By Staff
October 20th, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
History lives and a couple of hundred people have the chance to become a clone of Spencer Smith. And if you don’t know who Spencer Smith is – search him in the Gazette. The Spencer Smith Park is what it is today due in no small measure to this man.
Trees that Spencer planted seventy years ago were cut down because the city arborist thought the degree of rot in the tree trunks made them a public safety matter.
Here’s a picture that is a keeper – the gazebo that is no more along with the willow tree that got cut down – city has saved 200 + clippings that will be given away in the spring.
The two 70-year-old weeping willow trees near the gazebo at the waterfront park were removed in June 2016 to ensure public safety. City of Burlington arborists had found significant rotting and areas of decay in the trees, originally transplanted by park founder Spencer Smith in the 1950s.
Arborwood Tree Service Inc. and Exotic Woods are at the city’s roads and parks maintenance building this week, planning, milling and then kiln-drying the wood from six large logs to make boards that can be used for whatever wood can be used for.
Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward hugging a willow tree in Spencer Smith Park that is no more
Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward didn’t want to see the trees taken down and did give them a nice little send off.
The city then moved in and tore down the gazebo and began to upgrade the landscaping and put in pathways and level out the land; there was a bowl effect that collected water and made that part of the park less useful than it could be.
The city saved more than 200 clippings from the willow trees that are growing in a greenhouse. There are plans to distribute those seedlings to people who are interested in growing a piece of history on their own properties sometime in 2017. Expect more from city hall on this initiative in the spring.
Burlington and the Region of Halton have done a good job of preserving historically significant trees.
They call it the Brant Oak tree – it’s located on Allview Street in the west end of the city and is known as one of the markers setting out the boundary of the land grant given to Joseph Brant.
The tree that marks part of the boundary marking the lands that were given to Joseph Brant is still in place.
More information will be available in early 2017 about how people can get one of the willow clippings or to take a piece of wood home as a souvenir.
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Many times I sat under those trees listening to the Doors, in my patched and faded levis