Council for the RM of Ste Anne says the trees need to come down, despite their resident’s pleas for just the opposite.

In recent days, a group of residents living along Two Mile Road and Road 35 East, have been protesting their municipality’s decision to remove trees and brush from alongside the roadway. Those who are opposed sense the project will hinder their privacy and lower their inherent property value.

hen we do this in the higher residential areas like this it can be a bit of a challenge for folks, but it is part of our maintenance.”

The RM of Ste. Anne plans to trim and remove up to 15 feet of brush from either side of both roadways, but Eros says, in many cases, it will not be necessary to clear out that entire section. In places where vehicle mobility and visibility are not hindered, he says the clearing will likely be less extensive. Furthermore, he stresses, no trees that are on private property will be touched.

“The longer you wait between doing this work, the harder it is on people when we do it,” acknowledges Eros. “The trees have grown in quite a bit and that road looks very much like a country lane.” It is not a country lane though, it is a paved municipal road, and Council remains unwavering when it comes to their basic maintenance procedures.

The bush clearing is scheduled to take place this coming spring and, before that happens, Eros welcomes the affected residents to help themselves to the wood.