Friends of the Qualicum Beach Forest

08/06/2026

By protecting the natural environment, that is, its trees which function as natural infrastructure Nanaimo’s tree canopy saves the city $13.7m a year. This is an estimate of the value of the work trees do that would otherwise have to be paid for, from cleaning the air to absorbing stormwater and providing shade and cooling in hot weather.
This is a virtuous circle in which “The health of our environment directly contributes in a positive economic way to the sustainability of our city” stated one councillor. The more land that the city acquires, the more trees are planted and protected, the larger the tree canopy grows which in turn saves the city more money.

Sadly, that is not the attitude in Qualicum Beach which with the exception of Eaglecrest, we are not planting any trees, or designating more parkland. In the end, at some point a bill will come in to pay for what we could have had for free, natural infrastructure to protect us.

Julie Chadwick Times-Colonist
Jul 23, 2026 4:30 AM

Nanaimo’s tree canopy saves the city an estimated $13.7 million a year in avoided infrastructure, according to a new assessment presented to a council committee last week.

That’s an estimate of the value of the work trees do that would otherwise have to be paid for, from cleaning the air to absorbing stormwater and providing shade and cooling in hot weather.

When it comes to stormwater, trees can reduce runoff and soil erosion and improve water -quality, especially when strategically planted, says the city-commissioned report, which was done in conjunction with Colorado-based urban forestry consultant PlanIT Geo Inc. and presented to the city’s governance and priorities committee meeting.

The dollar value of carbon sequestration alone — around 31,500 tons annually — was estimated at $367 million, and was assessed by looking at what it would cost to mitigate the impact of that carbon if it was released and not bound up in trees.

A canopy is the layer of branches and leaves at the top that shelters the ground from above. In this case, a tree canopy refers to the land covered by trees over 10 feet tall.

The report says that in 2025, Nanaimo’s trees covered almost 39 per cent of the city’s private and public land, up from the 33 per cent in 2016.

Much of the canopy increase came from growth of already-existing trees, but some was from new trees.

“I was really surprised by that one, obviously, because we’re an urban area and our ¬reason for being, a lot of the time, is around growth and supporting growth in our region,” said Charlotte Davis, the city’s deputy director of parks and natural areas.

The report notes that development has put pressure on the existing canopy. Over that same time period, development caused the loss of tree canopy totalling about 84 soccer fields.

Putting the benefits of the tree canopy into an actual dollar value was useful, Coun. Hilary Eastmure said.

“Sometimes people just need to see the numbers associated with what we actually mean when we say the environment and the economy are intrinsically linked,” she said.

“The health of our environment directly contributes in a positive economic way to the sustainability of our city.”

Eastmure also pointed to the report’s finding that city-owned properties contain 19 per cent of Nanaimo’s urban forest, saying it emphasizes the direct role of the city in managing the health of its forest.

“That speaks to the need to continue to acquire more park land, and protect the trees that we have,” she said.
The report also highlighted the more than 500 trees in Nanaimo that are taller than 30 metres, and pointed out a few of special interest.

One is a 63-metre ¬Douglas fir growing in Westwood Ravine Park that the report noted is “as tall as The Pacifica ¬condominium complex in ¬downtown.”

Others include a 41-metre Douglas fir beside the playground in Mansfield Park, and a 35-metre Douglas fir in Comox Park that reaches above the rooftops of the houses around it.

Cities should aim for a tree-canopy cover of at least 30 per cent or higher, the report notes. Some parts of the city, such as the downtown core and many roadways, currently have less than 20 per cent tree-canopy coverage.

“Our goal is for every neighbourhood within the city of Nanaimo to have 30 per cent canopy coverage,” said Davis.
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07/03/2026

06/17/2026

Bike lanes can cause conflict in urban areas with those favouring the lanes against those who feel they impede traffic and should be removed or not provided at all. In Kelowna the situation is different. The conflict appears to be two environment goods, that is the creation of bike lanes which encourage people to get out and ride which is good for a healthy lifestyle and the environment while others oppose the creation of the bike lanes because they will cut down mature shade trees which is good for one’s health and the environment. Unfortunately it looks like the proponents of bike lanes will carry the day.

"Removal of mature shade trees for downtown Kelowna bike lane project draws criticism from some residents"

CBC News · Posted: May 10, 2026 4:00 AM PDT | Last Updated: May 10

Work is underway in Kelowna to install a separated bike lane through part of city's downtown, which will require the removal of some mature shade trees on a residential street. (Brady Strachan/CBC)

Some long-time Kelowna residents say they're upset that a row of mature silver maple trees that has shaded a residential street for decades is set to be cut down for a new protected bike lane project.
Construction began last month on the Bertram Active Transportation Corridor, a cycling path along Bertram Street that will establish a north-south route through downtown.

As part of the project, the City of Kelowna plans to remove four silver maples along the 1400-block of the street.
For residents like Kelly Rosvold, who has lived in the neighbourhood for 15 years, the trees are part of what makes the area feel livable
“It’s just a fabulous canopy,” Rosvold said.

Rosvold said the shade from the trees helps make the rapidly developing neighbourhood more comfortable during Kelowna’s hot summers. He said he even watered some of the trees during drought conditions after the city encouraged residents to help.

Kelowna resident Kelly Rosvold says he is saddened by the planned removal of mature silver maple trees along Bertram Street. (Marc D'Amours/CBC) “I feel a real affinity to the growth of these trees,” the Kelowna resident said. “I'm not alone in that. The whole street feels that way.”

Rosvold said he was shocked to learn the trees would be removed, especially after the city had previously worked to preserve them during plans for a nearby housing development.

In 2023, the city required a B.C. Housing project to build around the trees to preserve them and “maintain the current neighbourhood character.”

But three years later, the city says the trees are simply no longer worth the cost of keeping, stating that they are "unhealthy or end-of-life trees."

Blair Stewart, Kelowna’s parks services manager, said the silver maples have shown signs of decline.
“It's been really exacerbating over the years with thinning of the leaf up top and you're seeing some branch diebacks,” he said.
“So in this time and space and looking at this project, we don't feel it's really worth the effort to save these trees.”

Under the city’s plan, each tree removed will be replaced with two new ones. Stewart acknowledged it will take time for replacement trees to provide the same level of shade, but said newer planning standards are designed to support healthier urban tree growth in the future.

The new protected bicycle route along Bertram Street will establish a north-south route through downtown and will connect Sutherland Avenue to Cawston Avenue. (Marc D'Amours/CBC)
For Rosvold though, that's little consolation. He says a sapling is no substitute for a 50-year-old giant.

“I’ve watched these trees for 15 years,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with them. They’re healthy, they’re beautiful. The canopy is fantastic. We need to keep them.”

The new bike lane on Bertram Street will connect Sutherland Avenue to Cawston Avenue and is scheduled to be completed this fall.
With files from Brady Strachan

06/05/2026

Edmonton has no tree protection bylaw and is paying the price. Areas of Edmonton are undergoing rapid development with infill of existing single residential lots leading to loss of tree canopy. According to one resident ““What we’re seeing is clear cutting of lots. Some of these lots have 40 to 50 per cent cover of canopy, and even with the minimum planting requirements, we’re maybe only replacing five per cent or less of the tree canopy, because they’re planting very small trees.”

One result is an increase in surface temperature and urban heat island effect where areas without trees experience higher temperatures leading to potential adverse health effects. In brief, trees are nature’s air conditioner. If Edmonton had a tree protection bylaw it would offer some protection of the clear cutting of the urban forest.

"Edmonton wants to grow its tree canopy but some developers oppose bearing cost"
Jackie Carmichael Edmonton Journal Tue, May 26, 2026

One tree and four bushes will be the bare minimum landscaping for single-family infill development in Edmonton, and developers will have to put the money up front — or risk losing the deposit and having the city do the planting for them, if it’s not completed in a timely manner (12 to 18 months).

City council passed amendments to the zoning bylaw to implement small-scale residential landscape securities on Tuesday.

A similar landscape security process is already in place for small-scale multi-unit cluster housing, non-residential and rural housing, and the city already requires a landscape plan for new green-field development single detached and semi-detached, and duplexes, said Joan Hardstaff of the residential infill working group.

A city survey in 2023 of low-density residential infill found only 11 per cent complied with minimum landscaping requirements, Hardstaff said, noting benefits to the city such as health, flood risk reduction and lower carbon emissions.

When a residential lot in the middle of existing homes is targeted for infill, the city loses tree canopy, she said.

“What we’re seeing is clear cutting of lots. Some of these lots have 40 to 50 per cent cover of canopy, and even with the minimum planting requirements, we’re maybe only replacing five per cent or less of the tree canopy, because they’re planting very small trees,” she said.

Hardstaff cited U of A research showing a direct correlation between loss of tree canopy and vegetation cover, and development.

“This is leading to significant impact to increase surface temperature and urban heat island effect, and we don’t want to see the city lose any more opportunities to maintain and increase tree canopy,” Hardstaff said.

A horticulturist with landscaping experience, she wants a longer documentation trail to make sure plantings get a chance to stick.
“I want to make sure that we don’t incentivize installation compliance, and then remove incentives to maintain the landscaping until it becomes established and healthy. It takes between three and five years for landscaping to become established,” she said.

The requirement is expected to cost in the low thousands on each property.

Gary Hoeft of Cantiro Homes, speaking for BILD Edmonton Metro (Building Industry and Land Development in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region) asked council to let developers handle the issue, warning that tying up capital could hurt the infill development the city seeks to “densify” and make the most of its tax base.

“Most likely there’s going to be a doubling up of funds there, and some of that could be potentially tied up for years. We don’t want to add more administrative burden to this, so just within our own company alone, doing approximately 400 houses, we’re going to add an unnecessary burden with just administrative responsibility to try to manage all these deposits, where we have some of these systems already in place,” Hoeft said.

Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette supports the measure “at a time when we see governments retreating from climate responsibility because the economy has taken precedence in the priority list of people who are being polled,” he said.

“It’s actually more important than ever to ensure that we’re doing things that actually protect the people of Edmonton. This is one of them. It’s not just esthetic, although that actually really matters,” he said, citing the effect of heat on infrastructure and on people.

“I understand that there are some ways that this can be onerous, but I also understand that there are ways that people say this is not even far enough, but if we’re at least doing this, everyone’s a little bit unhappy. That’s probably a good compromise, although I’m not sure if we really want to compromise too much on doing the good things that we know actually work.”

The bylaw could quickly quintuple the number of properties being evaluated for compliance. City staff are getting the rest of the year to implement the logistics needed.
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06/04/2026

Once in awhile a good news story emerges about how a development project can adapt and preserve a significant tree. The developer agreed to preserve a massive pine tree known as “Big Monty” on the Cochrane Street site in Saanich where a eight-unit townhouse project is planned.

As one of the members of the Friends of the Qualicum Beach Forest put it: “It involved changing the design of the proposed project to save “Big Monty”, a much loved tree, which is an important element in the residents' enjoyment of their neighbourhood.

We have similar circumstances with development proposals in Qualicum Beach here and now, and we will surely have more in the future. Therefore, we need greater collaboration with developers to have them understand the high value of our urban forest to our quality of life”

“‘Big Monty’ tree spared as Saanich endorses controversial townhouse plan”
Andrew A. Duffy Times Colonist May 28, 2026 4:00 AM

An eight-unit townhouse project is planned at the corner of Cochrane Street and Dean Avenue. ADRIAN LAM, TIMES COLONIST
A small but controversial townhouse project in the shadow of Camosun College’s Lansdowne campus cleared a major hurdle this week, after Saanich council endorsed a rezoning and development permit application.

Approval of plans for an eight-unit townhouse project at the corner of Cochrane Street and Dean Avenue came after the developer agreed to preserve a massive pine tree known as “Big Monty” on the northwest corner of the site.

“From everything I understand, the tree is as safe as the tree is ever going to be,” said Coun. Karen Harper.

Harper said under the province’s small-scale multi-unit housing policies, the double-lot site could be built out with six units in a much larger footprint with secondary suites and -without parking.
The project proposed by Seba Construction covers less of the lot and would be a better fit for the neighbourhood, she said.

“At the end of the day, this is a neighbourhood where something’s going to be happening here that’s a lot bigger than what people are currently comfortable with,” she said. “But I do think this is a nice project.”

Coun. Teale Phelps Bondaroff said the developers showed they were listening to the concerns of the community by changing the design of the project to accommodate the tree.
He noted the project includes seven family-friendly four-bedroom units, which has become a rarity.

Developer Jamie Gill of Seba Construction said if his company’s project was not approved, it would not stop development on the site.

“Development on this property is to occur in some form regardless,” he said.

Gill said the proposed project offers family-oriented homes, no secondary suites, visitor parking, new trees plus protection of the large pine, as well as a ¬community amenity contribution of $30,720 — $9,216 to the affordable housing fund, $6,144 for park acquisition and $15,360 to the district’s local amenity fund.

Mayor Dean Murdock said the applicant was responsive to concerns raised by the community. “I think it represents a significant collaborative effort to ensure that our neighbourhoods continue to be beautiful places that we love and enjoy.”
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05/21/2026

Yes, Qualicum Beach is suffering from an English invasion, not the Beatles, but ivy, a killer of our trees and other vegetation. Last week Friends of the Qualicum Beach Forest presented before Town Council. According to Jasmine Tomczyk "“English Ivy [is] killing our forest." The FQBF outlined the problem and what can be done about it by the Town and residents.

Group wants Qualicum Beach to stop English Ivy invasion
Published 1:30 pm Saturday, May 16, 2026
By Michael Briones

English Ivy forms a dense monoculture that suppresses native species and destroys wildlife habitat. (See FQBF photos below)

Friends of the Qualicum Beach Forest have raised concerns about the prevalence of the invasive plant English Ivy in the community.
The group appeared as a delegation at the Qualicum Beach regular council meeting on May 13, to make the town aware of the issue.
“English Ivy killing our forest,” said Jasmine Tomczyk of the FQBF.
English Ivy or Hedera helix is a highly invasive, shade-tolerant woody evergreen vine. It threatens woodland areas by forming a dense monoculture that suppresses native species and destroys wildlife habitat.

Tomczyk added it spreads quickly via runners, seeds dispersed by birds and other animals, and also through people buying and planting them. It can climb up to 30 metres on trees and its weight can bring down trees, making them more vulnerable to disease.
The group wants the town to take action to suppress the growth of these invasive species. Tomczyk pointed out in other jurisdictions such as the City of Parksville and Regional District of Nanaimo, a landscaper has been hired to remove them, and the City of Nanaimo is on track to ban the sale and distribution of invasive plants.

Tomczyk said the Friends of the Qualicum Beach Forest have taken action since 2019 to remove ivy at the Community Park and in areas of Beach Road and First Avenue. They also increased awareness of the invasive species issue by attending local events.
Tomczyk also said they have started documenting the locations and extent of invasive plants in Qualicum Beach.

The group is now asking the town to help them get rid of invasive plants to protect the community’s urban forest.

05/06/2026

With growth and development in Canada’s urban areas comes a concern over the loss of trees. In Quebec City growth and development is associated with the potential construction of a tramway. The tramway would be the biggest construction project in the city’s history. The potential loss of 250 trees has drawn the ire of many citizens. According to Donald Charette, a longtime opponent of the tramway “Just imagining that we are even considering cutting down those trees outrages me.”

He is not alone, opposition is building throughout the city. This underscores a common problem across Canada, how do you accommodate growth and at the same time protect your urban forest?

This is a problem as well in Vancouver where “leafy, tree-lined neighbourhoods are under threat from increased growth and densification as cities face pressure — including requirements from the provincial government — to build vast amounts of new housing.” CBC April 27, 2024

Strong tree protection bylaws help but are they enough? Is the loss of our urban canopy an inevitable result of growth and development?

“Tree Cutting for Québec City tramway sparks public outrage “
By Sébastien Tanguay — Le Devoir News Politics April 21st 2026
There may be three certainties in Québec City: death, taxes, and bitter divisions over the city’s tramway project.

As the biggest construction project in the city’s history gets underway, its opponents are regaining momentum and are once again trying to rally the public against the cutting of mature trees along the route.

The ones lining both sides of René-Lévesque Boulevard remain a flashpoint. Current estimates suggest 250 of them will be felled over the summer to clear the way for the tramway.

“Just imagining that we are even considering cutting down those trees outrages me,” said Donald Charette, a longtime opponent of the tramway, which he describes as a “disaster” for Québec City. “If they disappear,” he added, “we’ll regret it for a long time. I’d be ashamed, in front of my children and grandchildren, to have been there while they were cutting the trees and to have said nothing.”

A chorus for the trees

He is not alone in his outrage over the coming tree cutting. For the past month, several voices have joined in denouncing what they call the authorities’ “rush” to sacrifice those trees before an agreement is reached on how much Ottawa will contribute toward the bill, currently estimated at $7.6 billion.

At the National Assembly, Maïté Blanchette-Vézina, the Rimouski MNA who recently crossed over to Éric Duhaime’s Conservative Party, tabled a petition bearing more than 10,000 signatures demanding a moratorium on the cutting. She joined her leader in a march to protect the trees.

Bernard Drainville, the unsuccessful contender to succeed François Legault, also jumped into the fray at the end of his campaign. “Federal funding has to be secured before they start cutting the trees,” the Lévis MNA said on April 1. Before him, Sylvain Juneau, mayor of Saint-Augustin, a municipality bordering Québec City, had denounced what he called an approach that was “both reckless and, ultimately, irresponsible” when it came to the “irreversible” cutting.

And as recently as last week, Paul Mackey, a former Québec City councilor awarded the title of urbaniste émérite in 2022, organized a conference at the prestigious Château Laurier to shed light on what he called the mega-project’s “blind spots.”
“We’re going to live with this tramway for 100 years,” he told Le Devoir. “We don’t really have the right to get this wrong, and I see all kinds of issues that are going to have a negative impact on quality of life in Québec City.”

After a crushing defeat in the last municipal election, the camp of tramway skeptics and opponents is therefore regaining momentum — at every level of government, from municipal all the way to Ottawa.

“Yes, there’s renewed momentum,” Donald Charette said. “As people realize the real impact this will have on their daily lives, they’re waking up.”

A partisan mobilization tool

This resurgence is happening even though the tramway has never seemed so close to becoming reality. TramCité project lead CDPQ Infra is about to begin a 14-month design process with two consortiums, and the Québec government is now fully backing delivery of the transit network after years in which the word “tramway” seemed to stick in the throat of the transport minister in public.

The amount of the federal contribution has yet to be confirmed, but Mark Carney’s lieutenant in Québec, Minister Joël Lightbound, keeps repeating that Ottawa could increase its initial share depending on the contribution the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec will make to finance the tramway.
“We’ve been there since Day 1, in 2018,” he shot back at Conservative MP Pierre Paul-Hus, who represents Charlesbourg, in the House of Commons on March 26. “We are paying $1.44 billion, with a $25-billion envelope over the next 10 years, including $13 billion for infrastructure.”

The tramway — the defining issue at the heart of the two most recent election campaigns won by Bruno Marchand — nonetheless continues to draw fierce opposition, even though, according to CDPQ Infra, “all signals are green.”

“That’s normal,” said Philippe Dubois, an assistant professor of communication and governance at the École nationale d’administration publique. “In a democracy, opposition parties would not be doing their job if they were not relaying the concerns of their community — and among the public, there are people who oppose a mega-project like TramCité.”

Still, he notes that at this stage, even though “nothing is impossible in politics,” it would be surprising if “the toothpaste were put back in the tube.” “It nonetheless remains an important mobilization tool,” Mr. Dubois said. “It is an issue everyone can relate to because everyone has an opinion on transportation. Political machines clearly see it as a lever for reaching certain segments of the electorate that are opposed to it, whether or not they are directly affected by the project, whether or not they live in Québec City.”

‘Depoliticizing’ major projects

Bruno Marchand’s administration presents the tramway as one of the solutions needed to avoid the congestion that will come with the arrival of 100,000 new residents by 2041. “There will always be people challenging us — that’s politics,” he said last Wednesday after a meeting with the new premier, Christine Fréchette, during which he raised the importance of taking major transit projects out of the partisan arena.

“If we were able to depoliticize our major projects and say, ‘Here is how we are going to invest over the next 15 or 20 years, we are going to attract companies here, and therefore competition that will benefit us in terms of prices’,” he said. “We must stop doing this piecemeal.”

In the provincial capital, however, opponents of the tramway in its current form are not backing down. In their view, the city is “concealing information” from the public in such a way that people still do not fully grasp “the catastrophe” to come. “It is inconceivable that the city would carry out the most important project in its history while keeping citizens in the dark, ignorant of what is coming,” Paul Mackey said. “It seems to me that this is a matter of respecting people.”

April 21st 2026
Sébastien Tanguay — Le Devoir