The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

8- The Oakville Beaver, Friday June 16, 2006 www.oakvillebeaver.com After 250 years the landmark white oak tree that stands majestically just north of the Halton Regional Centre may have its days numbered thanks to Halton Regional council. Landmark oak tree's days may now be numbered By Angela Blackburn SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER It appears the majority of Halton taxpayers aren't crazy about spending $500,000 to save a piece of local history -- at least not in the form of the 250-year-old white oak tree in front of regional headquarters on Bronte Road. It's doubtful that any recent issue has created as much fuss at Halton Region. A plan to save the landmark tree -- going around it by building an internal ring road likely to be needed in future anyway -- had been passed at Halton's Planning and Public Works Committee and was at regional council for voting last month when it was sent back to committee. It appears there was a flurry of public complaints over a waste of tax dollars. On Wednesday, Halton's Planning and Public Works Committee once again had the same staff recommendation to spend the cash and save the tree -- but on a tie vote, it lost. Halton's Legal Services Commissioner Mark Meneray said without a new motion on the table -- and none was put forward -- it will now go to regional council Wednesday without a recommendation. And in the absence of any action, the road widening plan will now go forward unamended -- right through where the tree stands. Numerous delegations appealed to the committee to save the tree, including Bronte Road resident Victor Enns who spoke on behalf of himself and former neighbour Dr. George Atkins, an 88-yearold former CBC broadcaster, who has received the Order of Canada and grew up on the land where the tree now sits. Enns said it was wrong to lump the approximate $800,000 costs of the ring road with the cost of saving the tree. Regional staff confirmed the ring road will likely be needed anyway by 2009 when the Region and Halton Regional Police expand the Regional Centre by 30 per cent -- whether or not the planned addition of Halton's public and Catholic school boards and courts occurs. Terry Paunkoff, who bought Atkins property presented a 1972 agreement Atkins had signed by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to protect the tree during a construction project. Meneray said the legal agreement was project specific and not binding anymore -- but some felt bound to uphold its spirit. Oakville mayoral candidate Rob Burton spoke as 10-year president of the Joshua Creek Residents' Inc. (JCRI) on behalf of saving the tree. Doug Walters of the Hamilton branch of the Ontario Institute of Agrologists, which represents Halton, urged regional councillors to "christen the tree the Woodlands White Oak and tell its story." Suzanne Robertson of Burlington, a city which has a heritage tree bylaw, urged the trees acorns be given to school kids to plant as it must have "super genes." Regional Chair Joyce Savoline said the absence of a heritage tree bylaw in Oakville is "just a technicality." The veteran regional chair who is stepping down this fall said she has a box of acorns from the old oak (her office overlooks it), which she intends to plant "secretly" in Halton during retirement. "This is a very special tree. It has outlived a lot of things in the community and is older than the community," she said. Ward 4 Councillor Allan Elgar noted the tree is rare in southern Ontario's landscape. Ward 4 Town Councillor Renee Sandelowsky advocated respecting what's around us and what has come before. Savoline said Halton has often gone the extra mile -- or put up extra cash -- hoping to save something. Elgar said the Bronte Road widening north of Upper Middle had come in $1.9 million over estimates without complaint. The option to relocate the tree was studied, but recent reports said it would be too risky. "It doesn't mean there aren't other ways to save the tree," said Savoline. There was talk about seeking sponsorship from the community to save the tree and may be brought forward Wednesday. Even if more trees were planted to replace the oak Savoline said, "My grandchildren, or great-grandchildren will never see a 250-year-old tree from it." Burlington Councillor Jack Dennison said he couldn't support the cost or removal of two, 50-year-old oaks to save the tree. Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette said he couldn't support saving the tree based on all the calls from taxpayers. -- Angela Blackburn can be reached at angela@oakvillebeaver.com.