Burnaby resident raises concerns about lack of consultation as city prepares to cut down 166 trees in local park as part of Redevelopment of the Cameron Community Center and Library.

Swati Jain said residents only realized the trees would be cut down when they saw the construction fence going up — so she emailed city staff to confirm.

It took three weeks to get a response and learn that the city planned to replace the trees with 779 new trees.

But Jain wants more proactive communication around the process.

“The idea is to make people aware of what we are losing,” she said.

She said the park is an important community gathering place that contributes to people’s mental health.

After her grandmothers died earlier this year, Jain said the park became a refuge.

“That park was a space where I really processed my grief,” she said.

“I meditated on it; I did yoga. …That’s why it affects me and other people who spend a lot of time there.

She wants more information about tree loss – including the environmental impact statement explaining what will happen to biodiversity, such as the park’s resident birds and squirrels – to be included prominently in communications from the city and in the media.

The city says it follows regulations regarding felling trees on public lands.

“The city will follow a plan to sustainably salvage and reuse as much wood as possible from downed trees,” Public Affairs Manager Cole Wagner said. Burnaby NOW in an emailed statement.

The project team estimated that 70 percent of the wood could be reused on-site or at other local sites, according to Wagner, who said potential wood reuse could include:

• Finishes for interior design, play structures, benches and/or other utilities in the new community center
• Ecological stream restoration and habitat structure improvement on local waterways in collaboration with the BC Wildlife Federation

The city will make “every effort” to replant the 779 new trees at the site of the new Cameron Community Center, but if the trees cannot be accommodated there, “the remaining trees will be provided in areas with low tree cover to ensure the smooth running of Burnaby. the urban forest is improved,” according to Wagner.

Due to construction in the area, the trees will not be replanted until the project’s completion date is near, Wagner said.

Although the city does not know the exact ages of all the trees removed, it is “fairly unlikely” that they are more than 100 years old, as they are either the same age as the community center (almost 40 years old) or younger.

As for the City’s public communication process regarding tree felling?

“City staff places signage in the area two weeks in advance of scheduled moves,” Wagner said.