Dear Mayor and Council and City Staff,
This email is to inform you that a petition to save our Centennial Square Sequoia from demolition has reached over 3,350 signatures.
We continue to undertake extensive research into the decisions made by mayor, council regarding our sequoia tree.
We are saddened to discover that no public consultation ever took place regarding plans to remove the Sequoia or the centennial fountain - these are indispensable aspects to our city's civic square that require an immediate and robust protection plan as well as heritage designation.
We are deeply concerned and saddened by your stated intentions to remove not only the Sequoia, but other healthy trees with sentimental value that were gifted to the citizens of this municipality.
We are also concerned because there are no records from BC Hydro which would indicate that the sequoia tree is causing any damages to any hydro box. This was clearly conveyed to us after we submitted an FOI request to BC Hydro.
We are imploring you to repeal the centennial square redevelopment plans which were voted in on July 2024 without undertaking proper public engagement. We ask that you undertake proper, updated, and robust public consultation on the issue of removing the sequoia, the other sentimental trees, as well as the removal of Centennial fountain and relocation of our wonderful monoliths. We ask that you listen to and take the appropriate action to respond to the concern of the citizens you have promised to represent.
Kind regards,
Mary Fowles
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Note the illustration posted above is by the talented artist and cartoonist Teresa Waclawik who created this wonderful cartoon published in the James Bay Beacon in Dec… re. Preserving the giant sequoia in Centennial square.
For more information, please contact treesmatternetwork@gmail.com