Evidence of meeting #146 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was tree.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
All ash trees are being cut down in Laval and the Lower Laurentians. I hope scientists find ways to control tree diseases, including elm disease.
You said earlier that the elm tree on the Hill could be saved. Do you have any doubts? Three arborists went to check, and it seems that this tree is sick. Do you think it could be saved if it was given shock treatment?
Chair, Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital
We'd really have to see. We have to wait to see how well it has survived the winter and what condition it's in.
I would like to clarify something about arborist reports. In May 2018, in the spring, the first report concluded that the elm tree was in good condition. The second report made following the observations on September 1 concluded that it was in average condition.
It was only in the last two reports in mid-September and late September that it was concluded that the tree was in poor condition. There has been an evolution. Something happened in September that caused the tree, which was considered to be in good condition, then in average condition, to deteriorate rapidly in September. What exactly happened? We think that the weather conditions played a role, but there is no answer. Time should be taken to do a complete examination of the tree to see whether or not it has been affected by a disease.
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
I have more questions. You said earlier that you were present when the young people demonstrated on the Hill. It was reported in the news today that the climate in Canada is warming twice as fast as we thought and in the Arctic, it is three times as fast. Believe us, we are very much aware of this. I'm speaking for my children and grandchildren. There is no doubt that action is needed, and we must take it.
You said that you talked to the young people and told them that the tree would eventually be cut down, but did you tell them that the tree was sick?
Chair, Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital
No. I simply told them that we were thinking of cutting down the tree to make way for a visitors' centre.
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Okay, but couldn't the fact that the tree may not be in good condition have been discussed with them?
These young people were told that a tree will be cut down, but that four trees will be planted in its place. We're concerned about the CO2 that we breathe and want to remove from the atmosphere, but we're talking about having four trees rather than one.
Chair, Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital
Yes, of course. When this measure is taken and the displaced trees have been replaced, there will be a beautiful green space. That's for sure.
As for the elm, there was sufficient doubt about its condition that it wasn't necessary to simply say that it was very sick. We don't know if this is the case.
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
There are still three arborists who have been there.
Thank you very much. I appreciate your being here and everything you are doing to safeguard ecosystems. It's important.
That's it for me, Mr. Chair.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Larry Bagnell
Thank you, Ms. Lapointe.
Before I go to Mr. Reid, I'd comment that your researcher appropriately has a green tie on.
Mr. Reid, you're on again.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON
Yes. Adam is a man for all seasons.
I believe I made an error in my earlier discussions. I think I said that the Washington elm was located in Concord, Massachusetts. It was actually in Cambridge, Massachusetts. People in both places will be furious with me.
Liberal
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON
With regard to the term “American elm”, that's not a reference to the United States; that's a reference to the American continent, correct?
Chair, Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital
Yes. The Ulmus americana is the genus for that tree, so it's the North American version of the elm.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON
Right.
Obviously we are in the natural range of it. Are we at the northern edge of the range?
Chair, Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital
North of us starts being boreal forest, and so it would not be found in that area. We're near the northern edge of its range.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON
The reason I ask this is that if you're trying to build a long-term prognosis for a tree and it turns out that it is, say, at the southern edge of its range and we expect that climate change is going to cause the Ottawa area to become warmer, then it would be harder for it to survive. However, if this is a tree that is close to the northern extent of its range, that doesn't necessarily mean it has a dismal future on the basis of climate change.
Does that sound like a reasonable thing—
Chair, Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital
I think that's a correct assumption, yes.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON
Do you know how far the roots typically extend horizontally for a tree?
Earlier I said I didn't think they would lapse into the area that would be part of the new visitor centre. However, it occurs to me that I might be wrong. Indeed, if there's remediation being done on the eastern wall of Centre Block, which is possible, then it might be that is incompatible with leaving the roots intact.
Do you have any idea of that information?
Chair, Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital
In normal circumstances, the root ball of a tree more or less mirrors the crown of the tree. That's kind of the general rule of thumb, but it really depends on local growing conditions. If the soil is somehow in certain areas not as permeable as in other areas, the roots will find the best place for them to go, so you can have very idiosyncratic patterns of root growth.
Conservative
Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON
There's a lovely photo up right now taken directly south of the tree. If we treat the crown as being the mirror of the root ball, it would indicate that the tree is a fair distance from East Block. The crown appears to go about halfway across the street.
Chair, Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital
That's likely, yes.
Mind you, there is technology now that allows you to remote sense underground and map out the root pattern of a tree.
Chair, Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital
There are arborists who have this equipment. In fact we've had some contact us to offer to provide that kind of service.
