CALGARY- Calgary’s incredibly warm weather in January has provided an unexpected boost to workers still cleaning up from a snowstorm that hit the city in the summer.
Arbor companies contracted by the city have been working seven days a week since the big snowstorm in September. Countless trees were seriously damaged or even brought down by the summer snowfall.
The city is now just starting the second phase of the urban forest cleanup and arborists say they have a tight deadline to meet.
“It really just hasn’t stopped,” said Codie Anderson, vice-president of operations with ArborCare. “We’ve been at capacity since two hours after the snow started to fall.”
ArborCare had to put aside nearly all of its regular, residential pruning jobs after the city called asking for emergency help in September. The province has given the city a March 31 deadline to complete the pruning of Elm trees.
The warm January temperatures may have some Calgarians considering watering their trees and shrubs but experts say it is not a good idea.
“All the moisture that your plant needs it has already had from back in the fall from before the snow froze up,” said John Duncan of Green Gate Garden Centre. “So adding more can cause damage unless we have a long stretch of drought.”
Because the spring-like conditions are allowing crews to do their jobs faster, residential customers are now finally also able to get their trees pruned as well.
The city estimates it will be another three to four years before all the tree damage from the September storm is cleaned up.
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