Even after B次元官网网址淒ougy,B次元官网网址� Cadboro BayB次元官网网址檚 notorious Douglas fir, hit the ground Monday morning, one of its most outspoken advocates couldnB次元官网网址檛 stop taking photos of the scene.
Bob Furber, along with fellow area resident Max Cowper-Smith, will now pay for their failed legal effort to save the ancient, 30-metre tree, which Saanich felled Oct. 22, after on Friday the B.C. Supreme Court approved the municipalityB次元官网网址檚 application to have it removed, based on safety concerns over its level of decay.
B次元官网网址淲hen do you walk away?B次元官网网址� said Furber, who will now split SaanichB次元官网网址檚 legal fees with Cowper-Smith. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know. ItB次元官网网址檚 something that comes from inside and I havenB次元官网网址檛 walked away yet.B次元官网网址�
Crews arrived to fall the tree at Monday at 7:30 a.m., while supporters of the tree, dubbed B次元官网网址淒ougy,B次元官网网址� were engaged in a wake. Neighbours complied with the districtB次元官网网址檚 requests to leave the tree and after presenting information on the health of the tree B次元官网网址� a sonic tomography report commissioned by Cowper-Smith. They stalled the removal for another hour or so, and then Dougy finally came down.
B次元官网网址淭he tree is on Saanich property and Saanich can do what it likes and we had no say in the matter,B次元官网网址� Furber said. B次元官网网址淚t certainly didnB次元官网网址檛 go in our favour. B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 going to be sad because we give quite a lot of money to charity and this year instead weB次元官网网址檒l be giving it to Saanich.B次元官网网址�
Furber, still reeling from his first day in court, remains upset the issue escalated as far as it did, though he continues to contest the amount of decay in the tree.
B次元官网网址淥bviously whenever a situation like this happens, we want to take a step back and say, B次元官网网址榃hat happened?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� said Rae Roer, manager of Saanich parks. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l do that in the next days and weeks, but itB次元官网网址檚 maybe just a little too close right now to figure out exactly what weB次元官网网址檝e learned.B次元官网网址�
The parks departmentB次元官网网址檚 mandate of balancing protection of the urban forest with the health and safety of the community will remain constant, Roer said, yet the way the way in which their message is communicated, is now up for evaluation.
The cut tree has been transported to Haro Woods to decompose and feed the forest, Roer added.
nnorth@saanichnews.com
