The City of Regina will be removing what is believed to be the oldest tree in Victoria Park on Sunday, August 20.
The estimated 123-year-old tree, located along the north side of the park, has been declining in health over the past several years and will be removed before it becomes a hazard to other trees and residents within the park.
“We are sad to see a part of Regina’s history and urban forest be removed,” said Russell Eirich, Manager, Open Space Services, “but the tree will continue to be a part of the community for years to come.”
In consultation with a group of elders, wood will be donated to a local Indigenous community to be used for ceremony and the trunk will be saved as a potential medium to be used for a future community-based art project, further acknowledging the tree’s legacy.
For years, city crews have tried to maintain the oldest tree including keeping pruning minimal by only removing dead wood and adding special fencing during public events. Approximately thirteen years ago, redial trenching was done to reduce compaction and aerate the root layer, but the tree continued to deteriorate.
As part of the commitment to maintaining Regina’s urban forest, crews plant trees on City property each spring and fall where trees have been removed due to age, damage or disease.
Regina has more than 500,000 City and privately owned hand-planted trees that help with flooding, natural cooling, and remove the CO2 equivalent of 3,330 mid-sized vehicles from the atmosphere each year. Our urban forest supports our goal of becoming a 100 per cent renewable city by 2050.