Maillardville homeowners who want a bit more greenery close to their house can call the city to have a tree planted nearby.
This week, the city announced it received a $15,000 grant from TD Green Streets for 75 trees for a new planting program called Growing Community Roots.
If city staff approve a boulevard location, the tree will be planted this fall - but qualified residents will have to commit to watering the tree for its first three summers. To apply, contact Shannon Wagner at city hall at 604-927-3669.
Over the past several months, city staff and council have received many complaints from Maillardville residents about the number of trees being cut as the French-Canadian enclave densifies and redevelops.
In April, city council narrowly approved a proposal by Morningstar Homes that will involve about a dozen trees being felled to make way for townhouses on Cartier Avenue, close to Laval Square; at least one of the trees is more than 100 years old.
The vote came a month after 200 trees were felled to update Glen Park in City Centre.
Other Coquitlam news:
CHINES PROJECT
About 100 homeowners in the Chines neighbourhood in Coquitlam and Port Moody will soon get a knock on their door from the city to assess the stability of the land they live on.
The visit is part of the Chines Integrated Stormwater Management Plan (IWMP), a joint project of Metro Vancouver and the cities of Coquitlam and Port Moody that looks at reducing the risk of landslides on the hilled area.
The "quick and simple" exam will involve inspecting ground conditions, structures and signs of instability, Dana Soong, Coquitlam's utility programs manager, said in a news release. As well, staff may dig a small hole to look at fill materials in the ground.
"The risk of landslides is a public safety issue," Soong said in the release. "A better understanding of the situation will lead to better management of landslide risk and ultimately lead to a safer community."
The Chines is made up of a series of watersheds in Coquitlam and PoMo that includes Schoolhouse and Pigeon creeks and the Suterbrook sub-catchments.
The Chines IWMP - which also looks at environmental upgrades, stream management and flood control - is expected to be finished later this year.
jwarren@tricitynews.com
