Trees on the corner of Gladstone and Kent being cut down to make room for a planned condo project.
City bylaws are not effective at saving local trees from being cut down, says Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes.
There are currently two bylaws that support the preservation of trees in Ottawa, but neither was sufficient to prevent developers from cutting down four trees on a lot at the intersection of Gladstone Avenue and Kent Street earlier this month. Tega Homes plans on building condos on the property.
One bylaw states that a permit is required to cut down any tree growing on land greater than one hectare. For land less than one hectare, however, a permit is only needed if the diameter of the tree is greater than 50cm.
A second bylaw stipulates that no person can remove a tree that is on municipal property without approval from the Public Works and Services Department of the City of Ottawa.
Holmes, an advocate on environmental issues and a member of the planning and environmental committee, disapproved of the tree removal.
“I was quite disappointed to see the trees on the sidelines,” she says. “There is not a strong enough bylaw against the taking down of trees.”
She says the current bylaws took many years to be put in place and have been watered down due to complaints from homeowners.
“We take down more trees than we plant,” she says. “Big trees are coming down and smaller ones are being planted.” She says smaller trees cannot take the place of larger, more mature trees in terms of canopy coverage and oxygen production.
Photographer Paul Couvrette, who owns land on either side of the lot where the trees were removed, says he is outraged.
“I don’t blame the developers,” he says.
“I blame the city for letting them do this. This is something that we see go on all the time in Centretown. The city is supposed to look after us. When you build next to trees, it kills them.”
The trees were 30-90cm in diameter, and some were as old as 60 years.
Couvrette says he is concerned that removing the older trees will mean trees on his neighbouring lot will suffer.
Janice Ashworth, community organizer for Ecology Ottawa, a non-profit organization in Ottawa focused on local environmental issues, says she “supports keeping greenspace” and feels that the bylaws should be ratified.
She suggests lowering the threshold diameter needed to protect trees.
“The City of Ottawa used to be an environmental leader among Canadian cities, but today it is falling further and further behind other Canadian cities,"
Ecology Ottawa states on its website. “We can hold city council accountable for its environmental performance.”