By looking at the damage, it appears as if an earthquake hit Nicole Robert’s house. But the root cause of all the damage to her home in Ottawa’s Copeland Park neighbourhood is a maple tree in her front yard. Specifically, the tree’s roots. “The front of my house sank, and the brick became separated from my foundation. The house is cracked. There is enough force to crack through my brick, which I guess when that happens, it’s a substantial force,” Robert said. Robert noticed last summer that her house started shifting when doors wouldn’t stay closed and windows could not open. Upon further inspection, she found major cracking and separation along her foundation and brick siding. She brought in three different engineers to assess why it was happening. “They determined that the cause of the movement was trees. The tree roots sucking the moisture out of the ground,” said Robert. “[The roots] can’t go that way because of the street, there’s no water. So where are they getting pushed to? Well, they’re getting pushed back to my home.” She estimates the tree has caused $150,000 in damage to date. But her problems only continued because she can’t have the tree cut down. Despite being on her front yard, the mature maple falls within the City of Ottawa’s right of way, meaning the tree is city property. Robert has contacted the city in hopes of having the tree removed. She says inspectors came on Dec. 11, 2025 to assess the situation but still have not come to a decision on the matter. “They did things like determine the ownership of the trees. What they’re looking for as well is, did I change any hard scaping on my property that may have contributed to the damage to my home? I have not changed anything.” In a statement to CTV News, the City of Ottawa said it has received two reports from residents in the Copeland Park neighbourhood regarding damage to homes or structures associated with municipal trees. “If a municipal tree is determined to be a significant contributor to the damage, the City will consider appropriate mitigation measures, such as tree maintenance. In cases where mitigation is not feasible or reasonable, tree removal may be considered as a last resort,” wrote Jason Pollard, section manager of forestry for the Public Works Department. Seven months later, Robert is still waiting on an answer on what the city will do with the tree. “I would like a decision. The other thing is, if they choose to remove the trees, all three engineers say my house shouldn’t move anymore. It should be stable. Great, that’s what I want. Because I want this house to remain livable.” Robert adds that insurance does not cover tree root damage to homes, and if damage worsens to the point the home is deemed unlivable, she will have to continue to pay the mortgage while finding another place for her and her son to live. Robert has since started a petition calling on the city to change its rules when it comes to city-owned trees impacting private property, such as establishing a 15-business day maximum timeframe for decisions such as this one to be made. She’s now hoping a decision can be made one way or another in time to secure her home before winter rolls back around. “I really hope the city will take measures to protect our home this year.”
