Trees cut down in Richmond Hill for variety of reasons
Some due to ash borer, some due to ice storm damage

YorkRegion.com
March 18, 2015
By Kim Zarzour

Does it seem as though Richmond Hill is losing a lot of trees?

Arborists have been busy in recent weeks in many parts of Richmond Hill for a variety of reasons.

Along Yonge Street, 700 trees are being removed for construction of the VIVAnext Bus Rapidway between Hwy. 7 and Major Mackenzie and between Levendale Road and 19th Avenue.

VIVA says most will be removed before the start of bird-nesting season and the same number of trees will be replanted along boulevards and in medians.

An additional 3,100 ash trees that were dead or dying due to Emerald Ash Borer have been removed. Replanting of 1,417 street and park trees will begin mid-April. All remaining ash trees will be re-assessed for damage this spring, said a source from the town. Trees with the most significant damage will be removed later this year.

The town will also be replanting 1,067 trees that were lost due to the ice storm, as well as 554 trees as part of the regular urban forestry program.

Further tree removal is taking place along Bathurst near Major Mackenzie, part of a regional project, and more trees are coming down on a northeast portion of the David Dunlap Observatory property, owned by Corsica.

Corsica began removing trees the first week of February, with site alteration planned for early spring, and home construction expected this summer.