After public concern about the amount of trees slated to be removed at Gibsons Elementary School, the Sunshine Coast School District No. 46 (SD46) addressed the process that has already seen a number of trees cut down this year.
In the public question period of the May 12 SD46 board meeting, the board was asked why dozens of trees are flagged for removal from the school grounds at Gibsons Elementary. The board also received a letter from the Gibson Elementary PAC asking for clarification surrounding the process, and requesting to see the application as well as the report from the arborist.
School board chair Amanda Amaral responded during the meeting.
“Going back to the beginning of the year, in January, a large limb fell from a tree. The limb was so large that we needed to contract a tree service in order to properly remove that limb,” Amaral said.
Then in February, SD46 staff were discussing another site when the tree service worker noticed a large number of problem trees visible from O’Shea Road. The next day, SD46 staff identified more problem trees.
The district sought out three quotes from tree removal companies, and then contacted the Town of Gibsons about the tree removal bylaw. Amaral said the town had already received complaints about dangerous trees on the Gibsons Elementary property, so was aware of an issue at the site.
In March, Gibsons Tree Service identified trees that posed an immediate threat and needed to be removed, as well as other trees that should be removed. The Town of Gibsons gave the school district the relevant permit for tree removal, Amaral said, and superintendent Patrick Bocking sent a letter to the parent community of the school about the trees’ removal.
Amaral said the principal is working with the PAC to reach out to an arborist to learn more about the decision process for which trees to remove, and about safe urban forest management.
These recent comments come after the Town of Gibsons voted in April to strike up a committee to review the town’s new tree bylaw and address concerns.
