GENTLE GIANT
This towering oak tree in Hamilton has been a calming influence for generations of area children,
Tree of the Week showcases some of the biggest and most beautiful trees in the GTA. Here, Adam Chiaravalle tells us about the giant white oak tree he has loved since childhood. The tree, which he calls Big Oak, grows on the edge of Stone Church Rd. W. in Hamilton, just down the street from his house.
For me and the other children growing up in Hamilton’s Stone Church area during the late 1990s and early 2000s, Big Oak was a legend, a silent beacon in our lives that we all came to love.
We started our days waiting for the morning school bus, standing right next to Big Oak.
Simply being in the presence of this gentle giant lifted our spirits, and we could not help but be energized. Talk about a way to start your day!
Despite our young age, we vaguely grasped that the multitudes of cracks in Big Oak’s bark meant it was a wise tree, and if we listened, we might learn a thing or two. When we got home from school, Big Oak was always there to welcome us.
Some days at school were really rough for us, so much so that sometimes we would collapse under Big Oak and cry. Other days were so marvellous that we would be singing, laughing and dancing under Big Oak for what seemed like an eternity. When we wanted to hug Big Oak, it would not hug just one of us at a time. Big Oak was so big, we all had to link arms to encir- cle its trunk; the tree insisted that it always had time to give all of us a hug together. This was one of Big Oak’s greatest life lessons; it showed us that we should make time for everyone.
As I got older, Big Oak was a checkpoint for me when I ran home from high school in order to lose weight; I knew that the sight of this tree marked that my run was almost over.
It has been quite some time since my generation started and ended its day standing next to Big Oak.
But this tree, which city staff and local residents say is more than 150 years old, continues to be a beacon for a new generation of children, as it was for my mom, who remembers riding her bike past Big Oak when she was a child in the 1970s, long before we moved into our current residence.
Over the years, Big Oak has withstood a great deal of road construction and large-scale development, which speaks to its resilience. These days, its circumference is an impressive 5.8 metres. And, no matter the season, its beauty is infectious.
Big Oak continues to be a gentle reminder to slow down in our fast-paced life, to take a moment to press the pause button in our day and reflect. I’ve learned those deeply reflective moments can spark the most extraordinary revelations.
That’s why, for me, this tree provides my sense of calm in the day. Because no matter what happens in my life, this tree is still there. The Star wants to hear about significant trees in your neighbourhood. Email mogilvie@thestar.ca with a photo and the following information: Tree species, trunk circumference (at chest height), location and why it deserves recognition.