From My Bottom Step

Christmas Tree Depots

From the City of London website:
Before bringing your tree to a depot, Londoners are asked to:Remove all decorations, including tinsel and garland, as these materials present a safety hazard for staff operating the chipping machinesIf disposing of other holiday evergreens (cedar rope, wreaths, etc.) ensure that all metal and other materials are removedAt the depot, please remove plastic bags used to transport the tree and take them home … Continue Reading

Pest Spraying (revisited)

LFPress article conveys an erroneous impression about local news reporting.

Quarantine Lifted

CFIA lifts restrictions.

Aerial Spraying

You may need an umbrella next week when the city starts spraying

Gypsy Moth Spraying Approved

City Council last night gave a go-ahead to aerial spraying in order to combat gypsy moth infestation.

Councillor Walter Lonc was the only member of Council who voted against it. He asked why Bioforest Technologies Inc. was the only company contracted to carry out the work, to which Controller Gord Hume quipped “They were the ones who could do the job. It’s pretty simple.” Following an inquiry by the Mayor, Mr. David Leckie offered that “We were not aware of anyone else who could do the work.

Councillor Lonc then asked “Could we make it a position where we look at other sources? Because at this point we really don’t know what that $65,000 means.” Continue Reading

Have You Taken the Tree Trunk Tour?

You may have heard about London’s program in which carvers Robbin Wenzoski and Neil Cox take trees that have reached the end of their life expectancy and transform them.

Perhaps you’ve enen seen some of this marvelous public art, but do you know much more than that?

The idea originated with the downtown Woodfield Neighbourhood Association community. It was then adopted by a partnership of the City of London, STIHL Limited, and … Continue Reading

Amending the Drainage By-Law

The City of London has scheduled a public participation meeting for 2009/01/26 @ 5:00 p.m. with respect to proposed amendments to the Drainage By-Law. Unfortunately, the most obnoxious component of that by-law is not being amended.

If the pipe that’s on your property that connects your house with the main sewer system becomes blocked or damaged because of the roots of city-owned trees (even if those trees are actually located several properties away), then you’re on the hook for a very substantial bill. That’s simply because the City doesn’t want to be saddled with the cost of being responsible for the PDC damage caused by it’s own trees, currently estimated at $11 million annually. Continue Reading

Red Trees Get Rough Ride

One of the items on today’s ETC agenda was a recommendation from Ivan Listar (the city’s Urban Forester) that $3,200 be included in the 2009 budget for “red alert” magnetic decals that could be placed on city vehicles during periods of drought as a way of letting Londoners know that their trees need to be watered.

Apparently, Mr. Listar had offered to cover the cost from his existing budget. But Mr. … Continue Reading

Whose Trees Are They?

Item #12 on today’s Environment &Transportation Committee agenda dealt with another instance of damage caused by city-owned trees to a homeowner’s property. And once again, the city tried to shirk it’s responsibility.

According to the written submission, “two very large trees…the damage from these trees has gotten progressively worst. It started with the driveway, walkway and porch issues and has developed … Continue Reading

More Metal Trees

In “Iron trees may help downtown branch out” (London Free Press; 2008/08/29) Paul Berton applauds the plan to erect more ugly metal trees in the downtown despite an admission that “some people are confused” and “some people dislike them” and “some people would rather see real trees.”
Why? Because “very few people can ignore them. That’s the real triumph.”
Well, if that were true, downtown … Continue Reading