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Letter: Why is Burnaby cutting down our neighbourhood's trees?

Editor: This summer, I watched as the City of Burnaby removed several trees along Parker Avenue in Burnaby from Willingdon all the way down to Boundary.
TREES ONE
A worker uses a chainsaw to chop up some trees in Central Park in 2018. A Parker Avenue resident is upset the same thing is going on in his neighbourhood.

Editor:

This summer, I watched as the City of Burnaby removed several trees along Parker Avenue in Burnaby from Willingdon all the way down to Boundary.

It was my understanding that trees are protected if they are over a certain size (all of the trees that were removed were very large, very healthy trees). Last week, the city was at it again (on Parker).

I asked the traffic controller (who refused to say anything more than "I just work (here) and "No, there are no plans to replace the tree."

What gives the city the right to violate its own tree bylaw? These trees that were removed - around five to eight at least and counting - were all healthy, over 50 years old and not interfering with any underground pipes. And if they were, then the City of Burnaby should have not planted them there in the first place - duh.

The city has taken out trees that were deemed by professionals to be healthy and for what? Please enlighten me what grandiose plan is in play that will make this over-priced, over-populated, poorly designed city "better" as a result of this senseless tree removal? 

I know there are dozens of citizens who have questioned the City of Burnaby's tree removals. These trees are not being replaced. The city is spending money removing them, so that must mean that they are making money somewhere along the line by doing so. Nobody - government or business or person - would spend money on a project if there was not some benefit in it. The removal of healthy, old-growth trees benefits no one except land developers.

Zack Shea, Burnaby