Ten hazardous trees cut down at Sapperton Landing

Beaver-damaged cottonwoods are being replaced with oaks,paper birch,hawthorns and lodgepole pines

JulieMacLellan

jmaclellan@newwestrecord ca

Stumps and partial trees some of substantial size are all that remain of 10 cottonwoods that used to keep watch over the Fraser River at Sapperton Landing Park.

MetroVancouver has removed 10 cottonwood trees from the park, staff confirmed after a recent inquiry from the Record Steven Schaffrick, division manager for the central area with MetroVan- couver Regional Parks, said the trees, which ranged in age, were removed because they posed a hazard to park users and the nearby SkyTrain guideway

Schaffrick said the trees were assessed by arborists and found to have signs of decay and beaver damage Compounding the issue was the fact that the majority of the trees were along a part of the riverbank that had been weakened by erosion

Two of the trees were cut to a height of three metres and left as wildlife trees for animals such as woodpeckers, owls and squirrels

“Replanting on a onefor-one basis has already taken place, with two oaks, two paper birch, two hawthorns and four lodgepole pines replacing the cottonwoods,” Schaffrick confirmed via email

“As invasive species such as blackberry are removed on site, MetroVancouver will continue to plant native shrubs and trees ”

MetroVancouver re- ceived permits from the City of NewWestminster to remove the trees, he noted

“The ecological health of our parks and the safety of park users and neighbours are very important to MetroVancouver, and we appreciate the public’s understanding and cooperation as we do essential work in our parks,” Schaffrick said Sapperton Landing Park can be accessed from the foot of Cumberland Street, next to East Columbia

SPRING TREE SALE - ONLINE MARCH 9

Take part in the bi-annual tree sale and help us reach the City’s goal of a 27% canopy coverage within New Westminster by 2030! There are six tree species to choose from, including balcony-friendly species such as European Strawberry Tree and Coral Bark Maple

What to know:

- An online account will be required, so be sure to have one set up and ready before the sale date

- $10 00 per tree, limit two trees per New Westminster household/business.

- All sales final, no refunds. Please ensure someone is available to pick up your tree before purchasing

- Trees not picked up during the designated pickup period will be sold for cash or donated to the City's tree planting program.

ONLINE SALE STARTS: March 9, 8:30 am

ORDER PICKUP: April 1, 9:00 - 11:00 am, Westburnco Sports Courts

See the species and find account setup information at newwestcity ca/treesale

New Westminster Towing Auction

Calendar Of Events

Monday, March 6 No Council Meeting

Saturday, March 11 & 18

Outside/In

Hyack Square and Anvil Theatre newwestcity.ca/outside-in

Youth Award Nominations

Do you know an outstanding New Westminster youth, 11 - 18 years old? Honour and celebrate their accomplishments, or an adult ally, by submitting a nomination in one of these categories:

• Leadership

• Community Service

• Athletics

• Arts & Culture

• Sustainability

• Adult Ally

Nominations close March 24 Visit newwestyouth.ca/youthawards for details.

REGISTER FOR SPRING PROGRAMS!

Registration is now open for spring programs running April - June 2023. Outdoor aquatics are opening early once again, with leisure swimming and lessons starting April 22 Login to register now: newwestcity.ca/register

Notice Of Patio Application With Liquor Service

606 Twelfth Street

The Thirsty Duck, located at 606 Twelfth Street, is applying to the City of New Westminster and the Province’s Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch to operate a patio with liquor service directly in front of the pub Up to 40 people may be located in the patio and the total maximum occupancy of the business remains at 107 people The proposed operating hours would be 12:00pm -10:00pm Sunday to Saturday

Comments on this proposal are invited to be submitted by March 10, 2023 to: businesslicences@newwestcity.ca or City of New Westminster Business Licensing

511 Royal Avenue New Westminster BC V3L 1H9

The public auction will be conducted on Saturday, March 25th, at the City of New Westminster Towing & Storage compound located at 420 Boyne Street Auction will be conducted by All City Auctioneers Ltd. www.allcityauctioneers.com 604-514-0194

All comments received will be shared with City Council and LCRB. LCRB requires a name and address to be provided with comments in order to be considered. Names and addresses will be shared with LCRB. Petitions will not be considered.