Mother Maple will live to see another day – and neighbours hope countless more – as Saanich Parks has reversed its decision to remove the century-old bigleaf maple at 5032 Wesley Rd., to the relief of local residents.
The tree, considered a “neighbourhood landmark,” was initially marked for removal on June 30 after an arborist assessment found large sections were dead, including the centre stem.
Saanich staff had initially worked with the developer to retain what appeared to be a healthy tree, but later determined it was in decline and unsuitable for preservation, partly due to cumulative impacts from nearby construction.
However, following community pushback, a petition with more than 700 signatures, and efforts to improve the tree’s health, the district changed course.
“It’s a huge relief, but also frustrating that it took so many people, so many hours and so much involvement to save Mother Maple,” said neighbour Suzanne Clary. “We had to mobilize our own little army of warriors.
“If any of us hadn't done our part, this tree would probably be down now.”
Retired arborist and neighbour Steve Lush, however, acknowledged the municipality’s willingness to revisit its decision.
"I want to give credit to Saanich," he said. "Everyone listened and they reversed course. I know it's a difficult thing to do, but they were willing to change direction and that's an honourable thing."
Saanich is now working with the property owner to retain the tree, despite the expected maintenance costs. A local tree care company has also offered to donate some services to support the effort.
Clary and Lush mentioned that Victoria-based arborist Bartlett Tree Experts voiced their willingness to take care of the tree and cover the cost of rehabilitating it.
“It's going to be properly pruned, aerated, mulched, watered, fertilized, and cover everything it needs to have a long and healthy life for probably the next five decades,” she said. “It's going to continue to be an iconic tree on the street.”
The bigleaf maple currently straddles private and district land but will become fully owned by the district once the development is complete.
