Victoria’s beloved cherry trees could begin falling more quickly to the axe and the chainsaw, and all because the city is going to spend more on tree management.
Councillors voted last week to add $868,000 to the $1.7 million the city spends on looking after trees, in a laudable move to take better care of the urban forest that makes the city more livable.
But the Cassandra of the council, Coun. Geoff Young, warned of an unintended consequence. In keeping a closer eye on the forest, staff are more likely to identify failing cherry trees. And once they are removed, the policy is to replace them with native trees.
The ramifications are obvious to anyone who loves an early spring stroll past avenues of pink and white blossoms. Those vistas will soon have gaps, like wooden teeth in what was once a dazzling smile.
Let us remember the true purpose of the cherry trees.
Crocuses are cheery. Daffodils have a sunny disposition. But nothing can replace the slightly guilty feeling of smugness as you take a selfie in front of a row of resplendent cherry trees in full bloom and then dispatch it to snowbound friends and relatives across the country.
As environmentally correct as a native tree might be, it can’t beat the cherry blossoms when it comes to annoying people in the rest of Canada.
City council should reverse its policy.
Young might be fear-mongering, but if his prediction comes true, we will all too quickly have to resort to snapping photos of the palm trees in our front yards. But it just won’t be the same.
