Calgary to consider creating bylaw to protect trees on private land
Calgary is looking at crafting a bylaw to try and preserve the city's tree canopy and it could include rules to prevent cutting down trees on private land.
A motion co-signed by councillors Terry Wong and Andre Chabot asks administration to explore options for tree conservation, including the possibility of a bylaw and incentives for maintaining private trees.
"There's probably three reasons why we keep our tree canopy, one of which is obviously from a climate and air quality perspective," said Coun. Wong.
"Secondly, is around preserving the character of community," he added. "Thirdly, I think a lot around the social well-being of communities and individuals, people have a greater appreciation and reflection about having trees in their backyards and on the streets."
Calgary's tree canopy is slowly decreasing, the report says, with some of the losses coming from mixed-use development.
Officials will be asked to look at what other municipalities are doing to conserve trees and could consider grants or tax credits to maintain or add trees on private lands.
Other options include requiring permits for tree removal or issuing fines for developers who don't maintain private trees.
Another option could be requiring “tree bonds” to be paid for by developers to ensure private trees aren't damaged, the motion notes.
The motion asking administration to explore options still has to be approved by council. Any possible bylaw would come no sooner than early 2025.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.