Arrondissement de Ville-Marie
Charter file
A resident complains of damages to her building’s foundation caused by the roots of a municipal tree (brick foundation). Roots are discovered in her crawl space. The citizen demands that the tree be cut down. The Borough refuses to do so.
Upon our early interaction, the Borough scrambles to find an alternative solution to cutting down this tree: this approach seems reasonable and appropriate to us. Indeed, trees are a valuable asset for the City.
Following analysis, the Borough suggests to proceed with the sidewalk’s excavation and to cut the roots that are growing in the direction of the building’s foundation. At the same time, the Borough will replace the sidewalk slabs that have been substantially damaged by the root system. The owner will also take advantage of the excavation work to have her foundation repaired. The Borough’s proactive approach seems to be a win-win situation to us. The matter is therefore settled.
Unfortunately, the excavation work reveals that the tree’s root system is strongly concentrated along this sidewalk. Ongoing operations threaten to overly weaken the tree: it must therefore be felled for safety reasons. The Borough plans to plant a new tree at this location in 2017.
