Emerald ash borer: Why fell my tree?

Last updated September 7, 2022
Reading time: 1 min

Did you know that the emerald ash borer affects the health of ash trees and that declining ash trees must be felled as quickly as possible? The longer you wait, the greater is the risk that your tree will become dangerous.

You are required to remove dead or dying ash trees on your property. The City offers a grant to reimburse a portion of the cost of removal, provided that you replace your ash tree.

Trees provide numerous benefits and contribute to the fight against climate change. For that reason, it is important to replace felled ash trees.

The risks

Declining ash trees are the first to lose branches in strong winds or during glazed frost episodes. When they fall, these branches can cause damage or injury.

What to do if your ash tree is in poor condition

An ash that is dead or whose crown top is dying in a proportion of 30 per cent or more must be felled as quickly as possible. If that seems to be the case, please submit an online permit application.

Act now! It can cost much more to fell a dead tree, because added precautions must be taken to carry out the work safely.

Financial assistance and a free planting

The city offers financial assistance equivalent to $10 per centimeter of trunk diameter for each felled ash tree, up to a maximum of $4,000 per private property. In order to be eligible, you must agree to the planting of a replacement tree for each ash tree felled for which a subsidy application is submitted.

In order to facilitate the task, the city offers a “turnkey” option for replacing your ash tree free of charge. A choice of three species will be offered for each new tree, and a team of specialists will visit residents to plant the new trees. This additional offer is valued at about $300 per planted tree.