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In an email from March 30, Bradford council answered an earlier posed question about trees by stating, “Bradford will have a tree bylaw coming and it will be very extensive.”
That bylaw would be much appreciated, and considering the tree destruction of the past years in and around Bradford, it would be high time.
In the last half-dozen years alone, we have seen most of the old and beautiful trees on the west as well as the east side of Simcoe Street, south of the 6th Line, fall victim to development. Some of those trees were ancient and stood as sentinels to Bradford’s history. We also saw the trees that lined the entrance to the old and massive Langford farm west of the 10th Sideroad disappear suddenly. This occurred soon after an article was published in Bradford’s online paper ruing the destruction of that farm and its siloed outbuildings.
If only we thought about the living conditions we want to leave for our grandchildren and logically favoured long-term natural growth, the development of Bradford could be so much greener.
The question must be asked: Why do we, in Bradford, not know where our most massive tree or trees are? And why do we not have a plaque by (or even know where) our oldest tree stands?
Bradford was incorporated as a village in 1857, with a population of about 1,000 people. Knowing that white and red cedars can grow for hundreds of years, has an arborist or anyone been contracted to ascertain whether or not we still have trees alive today in Bradford from these earliest village days?
The answers certainly would be much-desired facts to know. Old trees recount history and trees are life giving. Therefore, they should be treasured.
Albert Wierenga
Bradford
