A small group of Kits residents gathered at 10^th and Arbutus on the morning of March 12 around the base of a towering elm tree to pay tribute and say goodbye to a beloved, long-standing neighbour.

On or after March 16, the grand old elm will be felled from the corner of what had once been Gordon Autobody to make way for a five-storey building by developer Bastion. Organized by concerned residents and CityHallWatch editor Randy Helten, the event’s celebrants stood in silence while Helten and another member of the community recited poems, including “The Tree Stands Very Straight and Still” by Annette Wynne.

Helten also gave some historical and biological context, explaining how labourers in the 1930s were paid by the City to plant the elms along the boulevards of West 10th Avenue. To cut down even one tree will affect the whole row of trees’ nutrient sharing and communications systems, explained Helten. He told the group that although the theme of the event was to celebrate the life of the venerable tree, it was also about much more — “ecosystems, long stretches of time, neighbourhoods, and urban planning…”

To read how the City, Park Board, and developer brought us to this point, read Helten’s article in CityHallWatch.