4 replies to this topic

[martini]

15 trees in Saanich park Vandals kill
Replacement of broadleaf maples to cost $7,500

Joanne Hatherly
Times Colonist

Wednesday, September 03, 2008


Volunteers at the Gorge Tillicum Community Association are disheartened after vandals destroyed 15 broadleaf maple saplings over the Labour Day weekend at Gorge Park in south Saanich.

"It's disappointing, it makes me sick," says GTCA board member Ray Farmer, 49, who spearheaded the tree-planting program in 2006 with $2,000 from a Saanich centennial grant. "Somebody violently grabbed them and bent them."

Saanich parks manager Ray Roer, 49, says this is the greatest number of trees they've lost to vandalism in a single incident.

"It's very troubling to us," Roer says. "This incident, of course, is of greater concern because this grove of trees was a centennial project." The broadleaf maple trees were selected for the cathedral effect they would form over the park pathway when they matured.

Saanich police report the park has had two incidents of mischief in 2008.

Saanich will replace the trees as part of their fall tree-planting program at a cost of approximately $7,500. Roer says the new trees will be as large as possible to get as close a match as possible to the destroyed trees.

Roer encourages people with information about the incident to contact Saanich Parks or Saanich police. It's believed the trees were destroyed the night of Aug. 30.

"We're working with the police and we're committed to pursuing this," Roer says.

jhatherly@tc.canwest.com
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008

[martini]

Vandals should make amends

Times Colonist

Thursday, September 04, 2008


Re: "Vandals kill 15 trees in Saanich park," Sept. 3:

To the vandal or vandals who destroyed many young maple trees in Gorge Park last Saturday night.

"I guess you thought it would be a lark to snap the stems of those trees without any thought that they might be significant to the community.

Those trees were donated by Saanich to the Gorge Tillicum community in honour of Saanich's Centennial celebrations in 2006.

They were blessed by a representative of the Victoria Native Friendship Centre and planted by volunteers from the community.

The GTCA also donated a picnic table so that people could enjoy Gorge Park, and volunteers have spent many hours clearing the park of invasive species as part of a renewal project for a once-neglected urban park. It takes a community effort to tackle a large project like Gorge Park.

We are a strong community, and although angry and outraged that anyone could commit such a senseless act, we promise to plant new trees in place of those destroyed.

You have not won! You have only made our resolve stronger!

I wonder, did you feel proud of yourself or ashamed on Sunday morning? I would like to think that you just wanted a bit of destructive fun, but if you are reading this, how great would it be if you came forward, admitted your guilt and helped us to plant new trees.

We all do stupid things in our lives that we would like to take back, and it takes a big person to admit mistakes, show genuine remorse, and attempt to right the wrong.

Or you can go on doing senseless things like destroying more trees, or doing things much worse.

Paul Gerrard

President

Gorge Tillicum Community Association
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008

[martini]

I hadn't been up that way for awhile, and stood looking at that area trying to figure out what was different.
So senseless.

[Nparker]

If they catch the beast(s) that did this, simply snap them in half and be done with it.

[Bingo]

Esquimalt workers responded to what was described as a petrochemical spill Monday in the Gorge waterway, near the foot of Sioux Place and Kinsmen Gorge Park.

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