree in Centretown should contact the city or the CCCA.