South-end Halifax residents continue to oppose tree removal as part of city project

A group of residents in a south end Halifax neighbourhood known as Schmidtville continue to oppose a plan to remove trees from the area.

A Halifax Regional Municipality-led project will see bike lanes and enhanced sidewalks installed in downtown Halifax and in parts of the south end – in order to do that, trees will need to be removed.

According to HRM, the concept is still in the planning stages and some concept options do not involve any tree removal.

“If you look at the different combinations of the concepts, it could be between 36 and 125 trees that are lost,” says HRM active transportation planner Siobhan Witherbee.

The Friends of Schmidtville group are against the removal of any trees.

“This would mean 125 trees come down at maximum, why are we even talking about that? If you look around here; we are at the public gardens and I am looking at the South Park Street bike lane. They put in this AAA bike lane and I don’t think they took down any trees for that,” says member Larry Haiven. “We’ve got to figure out a way to put in the bike lanes without taking down any trees.”

The city has posted project details online and public feedback will be factored into the evaluation.

“We have identified the trees that may need to be removed through the concept options and we have also identified a replacement plan. They will be replaced on the street, or on the nearby street, one for one at minimum. And we are looking at some different technologies like soil cells, to help them grow and thrive in an urban environment.”

Recommendations will be presented to Halifax council for approval in the coming months.