Chopped trees will leave a ‘blight’ on Windsor Park

Robert Gordon has watched the trees grow along a popular Windsor Park walking path for nearly six decades.

Now, as Manitoba Hydro cuts them down to protect nearby power lines, he says a familiar part of his childhood neighbourhood is disappearing.

Although he no longer lives in the area, Gordon regularly returns to walk or cycle along the tree-lined path, which runs parallel to Archibald Street.

He was concerned when he recently spotted crews clearing vegetation near the entrance to the path, but initially assumed they were removing brush. When he returned, he discovered the clearing had extended farther along the corridor.

A worker told him Manitoba Hydro planned to remove trees along the stretch between Elizabeth Road and Cottonwood Drive.

Manitoba Hydro spokesperson Peter Chura says the work is necessary to prevent fires and prolonged power outages, as the trees have grown too close to power lines.

The utility pointed to a severe storm in June that left customers in the area without electricity for several days.

“Trees in close proximity to our infrastructure caused significant damage to power lines, poles and other equipment, and some customers reported sparking and fires as lines came down,” Chura said.

The narrow corridor where trees are now being felled also made it difficult for crews to access damaged infrastructure with heavy equipment, delaying restoration efforts, he added.

“Removing trees is always a last resort, but in most of that area it is absolutely required to restore safe and sustainable clearances around electrical equipment and help prevent those multi-day outages we experienced earlier this year,” Chura said.

Gordon wonders why the trees couldn’t just be trimmed.

“The residents of Windsor Park are about to be left with a blight on the neighbourhood,” he said.

In an Aug. 18 notice to area residents, the utility said tree removal would be necessary in most locations, although pruning or trimming may be possible where it provides a safe and effective alternative.

Chura could not provide the exact number of trees being removed.

The removal comes as Winnipeg works toward a long-term goal of increasing its tree canopy coverage from 17 per cent to 24 per cent by 2065.

This is not the first tree-cutting controversy to hit the city in the past year. Hydro announced last November it was cutting down 262 mature trees growing near power lines along Selkirk Avenue, drawing objections from the city and several neighbourhood residents and tree canopy advocates.

The trees, mostly Siberian elms, were removed on Selkirk, between Keewatin and Railway streets, to prevent power outages and eliminate safety hazards for workers.

No compensation will be provided to the city from Manitoba Hydro for trees removed as part of the current work.

The city has not determined whether trees will be replanted in the affected area of Windsor Park.

kelly.riess@winnipegfreepress.com