Dear Editor,
In May of 2016, my wife, Judith, spearheaded a response to the city’s intention to destroy a beautiful weeping willow tree on Seafair Drive.
Through her efforts and the additional actions of other concerned citizens, the city agreed to a trimming of the magnificent, old tree rather than its removal.
A year later the tree is sprouting new branches and it appears that it will eventually return to its former glory and remain healthy for many years to come.
This singular case provides evidence that if citizens are concerned enough about issues and/or changes that they feel will be destructive or detrimental to the character of and quality of life in their neighbourhoods it is indeed possible to prevent or cause such changes to be modified by taking reasonable and responsible actions to oppose them.
The saving of this beautiful tree was a small but significant victory in fighting back against developers and builders who commonly apply for the removal of mature trees from our environment for unjustifiable and sometimes bogus reasons.
Every week we see more mature trees being destroyed without due consideration for the impact such removals have on both the overall character of a neighbourhood and the lives of residents who consider greenery and trees to be an essential, enriching aspect of our lives.
I would encourage more people to follow my wife’s lead and respond in like manner when you believe there are no legitimate reasons for a builder and/or owner to remove a mature, healthy tree from an existing residence or building lot.
We’ve lost far too many of these natural treasures as it is — perhaps we can manage to save a few even as the contractors’ lobby argues it should be the builder’s and not the public’s or the government’s choice about whether or not a tree should be destroyed.
Ray Arnold
Richmond
