MORRISBURG – Because of damage, disease and life expectancy a lot of trees are going to be removed from the Morrisburg waterfront park in the coming weeks and months. But the Morrisburg Waterfront Committee, in partnership with the Morrisburg and District Lions Club and the municipality, has a plan to ensure that the park will have a beautiful tree canopy for years to come.
Even with the uncertainty this COVID-19 pandemic has cast upon everything, the Morrisburg and District Lions Club decided to support this ongoing tree replacement effort with a $3,000 donation, which is larger than their initial commitment to the project.
Morrisburg and District Lions Club president Randy Prevost said that because of a Lions Club International tree planting initiative the local club was able to make this larger contribution. “It will be nice to see the trees put where we need them,” said Prevost.
Morrisburg Waterfront Committee chair Michael Burton said that this money will allow for the purchase of 26 trees because they have been able to purchase them at cost from the local Canadian Tire store.
All of these will be planted in the waterfront park section of Morrisburg’s green-space.
Unlike the mono-plantings of Seaway times, Burton and the committee have done a lot of research and selected a variety of trees best suited to meet the needs of waterfront park patrons. An assortment of maples, oaks and lindens will be planted to replace the trees that will be removed.
There are 23 ash trees along the Morrisburg waterfront that will be removed this year with the $40,000 South Dundas has in its 2020 budget for ash tree management.
Burton and the waterfront committee are promoting a proper stewardship program to maintain the trees that are on the Morrisburg waterfront.
As chair of the waterfront committee, Burton says: “I feel like it is my job to maintain the Morrisburg waterfront as a beautiful space for our community. For me it’s a personal thing that I take very seriously.”
South Dundas staff will be submitting an Emerald Ash Borer plan to council in August. That plan will outline necessary ash tree removals through 2021.
The Emerald Ash Borer emerged in SDG in 2013. The City of Cornwall alone has identified more than 3,400 trees in its 15 year management plan.
