CDN / NDG Mayor Plants first tree after 2017 microburst storm – Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Borough Mayor Sue Montgomery this morning planted the first tree at the new Parc Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Arboretum, a swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor ‘American dream’). The arboretum is designed to revitalize the park, which was devastated in August 2017.
Indeed, in the span of a few minutes on August 22, 2017, a microburst struck the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce sector. Along its path, it laid waste to a large part of the southern end of Parc Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. Some 45 trees, mainly maples, were felled in the wake of the storm.
Because the park’s landscape changed considerably due to this event, planting trees had become a priority. At the time, there were already plans to rebuild the paths around the Place de Vimy. This disaster thus provided an opportunity to use the ravaged space to create an arboretum.
“Indeed, three Vimy oak trees will be planted alongside the three main paths leading to Place de Vimy in a deliberate nod to history. These oaks come from the acorns of oak trees taken from the battlefield at Vimy in 1917 and brought back to a farm in Ontario by a soldier,” said Mayor Montgomery.
“Within a few days, some 81 new trees will be planted to lend renewed life and beauty to this park, which holds a special place in the hearts of many residents. This arboretum is being created to celebrate the neighbourhood’s arboreal heritage,” added Ms. Sue Montgomery.
