It's Not Too Late to Save the Ash Trees

Great Gifts for Mom and Mother Nature THE #*3%'00%t#*3%'&&%&34 ("3%&/"$$&/54t6/*26&(*'54 #BOL4Ut www.wbu.com/ottawa OSCARl The Ottawa South Community Association Review The Community Voice YEAR 41, No.5 MAY 2013 It’s Not Too Late to Save the Ash Trees More on pages 19 - 22 Trees at Brewer Park. Photo by Tom Aföldi few short years, it has spread to every large, untreated, dead ash, so there is with help from community residents. part of the city, including Old Ottawa a real benefit to treating your trees. One key recommendation from the By Heather Hamilton, South. Without treatment to control Signs to look for to assess whether study’s draft report is that the com- Canadian Biodiversity the Emerald Ash Borer every ash your ash tree already has Emerald munity should request the city’s Institute tree in the city will die, resulting in Ash Borer include multiple beige forestry services to treat the park’s the loss of hundreds of thousands of areas on the bark where woodpeck- salvageable ash trees as a priority in Old Ottawa South is a lovely, trees. City foresters have estimated ers and squirrels have been at work 2013. green community with parks and that approximately 25 per cent of all feeding on the insect, die-back in the Now is the time to act to save as playgrounds, a university campus, the trees in the city are ash trees. But crown of the tree with dead branches, many of Old Ottawa South’s ash streets and backyards shaded by some streets and parks have a much and small, D-shaped holes in the bark trees as possible. For private citizens mature trees. These trees help make higher percentage of ash which was where the adult insect has emerged who would like to treat their ash trees its neighbourhoods attractive and planted extensively in the urban parts from inside the tree. But, don’t wait more information on TreeAzin and desirable places to live, and give the of the city in years past. As a result, for the signs. If you have an ash tree the companies qualified to inject it community a sense of well-being and these areas will lose all of their ash and don’t want to lose it, treat it now. can be found at www.bioforest.ca/ pleasure. Evergreens, oaks, maples, trees as the insect spreads. For a city The summer of 2013 will be a critical index.cfm and ashes are also hard working that prides itself on its “greenness”, window of opportunity to save ash To find out more on the Emerald residents of the community provid- largely derived from its many trees, trees in the city. Ash Borer and what the city is doing ing shade from the scorching sum- this is a disaster in progress. In Old Old Ottawa South, Wind- in response visit the city’s website at mer sun, creating air currents to cool But, it’s not too late! Luckily, there sor and Brewer city parks have many ottawa.ca or call the 311 information temperatures, intercepting rainwater is a life-saving treatment offered ash trees, some newly planted in the line. Residents also have the option before it can flood basements, cleans- by many tree companies in Ottawa, last few years, and others mature to inject city-owned trees located on ing the air of pollutants that cause and increased competition this year and magnificent trees. Unfortunately, their property, at their own cost. human health problems, reducing is even pushing the cost down! A many of the parks’ ashes are already A public information session on noise pollution from busy roads, and product called TreeAzin, whose main dead or dying, especially in the Linda Emerald Ash Borer, organized by the providing wildlife habitat. Mature component is derived from Neem Thom Park section of Windsor, and Federation of Community Asso- trees also contribute substantially to tree seeds, a natural pesticide, is the city will be cutting them down ciations and Ottawa Forests, will be higher property values. injected into the tree, and is effective this summer. But there are a hand- held at the Ottawa Citizen building at But all is not well in the world of in killing the larvae of the Emerald ful of large, mature trees that are 1101 Baxter Road, on Monday, May Ottawa’s trees. Recently, a small, Ash Borer which burrow just under not heavily infested with the insect 13, from 7-10 p.m. Attendees will be iridescent green insect, called the the bark. Treatments must be given that could still be saved. These were able to hear from arborists, scientists, Emerald Ash Borer, stealthily arrived within a short time in the summer identified in a tree inventory project health professionals, and informed in Ottawa from southern Ontario. every two years to provide continu- undertaken this past fall as a col- citizens about the situation. This This tiny invasive bug, originally ing protection for the tree. A tree can laboration between the Old Ottawa is an opportunity to ask questions from China, is wreaking havoc on be treated for 8-10 years for the same South Community Association and and meet with companies providing Ottawa’s ash tree population. In a approximate cost of cutting down a the Canadian Biodiversity Institute TreeAzin injections. Wed, May 1, 18:00 - 20:00 Traffic Management Study (Bank St. to Echo) Open House #1, Sunnyside Library COMMUNITY Sun, May 5 Hike for the Hospice CALENDAR Tues, May 7, 19:30 - 21:30 OSCA AGM , Firehall To add events or see Wed, May 8, 18:30 - 20:00 Colonel By Drive Zoning Review public meeting, Sunnyside Library the latest listings, go Sat, May 11 Ash tree “in-the-park” information sessions at Brewer (10:30) and Windsor (13:00) to the online calendar at Sat, May 11 Hopewell PS bike/plant sale and yard clean up www.oldottawasouth.ca Sat, May 11, 13:00 May Court Club Antique Auction at May Court Club Page 2 THE OSCAR l MAY 2013 Colonel By Drive Residents Fight Back By Michael Lynch neighbours. Colonel By Drive residents formed ing developments that not only reach Enough was enough. In the case of 9 a small team to work with a planning the full eleven meters in height but also Residents across Old Ottawa South Rosedale, the City of Ottawa had turned consultant, Nancy Meloche, hired extend to property lines and well into watch in dismay as out of scale develop- down possible heritage designation by by the City, to consider rezoning op- the back yards. Again, all to maximize ment devastates one streetscape after half a point out of 9 but did acknowledge tions, including a heritage overlay. The profit with no consideration of impact another. And why? Simply to allow some that homes along Colonel By Drive war- team met regularly with the planning on neighbours. We were told that the developers to extract maximum profit ranted consideration for possible heritage consultant, to first scope out the core City has developed appropriate zoning with little or no consideration of impact protection as a whole, all the more so concerns, consider existing zoning, and changes (the result from the first mature on immediate neighbours. Several years because they directly border the Rideau assess and recommend rezoning options. neighbourhood infill study) that will ago a property at the end of Grosvenor Canal, a designated UNESCO world Sally Coutts, a heritage planner with the respect the average front yard setbacks on Colonel By was demolished virtually heritage site. Indeed, as the visual land- City provided input on the subject of a of neighbours and increase back yard overnight. That house in question had scape to the Canal is considered to be heritage overlay. Care was taken to seek setbacks, applicable to corner lots as well been the residence of a silversmith, the part of the heritage value of the historic solutions that would not unduly restrict as homes fronting on a street. We were former Queen’s jeweler, someone who Canal, Canada had made a commitment residents from making additions to their also told a second infill study is under- had worked on both the Grey Cup and to the World Heritage Organization to homes. Development and change were way to deal with height and mass of new Stanley Cup, and a home once touted evaluate how to strengthen protection not the concerns. Out of scale, overde- developments. At the point of writing as one of the prettiest homes in Ottawa. of that visual landscape. Notably, the velopment was. this article, we are not sure whether such Clearly upset, residents began to question homes along Queen Elizabeth Drive provisions will be included in the rezon- what could be done. directly across the Canal already have “Upon review it was ing recommendations to Planning Com- Shortly thereafter, a nearby home at heritage overlay protection – requested mittee for Colonel By Drive, or remain 858 Colonel By was demolished. The by residents in response to earlier aggres- immediately apparent part of the rezoning being developed by result was a cube built to property lines, sive “intensification” on that side of the the City. extending well into the back yard, at Canal. Determined not to watch more that existing zoning Heritage protection was also consid- eleven meters in height with rooftop pa- homes destroyed , and armed with a peti- ered. A heritage overlay is not as onerous tio. Neighbours had to put up with over tion signed by a majority of Colonel By provisions were clearly as provisions in a heritage conservation two years of construction and the tearing Drive residents, with letters of support district.

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