TORONTO -- Torontonians could be on the hook for nearly a million dollars to save one of the city’s oldest trees.
A massive red oak, estimated to be around 350 years old, continues to grow in the backyard of a North York home.
Mark Cullen, chair of the Highway of Heroes tree campaign, explained that the city has agreed to pay half the cost to save the tree by buying the house, but residents would need to fork out another $430,000 in donations by December 12, 2020 to save the majestic oak.
“The city can’t afford to save every heritage tree in the 416,” he told CTV’s Your Morning.
“However when the citizens step to the plate and say this is important enough to me that I’m willing to put some money on the line, then we suddenly have the city’s attention.
“The mayor himself, and council, have voted in favour of buying the house that is an impediment to the long term health of this 370-year-old tree.”
Cullen said the 25-metre tree could live for another few hundred years and councillors are considering creating a parkette around it.
“Torontonians care. This tree has evolved with the city for 150 years before John Graves Simcoe arrived here and decided to establish a settlement here," he said.
“It has Indigenous history, it has European history and it’s not just that it’s such a large tree.”
Cullen said there are environmental and economic benefits to trees in the city, calling it the “least costly green infrastructure.”
To donate money for the ancient oak visit: https://donations.toronto.ca/s/
