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The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday May 20, 2006 - 9 Region comes up with $500,000 solution to save tree Plan to reroute Bronte Road around tree at planning committee Wednesday By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF If some day in the future, you're waiting at a new traffic light outside the Halton Regional Centre on Bronte Road -- remember it all helped save the majestic old oak tree that's sat on the east side of Bronte Road for more than 200 years. It appears Halton Regional Council is poised to save the white oak tree estimated to be about 240 years old as Bronte Road is widened. It won't be done by transplanting the giant tree, but building the road around it. After much public outcry about road widening plans that favoured elimination of the tree as the safest route and one that least disturbed the Bronte Creek Valley and nearby residents, a new option is headed to the Region's Planning and Public Works Committee Wednesday. If given the green light, it will head to Regional council for final approval early next month. It would leave time for a further 30-day public notice to be given under provincial environmental rules -- but sticks close enough to original studies that it wouldn't necessitate the re-opening of the entire-- and lengthy KEVIN HILL / OAKVILLE BEAVER NEW PLAN MAY TAKE ROOT: The fate of this 240-year-old white oak tree may be a little clearer Wednesday when the Halton planning and public works committee considers a new plan to reroute Bronte Road around the tree. -- provincial environmental ferred route. Environment. assessment process. Savoline, however, mainThe minister's response At least that's the call by tained that although the in denying the bump up is Halton Region lawyer Mark road widening option had quoted in the regional Meneray who, along with been approved, it was still up report, noting regional Halton CAO Brent Marshall to council on what to do council had yet to make its and Public Works about the tree. decision on the oak tree -- Commissioner Peter Thoughts of transplanti- so that the person should Crockett have come up with ng the tree were investigat- voice their concern to counwhat's been dubbed the ed, as well as chopping it cil when the matter was "Modified Widen Around the down in favour of reforesta- considered. Oak Tree" option. tion with the same amount According to the new Many local residents, of money that would be report, it would cost including Ward 4 Town and needed to transplant the $500,000 to reconfigure the Regional Councillor Allan tree. construction so that the Elgar and Ward 4 Town Savoline said it was still road could go around the Councillor Renee up to regional council to tree. Sandelowsky drew the ire of decide -- and that the matIt would cost approxiHalton Regional Chair Joyce ter was coming before coun- mately $535,000 to transSavoline earlier this year cil this spring. plant the tree and the latest when they enlisted the pubThat is backed in the assessment is that the tree lic to save the old oak tree report heading to commit- isn't a good candidate for because they said the deci- tee Wednesday in which it tranplantation. sion had been made to chop states an individual had, in The regional report it down since the option to 2001, requested a "bump up" states there's no reason widen Bronte Road to the of the oak tree situation to given for the change in east was named the pre- the Minister of assessment on the trans- plantation -- in 2001 the nearby residences -- and tree was deemed a good can- keep the oak tree, it's prodidate and now it is not -- posed that a new southnor are mitigation measures bound left-turn lane that set out, though they are rec- would access the regional ommended if construction is centre's north entrance be to proceed around the tree. eliminated. The tree is said to be in That would allow for two the last 10 per southbound cent of its life, It would cost lanes to the however that approxiamately west of the could be $535,000 to tree, a 25upward of 50 transplant the tree metre mediyears. an to accomThere has and the latest modate the been some assessment is that tree and two decay of roots the tree isn't a northbound and crown good candidate lanes to the d i e b a c k , for tranplantation. east of the attributed to tree. the delayed, That but normal shock of con- would entail modifications struction of the nearby to parking areas at the cenWoodlands Operations tre. Centre in 2001, a natural gas The elimination of the line in 2001 and the region- left-turn lane would require al trunk watermain in 1996. two things. The north However, the tree, a entrance to the centre would white oak whose species is be restricted to right in/right the namesake of Oakville -- out only and a ring road a town which is younger would be added to enter the than the white oak in ques- Regional Centre from a new tion -- has withstood much signalized intersection north in its estimated 240 years. of the Woodlands Operation And still, the tree is Centre (the ambulance cenassessed at being in moder- tre located just north of the ate health and moderate to Regional Centre). high structural condition. Residents living to the In order to still widen to west of Bronte Road would the east -- saving the also be able to use the new Bronte Creek Valley and signals and intersection. 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