'Enough is enough': Winnipeg neighbourhood groups demand guidelines from Manitoba Hydro after clear-cutting in parks
Recent clear-cutting in two Winnipeg parks by Manitoba Hydro has residents demanding guidelines and increased community consultation.
A letter, signed by four residents’ associations and Trees Please Winnipeg, is calling on Manitoba Hydro to immediately develop policies regarding the maintenance, pruning and removal of existing trees in Winnipeg.
The letter to Manitoba Hydro was also sent to the city and provincial representatives including Mayor Brian Bowman and Jeff Wharton, the province’s Minister of Crown Services.
Robert Orr, president of Kingston Crescent Residents’ Association, said they want the city and province to be “keenly aware” citizens are voicing their displeasure with how Manitoba Hydro goes about its business.
“[We want] to start getting some straight answers from Manitoba Hydro going forward about how they are going to approach the whole forestry infrastructure in the city,” Orr said. “And if they can do so in a more respectful and collaborative manner with the communities that they serve.”
In March, Manitoba Hydro authorized the clear-cutting of 200 mature trees in Wolseley’s Omand Park. The letter said the felled trees could have been pruned instead.
Last week, at Sandra Crowson Bay Park in East Fort Garry, Manitoba Hydro cut down trees near power lines.
“I think that was, kind of, the last straw,” Orr said.
Orr said they penned the letter not only to demand action, but to get several neighbourhood committees involved.
“Enough is enough.”
According to the residents’ letter, the loss of trees disrupts urban ecosystems and negatively impacts animals living there.
The letter said Manitoba Hydro’s response to concerned citizens has been inadequate. The letter calls Hydro’s decisions on where and what trees to cut down appears “ad hoc and inscrutable.”
The residents expect Hydro to develop a clear and transparent policy on when trees should be pruned as opposed to removed. The letter also calls for meaningful public engagement to clearly communicate with neighbourhoods prior to cutting.
In a statement to CTV News, the Crown corporation said, “nobody, including Manitoba Hydro, wants to see trees removed unnecessarily. Unfortunately, in some instances – usually when self-seeding, fast-growing trees that were not present when lines were initially built are involved – removing the trees in the entirety may be the only way we can safely ensure we protect against the risks of prolonged outages, damage to infrastructure, and fires.”
The statement also said Manitoba Hydro only removes trees when it’s absolutely necessary, preferring to prune back what is required to maintain safe clearance.
Manitoba Hydro said it is looking to make improvements in how it notifies communities of tree management.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.