Town of Milton mistakenly cuts down 100 trees on farm

Municipality says student employee who was trimming grass ventured over the property line by accident and destroyed saplings.

Thestar.com
July 29, 2015
By Riannon Westall

A Milton farm owner is seeking answers from the town of Milton after 100 trees on her property were cut down by mistake.

“(The town’s operations department) went onto my field, onto the private property, cut down a lot of the grass, a lot of the clover that I have growing for my bees and a hundred trees,” said Karin Tomosky-Chambers, who owns a 10-hectare farm next to the town of Milton Civic Operations Centre.

Tomosky-Chambers is confused how her property was mistaken as municipal property because, in certain areas, a chain-link fence divides the two lands.

After noticing the cut trees while planting new trees, she called the town of Milton.

Jim Cartwright, operations manager for the town of Milton, said a student in that department made the mistake. The student was trimming grass along the property line of the Milton Civic Operations Centre the week of June 29, he said.

“While doing so, the student unknowingly ventured onto the property of Ms. Tomosky-Chambers and inadvertently removed some of her young saplings,” Cartwright said in an email.

Cartwright said when he learned of the issue, he drafted an apology letter that was hand delivered.

“The letter outlined the town’s plans to replant the damaged trees at no cost to Ms. Tomosky-Chambers,” he said.

Tomosky-Chambers said Conservation Halton identified 100 trees that had been cut down.

According to Cartwright, the co-ordinator of parks operations sent Tomosky-Chambers an email confirming that Conservation Halton would replant the trees in the fall if the specific species of trees are available then.

“Any planting that was not completed in 2015 would be undertaken in the spring of 2016,” Cartwright said.

Tomosky-Chambers, who is a beekeeper, said Halton Conversation Authority planted the trees originally. The oak trees were about 0.6 metres tall and were to provide pollen and nectar for the bees.

Cartwright also said that town staff has been instructed not to trim the grass on the farm property. But that solution isn’t good enough for Tomosky-Chambers, who says this isn’t the first time workers have trespassed and cut down trees.

She said last year Halton Region employed a bio-liquids company that cut down 300 trees on her property.

The Star has not received confirmation of the details, but Milton Mayor Gordon Krantz said he was aware that there was a previous incident. However, he couldn’t confirm the number of trees cut down or which workers were responsible.

“Is this going to happen again? Is this a yearly occurrence? How do I stop this from happening?” Tomosky-Chambers said.