The heritage tree in the Cowichan Centre parking lot is scheduled to be removed because the parking lot is to be improved.
There is a principle at stake. Do trees have rights? Are we as a society willing to give a tree the right to live? Is there a need for community input to new developments?
Perhaps we need to develop on a regional basis a legacy tree list, where old trees with significance are placed on this list. Once on the list, the legacy tree would be protected.
A process would be established to hold public meetings to establish the community’s support to protect the legacy tree.
This issue needs to be investigated in greater depth. There is need to give the community an input/chance to participate in new developments such as saving this legacy tree.
Gerry Masuda
Duncan