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Burnaby chops down 80-year-old maple tree in Metrotown due to 'decay'

While the tree at Civic Square had 'verticillium wilt,' according to the city, some residents are concerned about a decreasing tree canopy.
Lauren Vanderdeen
Lauren Vanderdeen
metrotown-tree
A maple tree at Civic Square was cut down earlier this month.@metrotowner/X

Metrotown residents are mourning the loss of a large maple tree at Civic Square.

The tree, likely more than 80 years old, was cut down earlier this month, and locals took to social media to lament.

“Stop cutting down our trees!” said Jasmine Nicholsfigueiredo.

“Are they evaluating after they cut down everything they can? Sorry to say, every single amazing town centre is a concrete hell. None have trees or greenery worth commenting on,” said Cathy Griffin.

Another highlighted Burnaby has lost almost three per cent of its tree canopy between 2014 and 2020.

Resident Joel Gibbs asked if there was a better way to preserve mature trees “since cutting them down guarantees losing the significant canopy they provide for decades, even if new saplings are planted.”

But the city said the Metrotown maple had to go after staff discovered the tree had “significant internal decay setting into the root crown,” creating a public safety hazard.

“The tree was about 60 per cent dead by the time it was removed, due to what we believe was verticillium wilt,” public affairs officer Cole Wagner told the Burnaby NOW in an emailed statement.

“We’ll be planting a replacement maple at this location during the winter planting season.”

Wagner said the city has a qualified forestry team that works hard to ensure the health of Burnaby’s urban forests and who have a duty to ensure public safety by removing dead or rotting trees that pose a risk to health and safety if they were to fall.

X user @metrotowner asked what the city is doing to “track the creeping loss of tree canopy” and suggested an online map of mature trees and monthly statistics documenting tree removals, intended replacements and actual planting.

He also asked how the city ensures the public receives timely information on planned tree removals, suggesting an online database of tree removal permits.

“Right now we have to roam the (neighbourhood) to find tree removals notices, or stumps,” he said.

Wagner said signage was posted around the maple tree for two weeks prior to removal.

“With regard to a tree inventory database, the city does not currently have a map/database which identifies which trees are slated for removal.”

The NOW asked if a database were under consideration but did not receive a response on that front.

“We make all reasonable efforts to preserve trees before going to removal,” Wagner said.

Social media users also asked about a fir tree at Bonsor Community Centre that was removed “a few years ago.”

Wagner said the fir tree, also likely more than 80 years old, was removed after it died, but the city retained the tree’s stem to provide additional habitat for birds and insects.