Town of Gravenhurst slaughters 300-year-old pine trees to avoid moving a tennis court!

Globe & Mail August 16, 2000

Felling of old trees raises residents’ ire
Gravenhurst officials say roots were destroying asphalt on tennis court
TRACY MCLAUGHLIN
Gravenhurst, Ont.

Defying angry residents and a looming court date, the town of Gravenhurst, Ont., razed two 300-year-old trees in a park to save the asphalt on a nearby tennis court.

“This was a senseless slaughter,” said resident Neil Taylor, who watched the white pine trees crash to the ground on Monday.

“Government should not be giving municipalities the power to rape and pillage the beauty of the town for a piece of asphalt — it’s criminal.”

Town officials said the trees had to be destroyed because their roots were lifting the asphalt on the tennis court at Gull Lake Park, located in this town about 70 kilometres north of Barrie.

Opponents of the town’s decision had obtained a court date next month, seeking an injunction.

Resident Lorraine Finlay, 79, sat at the base of the magnificent trees at 7 am. in protest, but was escorted away by Ontario Provincial Police officers while men with chain saws waited.

She wept as the chain saws ripped through the trunks and the huge pines fell to the earth, stirring up a cloud of dust.

“That was the last breeze those beautiful limbs ever felt,” she said yesterday, still grieving for the trees that she had played under as a child.

The remainder of the huge roots were ripped out yesterday, leaving only a patch of brown mud.

Mrs. Finlay, whose property borders the park, said she received phone calls of support from across the country. She even hired a lawyer to fight the town’s decision. A court date was scheduled for Sept. 25.

“There could be a significant price to pay,” said her lawyer, Mary Vallee, adding she has moved the court date up to Aug. 21.

“If the Finlays win their case, the town may have to pay damages —it’s not like you can put the trees back in the ground.”

She said there was no reason why the town couldn’t wait for the court ruling.

“Why were they bent and determined that it had to be done right away?” she asked. “It's not like it was a dangerous highway — it’s a tennis court.”

A 1992 report prepared by a consulting firm informed the town that the tennis court should be moved, stating: “Elimination of that facility would permit the park to become a truly special ornamental and urban park feature in context with its spectacular setting fronting on Gull Lake.”

Gary King, chief administrator for the town, who attended with police to escort Mrs. Finlay away from the scene, said public opinion in the town of 10,000 was in favour of saving the tennis court, not the trees.

Here is more info re this issue.  It is an email from Neil Taylor, the Past President of the Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists.  He is mentioned in the above article.

We all try to do what we are able as we are able.  It was my turn this time to support a family led by a 79 year old lady, Lorraine Finlay, a candidate for any citizen of the year award, who defied a municipality and OPP.  She had remarkable determination to take such an action to save the trees which could not speak for themselves.  Imagine such courage!  This is still not over.  The issue will be in an Ontario Superior Court next Monday. The Finlay family is going all the way and is seeking costs.  I expect that will bring the issue more media attention.  Meanwhile though, Ontario Minister Clement has just announced his intention to give municipalities like the Town of Gravenhurst more power.  That is like putting the button to detonate a nuclear disaster in the hands of a toddler.  What folly! 

What is really peculiar was that the same Council had approved their own Master Plan for Parks and Recreation.  The extensive Plan, which took years of study, strongly recommended that the tennis courts be moved in order to protect the trees and to make the park a more passively used recreational area.  

The two white pine trees that were said to be some 300 years old were healthy.  Witness pictures taken by the media and others.  To add insult to injury, and to destroy precise evidence of the age and health of the trees, the trunks, which ran some 50 feet or more at 2 feet in diameter, were blocked into 1 meter size pieces.  I am told that their lumber value was between $1500 and $2000 per tree.  I am further told that these blocks are buried in a waste site. 

I invite anyone to send a short statement of protest.  They could have waited 7 days to have had the matter determined by an impartial judge in an Ontario Superior Court.  They just wouldn't wait. The Globe and Mail loves to publish letters relevant to current events, especially in summer.  Please cc. me any such communications.  Thanks!

Email addresses to the Town are:

Copying the only newspaper which is virtually silent would also be helpful:

We now know the Town is sensitive to bad press and publicity.  They are even more sensitive to mailed criticism.

Mrs. Lorraine Finlay, the 79-year-old woman who opposed the tree-cutting action, resides in Gravenhurst year round.  She has had a bullet fired through the front door, and has endured numerous nasty and/or threatening phone calls!
To express your support for Lorraine Finlay email her at  finlay@istar.ca.

The Finlay family has also created a web site about this issue.  Please visit it at http://home.istar.ca/~finlay