Procedure and House Affairs committee  No. I simply told them that we were thinking of cutting down the tree to make way for a visitors' centre.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  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 kn

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Thank you.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Yes. The Ulmus americana is the genus for that tree, so it's the North American version of the elm.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  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.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I think that's a correct assumption, yes.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  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 fin

Procedure and House Affairs committee  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.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  There are arborists who have this equipment. In fact we've had some contact us to offer to provide that kind of service.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I can.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  As far as I know, if it's not in the immediate vicinity of the root ball of the tree—the vibrations might alter the actual structure of the earth around it and that might loosen up its roots. Unless it's very close to there, I don't know that it would have any negative effect on

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Yes. If it is going to be a construction zone with heavy equipment all around it, then that compacts the soil. That makes it very difficult. Often trees are lost to exactly just that, the “oops” moments that occur as a result of construction work too close to a mature tree. At a

Procedure and House Affairs committee  We had thought, in fact, that it was going to be a staging area in that way. If that's the case, then it would just need to be protected. We were told, that, no, in fact that tree and all the other trees that were there are in the middle of the planned excavation area.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  You're very welcome.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Elms are actually both sexes. They self-pollinate.