Hydro One workers made a mistake last week while pruning trees in Robertson Davies Park on Avenue Road between the CP mainline and Cottingham Street. They decided to simply cut down 29 mature trees that have stood for years as a barrier to the sound of trains without calling their supervisor. Hydro One concedes it was a mistake and has apologized. But that won’t bring back the trees and there is a lot of hard feeling about it. Summerhill area residents say they were blindsided by the clear-cutting — as they surely were. The CBC reports that clear cut occurred last week when crews were there to prune the trees away from power lines. But it says they chopped the trees down without permission.
PROMISED NOT TO DO IT
Among others, Councillor Josh Matlow (Ward 22) was on scene today and recalled that Hydro One had promised that they would not clear-cut the trees. “Hydro One is discussing the possibility of pruning or cutting trees in neighbourhoods across Ontario and I expect communities will be looking at what happens here for some direction, because if Hydro One breaks their word in one place … communities are going to wonder how they’re going to behave elsewhere,” he said. Unlike private businesses and citizens, Hydro One is authorized to make such clearings. A hydro spokesperson said of the workers: “They didn’t follow our process, which is if they have to change their job plan … they’re meant to call their supervisor,” Daffyd Roderick said. “That didn’t happen and it’s very, very regrettable.”
