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8- The Oakville Beaver, Friday July 13, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Oakville honours woman who saved old oak By Krissie Rutherford OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The enormous white oak tree on Bronte Road has been `a survivor since 1730.' It's older than the town itself. One of the major reasons it's still surviving: 86-yearold Joyce Burnell. The long-time Oakville resident was honoured Wednesday beneath the tree during a surprise presentation by friends and politicians, including Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr and Oakville Ward 4 Councillor Allan Elgar. "It certainly is a privilege to be honoured like this," said a smiling Burnell, who was presented with two plaques as a thank-you for her work. Although she deflects all praise for saving the tree, it was Burnell who started a citizen-led campaign a year ago to make sure the tree wasn't a victim of development. Plans were in place to widen Bronte Road from a two- to a four-lane highway, and the tree stood in the path of destruction. Hearing this news, the retired school teacher contacted Elgar, who had spoken out against destroying the tree. "My first memory was making the call to Allan Elgar ­ I hadn't a clue who Allan Elgar was," Burnell recalled yesterday, laughing along with the councillor. Burnell says she called to DAVID LEA / OAKVILLE BEAVER SURVIVOR: Regional Chair Gary Carr presents Oakville resident Joyce Burnell with a plaque for her efforts in protecting the old white oak tree on Bronte Road near the Halton Regional Centre. The tree is said be be well about 250 years old. From left, Ernie Kuechmeister, Carr, Burnell, Marianne Hawthorne and Ward 4 Councillor Allan Elgar. 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NOTICE OF INTENTION TO PASS A LODGING HOUSE BY-LAW As a result of concerns raised, Town Council, at its meeting of November 27, Monday, March 26, 200 7 2006, directed staff to provide a report with respect to roomers and boarders 7:30 p.m. - C ouncil C hambers, Town to the1225 Trafal within the Town of Oakville. In response Hall - report, Town gar Roadat its Council, meeting ofwill consider the 2007 Operating and Capital Budgets as to enact Council Tuesday, July 3, 2007, approved a staff recommendation Town of Oakville By-law 2007-126, being C ommitteelicense and regulate26 recommended by the 2007 Budget a by-law to on Monday, March lodging housesouncil Town of Oakville. in C in the C hambers. A copy of the proposed by-law may be obtained for your examination at the Clerk's Offi ce at 905.338.4235 by 12 noon on Monday, March 26, 2007. Licensing & By-law Enforcement office at the Town Hall, 1225 Trafalgar Road, or Delegations will have a maximum of 10 minutes to address C ouncil. on the Town's website at oakville.ca. Members of the public are invited to provide C comments in writing to Jim Barry, Supervisor of By-law Enforcement, The theiropiesoftheBudgetdiscussiondocumentareavailableontheTown's Corporation of the Town of Oakville,the Finance De Road, P.O. Box 310, Oakville, website at www.oakville.ca and in 1225 Trafalgar partment located on ON L6J 5A6 d floore-mail to jbarry@oakville.ca by no later than Friday, July 27, the secon or by at Town Hall, 1225 Trafalgar R oad between 8:30 a.m. 2007. 4:30 p.m. and DATE NOTICE GIVEN: July 6, 2007 the meetin g, to the Town Clerk, Town of Oakville, 1225 Trafal LAST DATE FOR APPEAL: July 26, 2007 2007 Operating and Capital Budget s Anyone wishin g to appear as a dele gation must re gister with the C ouncil's consideration may be sent, prior to gar Road, Oakville, L6J 5A6 or by email to townclerk @oakville.ca . Written submissions for For more information visit www.oakville.ca or call 905-845-6601 tell him, "I'm on your side." He "persuaded me," she says, to make a presentation to town council. "And the rest, as they say, is history," Burnell said, smiling. Her council presentation spurred the idea to re-route the road around the tree, and the Woodland Oak Tree Preservation Committee was born to fund the project. Burnell co-chaired the 10-person strong, grass-roots group along with Jim Young, though as she said Wednesday, she had no experience with fundraising. The price tag to re-route the road around the tree: $343,000. "The people opened their hearts, opened their purses and we came through," said Burnell, smiling. She was never in doubt, either. "Someone asked me, if you don't raise the funds, will you tie yourself to the tree? And I said, no, that won't be necessary. We'll do this." And they did. An anonymous $150,000 donation from a Toronto woman, school fundraisers, corporate donations and a benefit concert by Sarah Harmer were just some of the ways people pitched in to save the white oak. Donations were even sent from people from as far away as India, England and Ireland, who heard about the tree and wanted to help out. The committee was a little short of its goal by the deadline day in December of last year, but after a request from Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn, the Province, Region and Town each ponied up $25,000 to meet the goal. As Elgar said, it truly is "the people's tree." "It's the common people, the everyday people, who are out here fighting to do these things," he said. Added the regional chair, after presenting Burnell with a plaque for her dedication, "It is so great that we have people that care so much, that they're prepared to do so much for the people of the Region." "The legacy will live on," Carr added. Wednesday's presentation was organized by a friend and admirer of Burnell's, Ernie Kuechmeister, who presented her with a framed plaque of a story The Globe and Mail did about the tree and her efforts. "Here's a person, who, in most places would be quite content to sit in her rocking chair and watch the world pass her by, because she's done her bit," said Kuechmeister. "But she got out of her chair, she went to the council meeting and said, `This is wrong.' She got this whole thing going. You have to admire that." Burnell says she was spurred into action because of the white oak's "rich history," and the fact that it's been around so long. "It's an example of being a survivor," she said, smiling.