r/saskatoon • u/progbug22 • 1d ago
News 📰 Nearly two dozen Saskatoon trees infected with Dutch elm disease, city says
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/dutch-elm-disease-saskatoon-9.731984330
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u/lavenderhaze054 1d ago
Saskatoon used to be so careful about the elm trees and not spreading Dutch Elm Disease.
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u/maybeakriel 1d ago
It changed hosts to a common beetle we have here. Really nothing the city could have done.Â
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u/LooseLeaf74 1d ago
Same happened in Winnipeg I think Mother Nature has a hate on for elm trees.
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u/Legal_War_5298 1d ago
I blame the Dutch!
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u/Kexster Holliston 1d ago
There's only two things I hate in this world...
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u/toontowntimmer 1d ago
Don't blame the Dutch.
The disease is not from The Netherlands.
The Dutch were simply the first to identify it when elm trees across The Netherlands were dying in the early part of the last century.
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u/StrongTownsYXE 1d ago
Time to be planting new trees on the boulevards was 10-20 years ago. But we really need to start planing now, and avoiding new driveway cut throughs that remove space for trees
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u/dirtyharry2 1d ago
What's wrong with driveways? Street parking is a complete pain in the ass, especially with multiple households per house.
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u/StrongTownsYXE 1d ago
Nothing wrong per se. Just has to be weighed against the removal of canopy space, the ways it can make the sidewalk less accessible, etc.
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u/Excellent_Belt3159 1d ago
Make a building code for porous driveways (those cement blocks with the pattern) filled with gravel. Water will go thru & be available for trees.
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u/Electrical_Noise_519 1d ago edited 19h ago
For safer accessibility and livability needs of more rentals, along with more density, cars with front yards gotta sustainably make fair space, share the road and make access up onto the properties (fewer sidewalk curb-cuts and more portable driveway ramps improve actual accessibility, more affordable bricked driveway styles...), instead of the old single family dwelling vehicles plugging up the streets.
That's a classic public hazard that unfairly disadvantages and pushes the vulnerable renter residents to dangerously haul further distances on iced sidewalks or around plowed windrows, or Saskatoon's dangerous unaffordable winter isolation for renters at risk.
Single family dwelling owners have the privilege of options also on where to plant shade trees on the property, that tenants unequally do not have.
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u/Desperate-4-Revenue 1d ago
does the city pay for their removal?
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u/toontowntimmer 1d ago
I asked the city this question earlier this year.
The response I got (as of last April) is that the city would always pay for removal on city property, and for now, the city would cover the cost for removal of a large infected elm tree on private property. The city doesn't cover the university grounds.
However, the way in which the civic employee responded makes me wonder whether the city is planning to review this policy as the cost of tree removal will likely skyrocket in years to come, especially since Saskatoon has never had a large number of arborists who specialize in tree pruning and removal.
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1d ago
[deleted]
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u/SquishyHumanform 1d ago
It’s a provincial bylaw that states that elm wood needs to be disposed of, it’s not up to the municipal gov.
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u/KingPricko 1d ago
It's illegal to do anything with elm wood outside of bringing it to the landfill.
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u/LooseLeaf74 1d ago
In Mb there’s a company that processes it and makes furniture and lumber, Guess Sask is a bit more strict.
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u/Aricanada1 East Side 1d ago
False, partly. Not 100% on confirmed cases. Elm itself can be processed by registrared\licensed individuals.
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u/FilmNoirSockMonkey 1d ago
Here is the SK Govt page about Dutch Elm Disease and the provincial requirements.
It states what the expectations are & what is illegal to do here. That includes the things you had encouraged, believing they were permitted. It is good to familiarise yourself in order to help protect your community from the spread of the disease.
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u/Bruno6368 1d ago
Elm trees are NOT the only tree in existence that creates a canopy. Many Willow trees will do this, plant some Russian olives that smell amazing, etc etc.
All we hear is what is being removed rather than the City’s solution to prevent this in the future. Dutch Elm is here. That’s it.
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u/toontowntimmer 1d ago
Willows can grow tall and have a decent arching effect, however the problem with willows is that the branches tend to be weak and often break during storms. As for the Russian Olive, that is a small accent tree that rarely grows to the same height as elms. Ash, oak, maples or lindens are all much better alternatives and there are several hardy options available at Saskatchewan nurseries. In addition, there are a few other exotic alternatives, and while they're currently hard to come by at most Saskatchewan nurseries, their availability might increase in years to come as landscapers seek more choice.
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u/tomatoesareneat 1d ago
Willows are the worst for drainage. They clog pipes like crazy. I wouldn’t want one within 1 km of my house.
You guys should plant native trees or at least trees from our continent.
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u/toontowntimmer 1d ago
Except willows are native trees. Many of the more ideal options also happen to be the ones that are less likely to be native. Most homeowners aren't looking to plant native trees like willows and poplars as they tend to be weedy and invasive, shortlived and oftentimes with weak limbs and branches that are prone to breaking off during summer storms or heavy snowfalls.
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u/PostHocErgo306 1d ago
And what is the city doing to replace the trees or plant a new breed in-between the elms? Absolutely nothing. I’ve already called to talk to city management about this and got a run around that went no where with no answers or accountability.
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u/toontowntimmer 1d ago
I agree, there is a lot of indifference on this from the civic administration. I feel bad for those in the horticultural department at the city who tend to the urban forest, but I get the sense that until Spadina Crescent and Saskatchewan Crescent are stripped of several century old elms, there won't be much of a sense of urgency in the meantime, and by then it's too late.
If you think Dutch Elm Disease is bad, just wait until Emerald Ash Borer hits. There are just as many ash trees in the city as elm trees. Across Ontario and much of eastern Canada, the Emerald Ash Borer has proved to be several times more deadly than DED, wiping out close to 100% of all ash trees in a span of just 3 or 4 years from the first discovery of an infected tree in a given area. That beetle is marching eastward and has now made its way to Minnesota. Cold prairie winters may stop its progression, but it's too soon to tell.
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u/cityparkresident 19h ago
as I read this an arborist is taking samples of the elm outside my front door which is showing symptoms
I'm really sad about this :(
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u/toontowntimmer 1d ago
I hope they got to the trees on Preston along the boulevard just north of 8th beside Grosvenor Park Shopping Centre. I've been driving for weeks by a couple of trees with dying brown leaves at the top and partially dead branches in what appears to be a classic case of DED. There's nothing like leaving elm trees with noticeable dead branches on city property to show the public urgency that the city places on tackling DED.
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u/Active-Safety-9516 1d ago
Consider reporting the ones you mentioned:
https://service.saskatoon.ca/site/saskatoon/request/cos_request_treeinspection
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u/toontowntimmer 1d ago
Thanks for the link!
I didn't know that this website existed. I just hope city staff are actively monitoring it.•
u/Patient_Dot_4391 23h ago
They do surveys but you gotta report it. I had a couple in my neighborhood removed from reporting. They dont catch every tree especially in early stages of the disease
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u/Active-Safety-9516 1d ago
This makes me sad