Click here to read the
May City Council Recap
We considered several major issues at City Council this month. Read my recap for a full breakdown.
City begins clean-up of ice storm tree debris
The City announced its plan today for cleaning up the thousands of downed tree
limbs that fell as a result of the ice storm on Dec. 21 and 22. While City
forestry crews continue to tend to overhead branches that are a safety hazard,
Solid Waste Management will lead the collection and chipping of wood debris
piled on city streets.
href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/paulafletcher/pages/548/attachments/original/1621042671/DebrisManagementCleanUpPlan.pdf?1621042671"
>Debris Clean-up Plan
and
Map
The clean-up operation, which is expected to take approximately eight weeks,
will begin simultaneously in wards across the city. Up to 125 three-person
crews made up of both City staff and contractors will clear tree debris from
roadsides using chain saws and chippers while another 120 two-person forestry
crews will focus on removing hanging branches that threaten power lines and
walking areas. "The tremendous work done by everyone to date speaks to the
calibre of people who make up this great city. We will pull together again as we
move into this next phase of clean-up operations and help Toronto residents
return to their everyday lives," said Mayor Rob Ford. "We are relieved to be
moving from an emergency phase to one of restoring people's ability to move
around their neighbourhoods," said Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly (Ward 40, Scarborough
Agincourt). "As crews are released from assisting with hydro, they are being
reassigned to making sure that roads are open and debris is collected." "This
coordinated activity involving several divisions will put all the City's
available resources toward cleaning up our streets while we continue to ensure
both the public's safety and the viability of our precious tree canopy," said
Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong (Ward 34, Don Valley East), Chair, Public Works
and Infrastructure Committee. "The City has committed more than 600 people
including contractors to this effort." The City will haul away all tree branches
from front yards and roadsides and will include those that have fallen on
private property if they are less than 15 cm (six inches) in diameter and have
been taken to the curb. Residents should neatly stack limbs/branches at the
front edge of their properties without blocking either sidewalks or roads and
with the butt ends of branches towards the road. City crews will not collect
large limbs (more than 15 cm or six inches in diameter) from private trees that
have fallen on private property. Property owners should contact a private
contractor for this. A City permit is not required to remove damaged or downed
trees that are hazardous, however many trees can be saved with proper care and
pruning. For residents that live in the Asian long-horned beetle (ALHB)
quarantine area in Etobicoke, City crews and private contractors will dispose of
this debris in an appropriate manner. Residents are advised not to take this
wood out of the Federal quarantine area. Check toronto.ca/trees for more
information. Residents may monitor the debris removal progress by checking a
detailed map on the City’s web site at toronto.ca.
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