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Jul
20

A Tree Got Chopped Down in Toronto

Posted by Peter.

Writer’s Note: the whole day’s blog is now up. I’ll come back and tighten up the number of photos in a few weeks.

Peter The silver maple that’s been in front of our house since we moved in is coming down today. Here’s the ongoing play-by-play:

May 25, 2012
the city spray painting a red dot on the tree

The city comes to mark our tree for removal (after a tree down the block dropped a branch on a car, and a similar tree to ours nearby had done the same two years ago).

July 20, 2012
the tree removal crew, photo has been tinted in sepia

The crew arrives. At 7 am. The crew is friendly. And loud, for 7 am.

the tree as seen from the west

The tree, untouched as of yet, at 8:00 a.m. from the west

the tree as seen from the west

The tree, untouched as of yet, at 8:05 a.m. from the south. It has not yet tried to make a run for it, but the crew is ready in case it does. Oh, they’re ready.

For posterity: our neighbour, Neil, posing with the tree in 1991:

A man with dark hair posing trying to push over a large tree trunk

And now:

A man with greying hair posing trying to push over a large tree trunk

Chainsaws have fired up at 9:18 am, EST

watershoots begin chipped

The “watershoots”—aka, new little minor growth stemming from the trunk and major branches—are the first to be trimmed and chipped.

the first big branch has been cut

Secured by a line to a crane, the first big branch detaches

the branch is lowered to the ground

The crane lowers the branch to the ground for chipping.

the crane, with huge stabilizers

The crane.

A view of the ongoing work from the north

From the north.

A wee bit later, from the north

A wee bit later, from the north.

Big tree part lowered by crane into truck

Thicker chunks of branches are done in smaller, but heavier, pieces.

Judt cut branch being lifted away overhead

Another branch away!

From the north, the tree is missing three quarters of its crown

Still later, from the north.

Same view from the west

Progress so far, from the west.

Same view of much of the tree gone from the south

…and from the south.

A large branch stretches lengthwise along the middle of our street

Since it’s break time, I’ll sit back and begin plans for the our next branch location.

Adjusting the cutting basket around local power lines

Careful of those power lines!

All of the foliage branches are now trimmed off

Down to the main branches.

Crew milling about from above.

The crew prepares for the last major push for the day.

A crane hoist a thick base branch with a stain on the exposed core

One of the base branches, showing signs of rot where it connected to the trunk.

A twenty foot tall trunk with short thick branches emerging

This tall trunk-stump is where the crew left off for the day. We now see a lot more sky—and a lot more hot sun!

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  1. Meghan Laurie says:

    July 23, 2012 at 12:33 am (UTC 0)

    I have a problem with this. I absolutely adored that tree outside your house and now it is all lopsided. 🙁

  2. Laura says:

    July 23, 2012 at 1:26 am (UTC 0)

    Actually, Peter didn’t finish the photoessay–the tree is now a 20-foot stump, quite symmetrical and kind of sad-looking. A second crew will come along (hopefully soon) and remove the stump. THEN we’ll see how the sun blasts into the front rooms!

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