MONTREAL – They say you can’t fight city hall.
Well, how about fighting a borough hall?
An NDG resident took on officials at the Côte-des-Neiges/NDG borough and won – sort of.
Andrée-Anne Michaud has finally convinced civil servants to cut down an old silver maple tree on NDG Ave. that is dead and poses a safety threat to the public and private property.
The mother of three has been wanting the tree removed since last June when a large branch broke off, crushing a vehicle below.
But her calls and emails weren’t enough to convince officials that the tree was dangerous.
Finally, Michaud and another neighbour hired an arborist at $500 who wrote a report concluding the tree is dangerous and needs to be cut to the ground.
The document was sent to city officials and the borough agreed, writing in an email obtained by Global News, that the tree will be removed.
“I’m lucky that I have the energy and the time and the neighbours with me because it’s a lot of money, $500, for a person,” Michaud told Global News.
It still remains unclear when the tree will be completely removed.
Some of the upper branches were cut in mid-November and officials told Michaud chainsaws would be taken to the rest of the maple by Dec. 1.
But the truck normally used for the tree cutting broke down, according to Peter McQueen, the city councillor responsible for the district.
He told Global News there is no known date when it will be done.
He blames the slow progress on a labour shortage.
“I know we are massively understaffed. And it’s like anything, understaffed people cannot get a job done properly,” McQueen said.
Michaud said if no action is taken by Friday she will call back borough officials and continue to apply pressure until the tree is brought to the ground.
Comments