Fortis B.C. has put all cutting on hold for the trees fronting a property along 100 Avenue on Thornhill.
The company had initially notified Michelle Purcell that work would begin Wednesday to cut down 12 trees lining the front of her property on Thornhill, including an old cedar that she figures to be more than 100 years old.
After reevaluating the work on Tuesday Fortis B.C. has told Purcell that they will be taking another look at where the gas line is in comparison to the trees.
In a letter addressed to Purcell dated Sept. 11, Fortis had said they “identified these trees as a risk to the integrity of our natural gas pipeline.”
Fortis said it had communicated with the residents in the area to explain the risks and described plans to remove the trees.
The trees are located within the City of Maple Ridge road allowance and Fortis says applicable bylaws allow Fortis to remove them without a permit “for the purpose of safety, maintenance and operation of Fortis B.C.’s infrastructure and following standard arboricultural practices.”
Purcell first spotted a contractor from Asplundh Tree Expert Company during the summer of 2017 checking the trees that border her property on the west side of 268th Street near 100th Avenue. The contractor, who has been hired by Fortis B.C. to remove the trees, said then that trees can’t be any closer than six metres to a gas line.
Purcell didn’t hear anything more about the work until about mid-June, when the same contractor showed up, this time knocking on her door, telling her the trees have to go.
Purcell, who moved into the house with her family in 1974, found out that the gas line was initially installed in 1956, and, she claims the cedar was already there.
The city was made aware of Fortis B.C.’s plans on July 4, when it received a complaint from Purcell’s neighbour.
Chuck Goddard, manager of development and environmental services with the City of Maple Ridge, said previously that Fortis has no obligation to talk with the property owners because the trees are located in the road right-of-way.
And Fortis is exempted under the city’s bylaw requiring property owners to obtain permits before cutting down trees.
Exemptions under the bylaw are if the cutting is being undertaken by a public utility for the purpose of safety, maintenance and operation of a public utility.
Purcell is still frustrated.
“Fortis has been putting a gas line in down 272nd to the highway and up to 100th. And they are right beside the edge of the road. They are four feet down and they are one foot from vegetation. They are not clearing it,” said Purcell.
“Are they realizing what they are doing to the whole front of my property?”
She said the trees are 10 feet from her well.
“I will not have a tree to hold the water. They’ve built a ridge along the edge of my driveway last year because the water was washing everything away and that’s with trees in place. What will it be like this year when there are no trees,” she asked.
Purcell is going to pay to get a survey of her land, to ensure the trees are indeed within six metres of the gas line.
She has already taken down a fence that her husband refurbished last year because she was told it would be in the way of the work.
“I’m going to tell them that they are not touching a damn tree on here until I have a survey to prove it,” she said.
Fortis said in the letter that its continuously evaluates its pipelines to determine if vegetation needs to be removed.
“All of the trees that have been identified are within our standard clearance limits for vegetation management along our pipelines.”
