I always looked at her with admiration.
She was always surrounded by a hive of activity. So stately, full of the strength in her healthy life.
This living beauty was the tallest tree in downtown Squamish. Her life and strong branches served as a place of refuge for hundreds of birds. Despite the strong winds and occasional storms, a place of shelter was offered to birds within her protective branches.
Her situation out of the way, at the corner of a plot on Third Avenue. It seemed as if the tree was given special protection by our council. They claim that one of their main aims is protecting our environment.
This type of event where a well-loved tree is chopped down is truly disappointing. What use is that destruction?
A similar disappointment would be the continuation of heavy and noisy truck traffic along Third Avenue; supposedly against the municipality’s bylaws. Perhaps council believes that seniors and residents along Third Avenue don’t need cleaner air and less noise. Heavy particulate levels lead not only to asthma and COPD, but indeed slow death due to damage to one’s lung capacity.
Some better-informed municipal councils in similar smaller towns have banned diesel vehicles in their downtown areas. We have certainly had changes to our downtown area, namely, where fewer parking spots make it difficult for seniors to access doctors’ practices. Don’t forget tourists’ needs for parking.
Trees not only serve to beautify our surroundings, they help to clear our air of pollutants and happily provide a home to countless nesting birds. There are hundreds of nature lovers who live in Squamish and we need our council to protect our interests in this community.
