LANDMARK LOST
This beloved oak tree stood as a beacon to many Bolton families, until it was toppled by a windstorm in 2013,
Tree of the Week showcases some of the biggest and most beautiful trees in the GTA, as told to Megan Ogilvie. Here, Don Chapman remembers a beloved oak tree that once grew in a farmer’s field on the east side of Hwy. 50, north of Hwy. 7, in Woodbridge. For many years, it served as a landmark for those travelling north to Bolton.
Our family moved from Mississauga to Bolton in 1973. Back then, you could drive along Hwy. 50, from Woodbridge to Bolton, and only see farmland on either side of the road.
Fast forward 46 years and most of that farmland has been replaced by large warehouses, commercial buildings and trucking firms. One of the only pieces of land that wasn’t gobbled up by development was the remnants of this farm from 100 years ago and this poor, old oak tree growing in the middle of a field.
I don’t know how old it was; I never once saw it with leaves, it was always bare with its big, striking branches.
For many people, this tree symbolized the end of an era. So many families from Bolton know about this solitary tree. One would often see this oak tree on your way home and wave at it and say hello.
In 2010, on my 65th birthday, my granddaughter, Mariah, surprised me with a photo of this oak tree. She knew how much I loved this tree after hearing me talk about it many times, and had gone with her mother — my daughter Laura — to the field to take its photo. I was thrilled with the present.
Sadly, three years later, a windstorm toppled this landmark, leaving nothing but a rotten trunk and roots, crushed limbs, and an angry swarm of bees whose hive had been destroyed.
I went to visit the old tree and there was nothing left of its roots; I don’t know how it lived so long. And I’ve never seen so many bees. Boy, there were thousands flying around, the sky was almost black with them.
A few days later, once all the bees had flown away, I returned to take some pictures and retrieve a branch that wasn’t too badly damaged.
A friend of mine has a woodworking shop and he cut and milled the branch and made it into this rough-cut frame that now displays my treasured photo
My wife, Jane, and I shared the photo of the tree on Facebook and were amazed at the number of people who recognized the tree and requested a copy of the photo so they could also enjoy the memory of its existence.
Now this mighty oak lives on in the homes and offices of several Bolton residents — a simple oak tree, in a farmer’s field, along Hwy. 50, from “days gone by.” The Star wants to hear about significant trees in your neighbourhood. Send an email to mogilvie@thestar.ca with a photo of your tree and the following information: Tree type (species), trunk circumference (at chest height), location of the tree and a short explanation for why this tree deserves recognition.