DANGEROUS TREE STILL BLOCKS NATURE TRAIL
Hikers have to walk under branch while city workers mow park nearby
One would think that after a number of serious accidents involving trees in the past couple of months, the city would have moved quickly to remove a hazard on a public path along the Rideau River in Ottawa East.
A tree branch, partially split and now perilously arched over the Rideau River Nature Trail, behind St. Paul’s University, had still not been removed by the city Wednesday morning, even though a neighbourhood resident reported it almost a week ago. And as children biked and joggers ran under the limb — there was no way to get around it — city crews were in full force next door at Brantwood Park, off Clegg Street, mowing and trimming the grass.
The city said it was working on a response to inquiries from the Citizen, but could not provide one Wednesday.
Jeff Birchall says he came across the branch on July 30 as he was walking his dog, Leif, and called the city’s 311 help line soon after to report it. He explained the branch, rotten where it broke, looked like it could snap off at any time and result in tragedy if anyone was passing underneath it. The branch, now hanging about five to six feet off the ground, might also be inviting to children to play on it.
Birchall says many people use the dirt path daily.
He says the 311 operator indicated the tree was on city property, that it would be made a priority and taken care of within 24 hours.
On Sunday, Birchall was walking his dog on the path again and was curious to see what the city had done. Nothing, as it turned out. So he phoned 311 again and was told his complaint had already been forwarded to the city’s forestry division but that it might take as long as 15 “business” days before the branch was cut down.
Birchall suggested it was a bit “ridiculous” for the city to take that long. To which, he says, the operator replied: “That’s just pretty much the way it is.”
In an email to The Public Citizen this week, Birchall wrote: “Please take a look at the attached pics and tell me if this can wait 15 days?”
The photos prove that Birchall has good reason to be concerned — though four people, including two young boys on bikes, seemed oblivious when they were on the path late Monday morning.
Konstantine Assal and buddy David Bosnjak, both 10, zipped under the branch on their bikes. Konstantine said “we ducked,” but David didn’t recollect even seeing it. “Were we not supposed to be on (the path)?” asked one of the boys.
Path users should be extremely cautious given recent tree accidents. On Saturday, a large tree branch fell on four people at an outdoor wedding at Fitzroy Provincial Park. Luckily, no one was seriously injured, according to Ontario Provincial Police.
But in another accident, a
four-year-old boy succumbed last week to head injuries suffered after he was struck by a falling tree June 11 at his Gatineau-area home. Also last week, a tree removal worker died after falling from a branch that broke as he was cutting it in a Kinburn-area backyard.
ELEVATOR RISES AGAIN
Tenants of an apartment building at Metcalfe and MacLaren streets finally have their only elevator back in service.
The elevator at 255 Metcalfe, installed when the seven-storey building was erected about 60 years ago, broke down more than two months ago after weeks of intermittent service. A long time given the recent hot weather, but still nothing like 2014 when the elevator was out of service for nine months.
Unlike last year, when a gear had to be manufactured from scratch and another part had to be sent to Montreal for servicing, the repair this time wasn’t as complicated. But landlord Gary Beach still called out elevator manufacturer Otis for the more than two-month delay, saying the company repeatedly promised the building’s only lift would be repaired in a matter of days.
Like last year, Beach said the elevator would have been fine had Otis routinely checked and serviced it under the preventive maintenance contract he has with the firm. Otis, on the other hand, reiterated its position that it was time for Beach to replace the elevator with a modern system.
Tenant Esther Cleman says the elevator was back in service late last week. She is cautiously optimistic. “I haven’t tried it today, but it was working yesterday.”