Every day that we visit the various properties of our customers, we’re reminded of how lucky we are to live where we do. As we travel from one place to the next, we drive by some of the most beautiful parks and recreational centres in the country. Edmonton, home to the largest urban park in North America, is spoiled with the greenspace that makes up the River Valley Park System. With over 160 kilometres of pathways linking 22 major parks, it’s a sight to behold. While we encourage you to venture out this summer to visit these areas in person if you can, we want to celebrate the natural beauty of our city by highlighting some of our favourite parks. Today, we begin our virtual tour of the many parks that make up this system by putting Buena Vista under the spotlight.
Located in the west end of the city following the bend of the North Saskatchewan River, Buena Vista is close to the Sir Wilfred Laurier and William Hawrelak Parks. Visitors will find an assortment of amenities and sites here, as it offers a large off-leash dog park, picnic areas, and a range of hiking and cycling trails. As a walker or biker, you’ll pass by a variety of towering trees. In particular, the towering White Birches are an eye-catching addition to the landscape with their titular white bark.
Edmonton City Council has big plans for Buena Vista. Its 10-year master plan was approved back in 2014, and it involves the expansion of existing facilities as well as the addition of new ones. There has been some backlash to some of the proposed upgrades – the most controversial being the construction of a paved trail winding throughout the park as well as a new parking lot. City council maintains these are necessary additions to the park in order to support the increasing number of visitors, but its construction will require the removal of many trees, brush, and grassy areas that citizens have come to enjoy.
Tree removal is always a delicate process. While City Council has carefully weighed both the pros and cons of their master plan, they ultimately arrived at a method of enhancing visitors’ experience that preserves the existing ecological systems of the park. On your property, you’re unlikely to have developed such a comprehensive plan as our City Council, but we can recommend evaluating your choices carefully before you decide on removing any tree due to construction needs.
Hidden in Buena Vista, you’ll be able to find many dead trees and dead tree trunks. While they are a normal and even a valuable addition to the park’s ecosystem, they aren’t a great feature on your personal property. A dead or dying tree has weakened branches and root systems. All it takes is for a particular strong gust or violent storm to pass through to fell a branch or uproot the entire tree. In this uncontrolled environment, the tree can easily come falling down on your house and cause serious structural damage.
Before this can happen, we suggest calling our offices for an assessment of your property. One of our experienced, ISA-certified arborists will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of your trees in order to create a low-impact removal strategy that will maintain the integrity of your home, remaining trees, and surrounding property. Once implemented, we’ll have detached the at-risk parts of your trees.
As for trunks, at first look they seem only to disrupt the aesthetic of your yard, as they stick out as an eye-sore against your well-maintained landscape. But with a deeper look, you can see they can pose as a risk to the rest of your property. They’re prime real estate for pests like ants, ticks, and even wasps, which is why we recommend having these stumps removed.
As we leave behind this spotlight on Buena Vista, we want to remind you of our consultation services. Together, we can develop a plan not unlike City Councils to formulate the best course of action for your property. Until our next installment in our virtual tour, we welcome your call!
