Location: East end of Carlton Street
Date photo taken: 30 January 2018
What happens when a tree dies in the city? While dead trees provide homes for birds and animals, when they are located along the street or in a park, they also represent a significant safety risk. For this reason, the city's Parks, Forestry and Recreation division will come and remove it. When an oak tree on the edge of Riverdale Park West died several years ago however someone came up with a twist on the idea. While the majority of the tree was removed, the bottom portion of the trunk was left intact. Jim Menken, a chainsaw artist, then worked his magic. Drawing inspiration from the shape and quirks of the tree, he populated the stump with some local wildlife. Apparently the original tree was so diseased it was hollow inside, so another stump had to be brought in from the city's wood lot, but it all worked out in the end.
Note: Over the past several years, due in large part to the emerald ash borer, the City has had to remove a lot of trees. Traditionally, these have been chipped and then disposed of. While researching this blog, I read about someone who thought this was a waste and did something about it. Sid Gendron now operates a sawmill that takes urban wood and turns it into wood products that local businesses can use. Read more about Sawmill Sid in this National Post article.
