Spacing is lucky to have access to local arborist Todd Irvine. Whenever we’re walking together he’ll educate us on a variety of urban trees issues that most of us overlook. I was up at Yonge and Finch Sunday night and I was happy *not* to have Todd around because he would’ve been exposed to a sad patch of trees.
As many of you know, “downtown” North York, the strip of Yonge Street between Sheppard and Finch, is experiencing massive growth. I grew up along this strip during the 1980s and mid-1990s and watched what was once a charming “Main Street” be transformed into a valley of high-rises and a secondary highway for 416ers and 905ers alike. I stood at the corner of Yonge and Finch and counted 19 condo buildings within eye sight with many more blocked by other condos or just too far away for me to see. This kind of construction means sidewalks get torn up, which in turn allows the City to improve the urban design of the surrounding area.
My mom lives in one of those condos just southwest of Yonge and Finch. As I walked to her place I passed the relatively new Shoppers Drug Mart store that supports the surrounding neighbourhood. During the spring, the City put down a new sidewalk, added a bench, and planted five trees outside the store. Problem is, all five of those trees are dead and/or dying. The other five trees that were planted on the south side of the store are near death too. Even more sad is that these trees are some of the only ones you will find for blocks. The strip has grand boulevard-sized sidewalks but somehow trees don’t seem to be an important part of the streetscape.
Before I sound off, I’ll acknowledge that Toronto is experiencing the driest summer in 50 years (has anyone noticed how quickly the grass turned from green to brown over the last three weeks?). The City’s urban forestry staff has also said they don’t have the capacity to water all of the city’s street trees because councillors have not dedicated enough money in the budget to hire enough staff and/or maintain necessary equipment (and this was before the latest budget crisis).
But what really gets my temperature rising is that the trees have been placed in tree planters, which are sometimes affectionately referred to as “tree coffins.” As the photo illustrates, all five trees sit in elevated cement tree pits. Everything I’ve ever heard about tree planters from Todd, landscape architects, and City staff is that they are a major obstacle to maintaining healthy urban trees. The current trend is to plant trees in a trench — before the sidewalk is laid down, the trees are planted in one long ditch and slowly covered by the cement blocks. This kind of system allows the roots enough space to grow in either direction instead of being isolated in their coffins. This has been done on the re-vamped part of College Street between Spadina and Bathurst and can be seen in many downtown sidewalk reconstructions and re-platings (though many trees are dying all around downtown because of tree coffins and cement covered tree pits).
What boggles my mind is why the City would even allow this type of tree planting to continue. Toronto’s tree canopy is pegged at the 17-18% range, down from 25% only a decade ago. Downtown North York has plenty of planning problems (thanks for this legacy, Mr Lastman!), but is there any hope for a healthy urban forest if the City doesn’t even take the time to plant it’s own trees properly?
photo by Matthew Blackett
10 comments
I was wondering when there would be a tree post next. I seem to remember there was a group that used to go around and offer to remove residential chain link for free – is there anyone who does that for residential trees?
There are two houses on Coxwell north of Danforth (west side) with bricked in tree roots – I have contemplated leaving a note reminding them that a tree crushed a house right across the road and maybe that might be their fate if they didn’t let their tree have some water.
Good observation. Tree pits are far superior to tree planters, which don’t work for a number of reasons. The only good thing about tree planters is that they keep dog urine away from the tree, but that doesn’t do much good if the tree is dying for other reasons.
Because Toronto traditionally had such excellent tree coverage on side strees, the main avenues have always been a bit of a joke. A street of this width in New York would never be allowed to be without trees.
“I seem to remember there was a group that used to go around and offer to remove residential chain link for free…”
Yeah, that was us. The Downtown De-Fence Project has been on hiatus for a while (almost two years), but we finally have a new coordinator for it, and there’s a planning meeting taking place in the gazebo at Christie Pits this Wednesday evening at 6:30.
I hear what you’re saying, however these trees may be in planters because of conditions below grade. For example the close proximity of the subway line or an underground parking garage may not allow for the depth of topsoil required to sustain these trees, therefore requiring them to be planted above grade in an inferior manner.
There’s an interesting condition on University Avenue north of Queen Street West, there are trees in planter boxes that are huge and (for now) very healthy. Someone should go check these out to see why they are doing so well.
I’ve always wondered by the City doesn’t use tree protection grates like they did in the 1980s, especially in urban downtown conditions. I don’t understand why they insist on planting rinky-dink stick trees and snap in half when some cyclist chains their bike to them. Tree guards are common in most American cities, I’ve even seen bamboo wrapped around the trunks or older trees in Paris to protect them from urban life. The impression that I get in Toronto is that we just don’t care.
Tree Guards:
http://www.heritagestreetfurniture.co.uk/products/tree_guards.php
Yup, it’s a sad mess.
I should enquire again why the City cut down three trees at Arundel and Browning earlier this year two of which were behind a new fence enlosing them.
But the former Tree Advocate Mr. Pantalone, was quite focussed on a huge road project that hadn’t looked at transit options – and a few years earlier was quite ok with a Garrison path project that would have killed off about 10 trees.
How is there not a Spacing Hamish Grant drinking game? Maybe in the next issue?
Sometimes trees have to cut down, hamish. As long as they are replaced, than its okay. But why even mention the FSE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
mark > its a Hamish Wilson not Hamish Grant.
Now drink!
Ruff – brain fade… no idea where that came from.
Now if there was only a way to reduce the use of disposable plastic bottled water and water the trees at the same time…
Saw some poor trees at the EX this past weekend that badly needed water too (leaves were turning brown all along the edges). It seemed so ironic seeing as the site is so close to the lake, and yet, the trees get so little water as they’re strangled by concrete covers…