Sudbury outlines $1.75M plan to remove diseased ash trees from city land
Greater Sudbury is planning to remove all 1,500 ash trees on municipal property because of a widespread infestation of a beetle – the emerald ash borer – that infects and kills the trees.
"Ash trees used to be a tree species that were suitable for urban planting in Greater Sudbury," said a staff report headed to the operation committee Oct. 15.
An ash tree trunk destroyed by infestation by the emerald ash borer is seen in this undated photo. (City of Greater Sudbury photo)
"They contributed to a healthy urban canopy, were integral to air quality, ecological health of soil and watersheds and were resistant to road maintenance activities (e.g. salt and sand application)."
However, since it was first detected in 2002 in Windsor, Ont., the invasive beetle has steadily been moving north, destroying ash trees everywhere it turns up.
"Up to 99 per cent of ash trees within a specific location are killed by EAB (emerald ash borer) within 8-10 years of its establishment," the staff report said.
"EAB affects and eventually kills all ash species, including green ash and white ash that occur frequently in Greater Sudbury as street trees, in parks and private properties and in rural areas."
Another type of ash tree – black ash – is now endangered because of the invasive beetle.
Since it was first detected in 2002 in Windsor, Ont., the invasive emerald ash borer has steadily been moving north, destroying ash trees everywhere it turns up. (City of Greater Sudbury photo)
The dead and dying trees become a particular hazard during extreme weather, the staff report said, because they are easily uprooted.
"This was evident during the 2018 and 2021 microbursts and several ice storms that caused hundreds of trees, many of them Ash trees, to fall and cause significant damage in the community," the report said.
Since 2022, about 250 ash trees have been removed in the community, with another 1,000 remaining. There are another 500 dead or diseased trees in city parks, cemeteries and Sudbury Housing properties that need to be removed.
While the original plan was to remove all the trees by 2027, the EAB has progressed much faster than expected and the removal and replanting process must be accelerated.
These trees in the New Sudbury area have been infected by the emerald ash borer. Affected trees will often have green shoots sprouting from the trunk because nutrients can no longer reach higher on the tree. (Darren MacDonald/CTV News)
The city has applied for a grant for the tree removal and replanting project from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Growing Canada’s Community Canopies, which offers to pay 50 per cent of the costs up to a maximum of $10 million.
The grant seeks funding to remove 1,500 diseased ash trees, at a cost of $1.2 million, and replace them with 18 different species of new trees, at a cost of $550,000.
The city aims to use contractors to complete the removal of ash trees on city property by the end of this year, with stump removal possibly extending into 2025. About 1,500 new trees will be planted at a rate of 400-450 trees each spring.
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
While the city will remove trees on its property, homeowners are responsible for trees on their property.
"Property owners are responsible for Ash trees on their private property, which includes maintenance, treatment and removal as deemed necessary," the report said.
"Staff will implement an extensive public communication strategy that will include providing information to residents about the project. It will provide information to residents on how they can manage their own private trees that are in decline and how they can assist with growing the city’s urban canopy."
If approved, the work will be funded by the existing tree removal operating budget, offset by the grant, if the application is successful.
Read the full report here. The operations committee will vote on the plan at its meeting Oct. 15.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. teen with Canada's first human case of avian flu in critical condition, Dr. Bonnie Henry says
The teenager who is sick with the first-ever human case of avian influenza acquired in Canada is in hospital in critical condition, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead new ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ in Trump administration
President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” in his second administration.
Here's why thieves may be stealing butter in Canada
The case of the missing butter remains a mystery, but some have ideas on what's behind the unusual crimes.
Former B.C. premier John Horgan dies at 65
Former B.C. premier John Horgan, a popular leader renowned for his affable personality and dedicated public service, has died
Alleged serial killer previously pled guilty to 2018 attack on Waterloo, Ont. bus
The woman accused of killing three people in three days in three Ontario cities also previously admitted to attacking strangers on buses in the Region of Waterloo.
Air Canada to add new routes to U.S., Europe and North Africa in summer 2025
Getting to destinations in the U.S., Europe and North Africa is about to get easier, as Air Canada announced it will be increasing flights to a number of new destinations this summer.
Body found in Montreal park identified as cryptocurrency influencer
The body of a man that was found in a park in the Ahunstic-Cartierville borough last month has been identified as cryptocurrency influencer Kevin Mirshahi.
History in Halifax is slowly being wiped off the map: study
Saint Mary's University archeologist Jonathan Fowler is sounding an alarm with a new study. According to Fowler, the centuries-old architecture that adds to Halifax’s heritage and historic vibe is slowly being wiped away as the city grows.
2-year-old gorilla 'Eyare' dies unexpectedly at Calgary Zoo
A young gorilla at the Calgary Zoo has died. The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo announced a member of its western lowland gorilla troop passed away unexpectedly, in a news release Tuesday.