Large tree branch crashes in Vancouver yard after being deemed safe twice by city
Vancouver homeowner says a tree branch that fell into his front yard Thursday was deemed safe twice by city arborists.
Vancouver resident Dale Pugh’s roof and chimney were damaged by the same tree this summer.
Pugh says when a city arborist came to remove the first branch from his home at 13 Avenue and Camosun Street, he inquired about another limb on the tree he was worried about. He says the city arborist didn’t see a problem with it.
Pugh then hired a private arborist to conduct an inspection.
“He said the other limb is suffering from the same bark inclusion and it’s probably going to come down at some point in time," Pugh told CTV News Vancouver.
Bark inclusion occurs when a tree has multiple stems that grow together at some point. The bark doesn’t have the strength of wood and can become fragile and compromised.
After the visit by the private contractor, a concerned Pugh reached out to the city.
“I persisted," he said. "Finally another arborist came out and inspected the tree and he deemed it to be safe.”
Less than a month later, the second branch fell in his front yard and on the sidewalk.
"This sidewalk, if school’s in session, it’s got lots of kids going back a forth between the schools,” Pugh said.
Pugh says the bark inclusion, that caused the tree branches to fall, is common in his neighbourhood and should be addressed by the city before there’s another incident.
“Whatever maintenance program they have, it’s not working properly," he said. “I would like them to get some competent arborists.. inspect the trees and take down dangerous trees and take down dangerous limbs.”
The city says the branch has since been removed and the tree is currently being inspected for stability and possible remediation to limit risk to the community.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.