Port McNeill is moving its beloved burl.
Charred by a fire last May that destroyed its enclosure, the world-record tree burl, a popular tourist attraction, is being moved to a new spot at the gateway to Port McNeill’s downtown.
The town and local volunteers aim to complete the burl project prior to the summer tourism season after a $32,000 investment from Island Coastal Trust.
“We feel that salmon and the burl are what put Port McNeill on the map,” Lorraine Landry, a 30-year resident and volunteer, said in a statement.
“I’ve always been amazed at how many tourists came to see it, and the new location will be more visible to anyone walking through town. Moving it to a new location will bring life back into this piece of Port McNeill’s history.”
Discovered in 2005 by Western Forest Product loggers, the burl was cut from a 525-year-old Sitka spruce near Holberg and moved 70 kilometres to the Port McNeill waterfront, according to Guinness World Records.
The burl is six metres in diameter and weighs an estimated 30 tonnes.
The town’s prized point of interest took a beating last May after a fire partially burned the giant knotted wood.
Employees of Western Forest Products were able to pull the burl out of the platform with logging equipment so local volunteer firefighters could tackle the blaze within.
A statement from Island Coastal Trust this week said the burl has always been a source of great pride, connecting the community with its roots in the forestry industry.
It said the current site on the western entrance to the townsite had felt disconnected from the rest of the community.
The trust will contribute $32,000, which includes $16,000 from tourism marketing group 4VI, to complete the project.
— With files from Michael John Lo
