The mature maple tree on Lakeshore Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake is gone.
It didn't take long to remove it — the work started early this morning and was finished by early afternoon. Just a short time after the crew left the site, flowers were placed on the stump.
Trucks arrived before 8 a.m., workmen removed the memorials, and equipment was in place to begin cutting the tree from the top.
The tree marked the site of two fatalities that occurred about a year apart, both as a result of drivers losing control on a steep curve and hitting it
Lakeshore Road was down to one lane of traffic, with traffic control people in place to direct traffic, says regional spokesperson Janey Rose, with delays expected.
The region is still in the process of completing a full review of the area, "including the possible removal or protection of trees and other potential safety measures,” she says.
The most recent fatality was June 5, the other also in June a year ago.
Shirley Madsen, who lives on the other side of Lakeshore Road not far from the tree, has met the family of the woman who died at that spot in 2023, and has spoken with her mother in the last few days. It’s an emotional time as she sees the tree being removed, Madsen says, for herself and “because of the pain I know one of the families is going through right now, having to relive the memory of the loss of a loved one, as said to me… “bittersweet.”
The removal of the tree has created a storm of controversy from people who have been outspoken about the tree being preserved, believing there are other, better solutions, such as a guardrail and signage. Frank Tassone, director of regional transportation, says those might still be options, but a guardrail could not be placed until the tree has come down.
