Did you know that BWG recently passed a new by-law to help protect public trees in our Town? Check out the new Public Tree Protection By-law 2024-27 here.
Trees are valuable assets and a vital part of the Town's green infrastructure, and BWG is committed to increasing its tree canopy to help fight climate change and beautify streets. The addition of landscape features like walls and paving around trees will not allow them to reach their potential full size and age and may result in an injury to the tree and its roots, costing the Town an average of $800 in removal and replacement costs. The public Tree Protection by-law will prevent this and aid our efforts for a healthy and sustainable urban forest within BWG.
Tree Protection Measures
Trees between the sidewalk and the curb belong to the Town and trees growing on your front lawn can also be on Town property and belong to the Town. Residents must ensure they do not compromise the potential growth of any trees within these areas around their properties.
Do not place any material within 1.5m (5 feet) of the trunk of a public tree in the boulevard or over its root system as this will injure the tree. If you are unsure, please contact the Town to discuss your plans at 905-775-2162 ext. 5204.
Do not create any injury to a public tree. Injury to a public tree can result in financial penalties to the resident to help remedy the situation. When the injured public tree requires removal, it will not be replaced by the Town until the encroaching material is removed. Residents are not permitted to plant their own tree on public property and should a tree be planted, it will be removed by the Town.
BWG has launched a Private Tree Protection survey, and we want your feedback to help shape how we protect trees on private properties in our community. Please complete our online survey to share your opinions on private trees in BWG.
FAQ About the New By-Law
| Why do paving, garden walls, and other material added to the boulevard injure trees? |
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| What happens in situations where residents have added landscape paving and walls around public trees near their homes? |
| Staff will be conducting an inventory to determine the nature and addresses for where these encroachments have occurred to the public trees of Bradford in 2024. This will allow staff to track the tree’s health over time in relation to any encroachments. A Report will then be provided to Town Council who will direct the next steps to deal with these pre-existing situations. Communications will then be issued to the public on this matter. If you have a specific concern, please submit a report to our Enforcement Division at 905-775-5366 ext. 1701. Staff will not be identifying and targeting specific addresses at this point in time unless a report is received. |
Trees are an important part of our Town. By ensuring the health of Town trees in BWG we are protecting the future of our tree canopy and creating a better natural environment for our community.
Please do your part and help take care of the trees by giving them space to grow. Do not pave or add landscape walls around the Town trees.
See below for more information about Public Trees in BWG and the steps you can take to ensure their protection.
Trees in Need of Attention
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A tree on Town property (boulevard or municipal right-of-way) appears to need treatment or may be dead. |
| Contact the Town and we will look at the tree and determine if it needs to be treated or removed. Please note that if a tree is removed, the stump will remain until it can be removed in the fall, and the tree will be replaced in the fall or the following spring. |
| A tree on Town property has small branches or suckers coming out of the main stem. |
| Call the Town and we will arrange to remove the suckers and small branches. |
| A tree on Town property has some dead branches and may be dying. |
| Branches can die for many reasons and the tree may still be healthy. Only contact the Town for a tree health assessment if there are many dead branches, if the main stem leader branch is dead or if the dead branches are more than 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter and removal may be required for safety. |
| A tree on Town property needs pruning. |
| Contact the Town and we will arrange for the tree to be pruned. Do not prune the tree yourself as it could be unsafe or injure the tree if not done correctly. |
| A tree on Town property has growths on the leaves that look like tubes or balls. |
| Leaf "galls" are tissue growths resulting from damage by insects, mites, fungus or bacteria.
This is usually an aesthetic issue only - the tree does not require treatment and should come back with new leaves the following year. The Town does not treat for galls, even if it is a recurring issue, as it usually has minimal impact on the overall health of the tree. |
| A tree on Town property has leaves that are turning brown and appear wilted. |
| Check the soil under the tree 3 days after the last rain or watering. If it is dry then the tree may be too dry and require more water. If the soil is moist then the tree may have had too much water. Likely the tree will recover with new leaves the following spring. |
| A tree on Town property has caterpillars on it. |
| The tree should come back with new leaves the following year. The Town does not treat trees due to caterpillars as they are part of the natural cycle and the tree will typically survive. |
| A tree on Town property is healthy but has roots growing across my lawn at the ground surface. I am worried that the roots will start to lift my driveway or get into my foundation. |
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Contact the Town and we will assess the situation. Certain tree species such as Honey locust or Norway Maple have a growth habit where their roots grow close to or above the surface. Most tree roots from these species stay within the top 12 to 18 inches (0.3 to 0.45 m) of the ground surface, where they grow to seek water, nutrients, and oxygen, and they do not typically grow downwards to lift paving or grow into foundations. The roots of certain species such as Willows are more likely to grow in moist areas such as broken pipes, but the Town does not plant these types of species on municipal boulevards. |
| It is late spring and other trees on the street have leaves but the Town tree in front of my house does not. |
| Some tree species are later to leaf-out than other trees. Wait until the end of June to see if the leaves appear. One common example of a tree that produces leaves later in the season is the Honey locust (Gleditsia species) - you can click the image at right to see a larger picture. |
| A tree on Town property does not appear to be growing. |
| Trees can undergo shock when they are dug at the nursery and transplanted to a new location. It may take up to three years for a tree to settle in and start growing. Adding a few inches of mulch or compost under the tree can help it to be healthy and grow. |
Landscaping Near Town Trees
| I am not sure if the tree adjacent to my property belongs to the Town. |
| Contact the Town and we can confirm ownership of the tree. Town trees should not be removed, pruned or otherwise injured by residents; these actions can result in a fine.
As a rule of thumb, trees that are planted on the boulevard between the sidewalk and curb belong to the Town. Town-owned property extends for several feet up your front lawn (known as the municipal right-of-way) so trees that have been planted in this area by the Town or a developer may belong to the Town. (You can get a general idea of where this boundary is by locating the water shut-off valve, which is usually in the driveway or lawn.) |
| I would like to add decorations around the Town tree such as stones and other plants. |
| The Town does not permit this practice on public property. Adding extra material and plants can damage the tree by suffocating or cutting roots. |
| I want to widen my driveway but there is a boulevard tree near by. |
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Driveways cannot be widened without a permit, so contact the Town first to inquire about a driveway widening permit. The Town will review the situation and advise if a permit can be issued, and consult on issues such as nearby trees. |
| I would like to add more soil and/or mulch around the Town tree. |
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Additional soil and/or mulch can be added; however, do not add more than a total depth of 3 to 4 inches or 7.5-10 cm of material over the tree roots. The roots are near the ground surface and need water, nutrients and oxygen. Too much material over the roots can suffocate them and hurt the tree’s health. DO make a flat mulch ring around your tree (like a donut). DO NOT pile mulch around your tree (like a volcano) |
New or Replacement Boulevard Trees
| When are trees installed on Town property? |
| New trees are typically planted in the fall as the cool weather helps the tree to survive. If a tree has been removed, the stump may remain until it can be removed in the fall, and a new tree will be planted in the fall before the ground freezes or in the spring after the ground thaws. |
| Will I be notified of the date when a new replacement tree will be installed on Town property near my home? |
| No. Due to the number of tree planting projects throughout town, we do not notify individual residents when nearby trees are planted. |
| Can I choose what tree will be planted on Town property near my home? |
| No. The Town has a list of preferred species that have been chosen by a professional Arborist. |
| There is a tree that is overhanging the Hydro wires and may cause an issue with the wires. |
| Contact your Hydro provider, which in most cases is Alectra (1-833-253-2872), and advise them of the situation. They have specialized training to prune the trees near wires in a safe manner. The Town cannot undertake this type of pruning. |
| I do not have a boulevard tree nearby. Can I request to have one planted? |
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There are some properties where it is not possible to plant a tree. In some cases there is a streetlight pole that is too close and could interfere with a tree once it matures, and in others there may be above- or below-ground utilities that prevent a tree from being installed. |
Other Issues
| I have called the Town about a tree on the boulevard that needs attention but nothing has been done. |
| The Town will respond to all calls or emails as soon as possible. In the case of new development areas where the Town has not yet assumed ownership of a street, it is up to the Developer to remove and replace the tree, or to treat it with pruning. In this case, the Town cannot undertake work on the tree but will contact the Developer and alert them to the situation.
Where the Town has the legal right to do so (not on un-assumed or private property), work will be undertaken within a reasonable period of time in the correct season, typically within six weeks of notification. |
| My neighbour's tree branches are growing into my property and I would like these branches pruned back. |
| This is a private matter between you and your neighbour, as long as it is occurring between two private properties and not on Town property. You should contact your neighbour and discuss how to best resolve the issue. |
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