CANMORE – Following the illegal removal of trees last March from public lands, the Town of Canmore received a settlement of $27,826 in insurance funds to go towards future replanting and watering of new trees for the community.
Last year, the Town of Canmore issued a stop work order against Falcon Crest Lodge after a contractor cut down more than a dozen trees located on Town property along a wooded pathway that is adjacent to the hotel.
As a result, the Town of Canmore worked with representatives from the lodge and its property management company to reach a settlement agreement to replace the vegetation.
It was also one of the reasons administration brought a tree protection bylaw to council for approval in April to address these kinds of situations if they occur in the future.
“Essentially what occurred, the [party] took down Town-owned trees on Town-owned land and at that time the tree protection bylaw was not in place, but there was other avenues to seek damages,” said Michael Fark, general manager of municipal infrastructure with the Town of Canmore.
Noted as having a value to the community, the new bylaw seeks to protect trees from removal and damage, especially during the development phase on private lands. Penalties under the new bylaw range from $250 to $1,000 fines.
“The tree removal [last March] was part of the catalyst for the need for the bylaw,” Fark said.
Once the bylaw was in place, the municipality had a guideline to determine an appropriate settlement reaching the $27,826 amount.
Town officials said protecting trees through a formal process gives opportunity to begin with a tree protection conversation with the property owner.
Now each building or development application will identify public trees on site and developers will have the option to pay an arborist-determined amount before trees are removed with a similar process for residents.
Peka Property Management declined to comment on the settlement.
The Falcon Crest Lodge did not respond to requests for comment.
