The City of Edmonton has confirmed another case of the contagious fungal infection known as Dutch elm disease. A sick tree in the Calder neighbourhood marks the third confirmed case this summer and the 10th since the infection first appeared in the city in 2024. The tree was in decline and subsequently tested, the city says. It was removed on Wednesday to limit the spread. “Promptly removing infected trees and any elms within 20 metres, alongside a diligent pruning program to clear deadwood, is necessary to reduce habitats for the beetles that spread the fungus,” a city media release said. City crews will ramp up monitoring, assessment and maintenance efforts in a one-kilometre radius zone around the sick tree. There are about 90,000 elm trees across Edmonton, which account for 22 per cent of the city’s open space and boulevard tree inventory. All pruned elm wood is disposed of at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre after “strict, specialized handling procedures,” the city added. Two other cases of Dutch elm disease were confirmed earlier this month in the Northmount and Rossdale neighbourhoods. The city reminds residents to not move firewood back home after camping, follow provincial pruning ban guidelines and dispose of elm wood properly. Signs of Dutch elm disease can be reported to 311.
