Tree of the Year - Tree Trust

Thanks to Tree Trust and the Echo Foundation for making the “Tree of the Year” initiative possible.

We are grateful for the donated draw prize from Magic Pebble Books, downtown Elora.

2023

Centre Wellington

Please consider a massive, ancient apple tree that was part of the orchards of the Harvey farm and later the Fergus Golf Club of Kinnettles. Even in old age, the tree is saturated in blossoms each spring. The photo was taken May 31, 2019. The location of the tree is at the eastern dead-end of Bon Accord St and at the south end of the Beatty Line (on the road allowance). It is adjacent to the memorial arboretum and near the Grand River.
Every year I watch this magnificent tree blossom, fill out for the summer and turn beautiful colours in the Fall. My granddaughter who is now 18 always remarks on it as well as she was often with me when she was small and I was driving around and would point it out to her. These pictures don’t do it justice as it is just coming out.
My young Maple on my front lawn was so beautiful last autumn it took my breath away! It’s in my front yard in Tower St S across from soccer park.
Estimated walnut tree age is 120 yrs. We have experienced the sun filtered canopy & enjoyed the multitude of birds & wildlife that rest or nest there. We have been educated on bird & wildlife fascinating behaviours. The canopy has been a wonderful spot for friends to gather in the spring to fall. In the winter we marvel at its massive silhouette against the winter sky!
On North Queen Street sits a very elderly Sugar Maple - possibly planted to celebrate Queen Victoria’s jubilee year in 1897. Some may see this tree as too decrepit to bother with, but the fact of the matter is that this tree continues storing carbon and providing habitat in its declining years. And, In the meantime it is ‘mothering’ some nearby maple saplings who will take its place one day
Majestic, lacey, willowy fronds turn from bare to yellow to green and waves gently in the breeze. Wet feet are joyful and keeps me strong. Calling all Cardinals, Robins, Doves, Crows, chipmunks and squirrels to tickle my branches and make me laugh. I love my willow tree!
My tree was a Cedar in front of my parked car. Why? Well this cedar housed a pair of doves at least three times last year. These doves sat where two branches crossed, where they were comfortable and could raise their broods. To me the “nest” was precarious, would these eggs survive, would the baby birds be dry? My Cedar tree helped at least six more birds come into the world
Thirty six years ago we purchased property containing a beautiful Elm tree. A lot of elms succumbed to the Dutch Elm disease, but this giant flourishes. It's branches rise up from a sturdy trunk, with leaves giving shade and beauty for many years to come.
The tree I would like enter is my 100 year old red maple on my front lawn, 210 At. Andrew St. E., Fergus (corner of St. Andrew St. E and Gowrie). Other than providing privacy and shade to my home she has been a landmark for directions. She also has provided me with sap in the spring.
We love this tree. It blooms with white flowers in the spring followed by red berries. The colours are beautiful on the landscape. The birds love to sit in the tree, and to eat the berries. It gets bigger and fuller every year and looks very happy.
For that gift from these trees I will be forever grateful.
We have a 'special tree' in our yard...in fact a very special tree!. We have lived in an older home here for 38 years. An older home does not come with air conditioning normally; but this home did! A glorious old elm tree has shaded us and provided cool temperatures in our home all these years. We think it is about 75-80 years old. It has also been a home for wildlife. In fact, when it was 25 feet shorter, a racoon climbed it and peaked in our son's bedroom window! She is healthy and produces many 'offspring' annually. We have shared her babies. In fact we have donated seeds and seedlings to U of G arboretum and to Neighbourwoods North. We take good care of her so she will continue to take good care of us! She is very special. We live at 320 Erb Street, Elora. We are Rick and Nancy Goodfellow and can be contacted by this email or 519-846-5670. Love what TreeTrust does! Thank you.
Oaks are superstars of the environment. They feed and shelter more native creatures (insects, birds, & other animals) than any other tree in North America. They provide ecological benefits for hundreds of years. Doug Tallamy calls them 'critically important in running our ecosystems'. And they are gorgeous. We need oaks!
another gorgeous huge oak, gifting our community with a vast range of ecological benefits: feeding and sheltering more native creatures than any other tree; providing pools of cool shade; building the soil; absorbing water and carbon; and making the community beautiful. We need oaks!
another superstar oak in our community! Oaks feed and shelter a huge diversity of insects, birds, and small animals; improve soil and water; sequester carbon; and create a beautiful, healthy ecosystem wherever they grow, for hundreds of years. We need oaks!
She was ancient in 1973 . . . 50 years later, still standing strong, 3 generations of our family have played on her tire swing, climbed into her treehouse, felt her sheltering shade on hot summer days, gazed at her autumn glory, and tasted the sweetness of her spring sap. We nominate our Majestic Maple Tree as Centre Wellington's Tree of the Year.
The old oak tree stands at 51 Wellington Dr. Elora. We moved here in the early 2000's and really didn't pay much attention to the tree. Through the years we have come to appreciate the tree. It makes a mess pollinating in the spring. It puts dents in the vehicles when the acorns drop in the summer and it's a large clean-up in late November when the leaves fall. Above all there is a timeless beauty to the tree. It provides refuge for squirrels, birds, insects and provides shade in the summer. At 120 years old it is still here in the subdivision that was once the back 40 acres. P.S. There is a family of wee folk living in the bottom of the tree, we hear them but never see them
I don’t even know what kind of tree this is but it spans more than the width of this lot. It is majestic. It’s located on Garafraxa Street E across from where Gowrie Street N ends I have been visiting it ever since I spotted it this winter.
Our beloved Sugar Maple stands majestically in the park of one of the original Fergus homes; that of Chas Davidson 1887. With a circumference of more than 15 feet, we have been told that it may be one of Queen Victoria’s jubilee trees and has been adding its glory to St. Andrew Street East for well over a century. It has been a big part of our family both in entertaining our children with its tire swing and being the backdrop of our annual family photos. In the summer its massive canopy offers cool shade, in the fall a glorious expanse of red and gold and year-round a habitat for a host of animals. This tree is testimony to the many ways trees enrich our community and environment! Now in its senior years we would love to honour this living piece of Fergus history. The Rumbells, 335 St. Andrew Street East, Fergus
This stately White Elm (Ulmus americana) stands guard over the median where Gordon Street divides in two at the north end of Fergus. Its classic 'umbrella' shape creates a striking pose in the late evening light. We continue to enjoy this graceful specimen, despite the prevalence of Dutch Elm Disease, making it truly worthy of the Tree of the Year!
In the dark stillness of early morning Covid walks, I noticed rabbits, birds, snowflakes, but mostly, trees. I named my tree “Grandy” because of its majestic shape; its far-reaching limbs symmetrical, yet haphazardly arranged. Its gnarled bark could tell a thousand stories of children scrambling up it and passersby admiring its grandeur, just as I have.
Why I think this tree should be tree of the year is because all the school kids climb on it and it has a few dead limbs on it and it is very wide and not able to grow much taller. It's at Pierpont Park on Anderson and Lamond Street Fergus. drawing submitted by Maggie Kingdon (age 11) 128 Lamond St, Fergus
My tree shares. It feeds friends and shades neighbours. It's 80 years old but produces the sweetest apple sauce I've ever known. Its limbs are like biceps. 53 years ago, Jim Keeting saved this tree when building a new bungalow along Mill Street where an orchard had formerly been. Bravo.
I nominate the maple tree on Sixth Line East on the corner property at 7219 Wellington Road. Country drives are de rigueur all year round in the rural countryside near my father's farm on the Sixth Line East. At the end of the Sixth Line stands a magnificant maple tree among a small grove of maple trees. In the fall we make several trips to see the large maple tree with its vibrant colourful canopy. This tree is so beautiful that we featured it in our father's funeral tribute video in April 2023. The maple tree's beauty inspires wonder, joy, awe, and happiness. Now the maple tree stands as a treasured reminder of going on country drives with our father. We love travelling the rural roads especially along the Grand River on Wellington 21 stopping by Wilson's Flats, Pilkington Outlook, Elora Conservation and of course stopping to see our favourite maple tree at the end of the Sixth Line. We hold these memories close to our heart.
What would make a tree worthy of being called Tree of the Year? Age? Size? Significance to the environment? The Sugar Maple at 55 Church Street, Elora qualifies with a resounding yes. Estimated to be over 200 years old, it survived the clear cut that made way for the village of Elora. It was once part of a majestic row of trees that lined the fledgling village's main street. Its expansive branches are home to a wide variety of urban wildlife and provide shade to the surrounding homes. It takes no less than three people to give the tree a hug. Lastly, the Tree of the Year should have a name worthy of the honour. I give you the Manse Maple.
We are happy to nominate the glorious sugar maple at the front of 20 York St W for Tree of the Year. Thanks to Tree Trust, this tree is living its best life. After helping raise our kids, it is now providing shade, joy and a literal identity to our multi-generational home. We owe this tree a lot and wanted to nominate it for this award as a token of our appreciation for all it has done for our family, street and community. The tree is too big to have one picture capture its glory!
Our beautiful and majestic Norway Spruce trio have been on our property for almost 100 years! Almost ‘entwined as one’, they provide us with much needed shade and are a great feature in our back yard. We call them the 3 Sisters!
I would like to submit this tree at 249 Garafraxa St E. It truly is magnificent! I’m not sure you even notice it when driving by it on Garafraxa but as soon as you sitting at the stop sign facing north on Gowrie St, that’s when you see it! This tree reaches from one side of the property right to the other side and it is glorious all year round.
I would like to nominate these trees for tree of the year as they help keep our children safe while they play.
Hiya! I'm a cherry tree behind Knox in Elora. Tourists like to take pictures and artists like to paint me. I'm flattered! I guess I am prettiest in bloom, but the birds like to partake in my fruit, too. I'm a wee bit lopsided so would love a new "do!"

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Centre Wellington’s Tree of the Year winner is the beautiful Black Walnut in Fergus.

Black Walnut
249 Garafraxa St E
Fergus

Approximately 120-130 years old

DBH: 95.5 cm
Height: 21 m
Canopy: 30 m
Carbon Stored: 5.3 ton
Storm Water Intercepted: 23,518 L

With over 4 nominations alone, the Black Walnut deserves to be recognized as Tree of the Year!

It truly is magnificent! The tree reaches from one side of the property right to the other side and it’s glorious all year round!
– Kelly Hall

Elora Fergus Today: Centre Wellington announces its tree of the year

Stratford-Perth

The winning Sugar Maple behind Stratford Intermediate School.

This fall Stratford Tree Trust and Tim’s Tree Care, along with the school’s Environmental Club, are working to repair one of our city’s most iconic trees – the old sugar maple tree behind the Stratford Intermediate School. Friday September 22 Tim’s Tree Care will extend the life of this “Tree of the Tear” with extensive root repair and safety signage/improvements.

Sugar Maple
60 St Andrew St
Stratford

Approximately 100-120 years old

DBH: 91 cm
Height: 23 m
Carbon Stored: 3.5 ton
Water Runoff Mitigated: 21,209 L

Toronto Island Community

Toronto Island Community 2023 Tree of the Year winner is the majestic Scots Pine.

Watch the interview by Prof. Pricklethorn with the winner!

Approximately 100 years old
DBH: 96 cm
Height: 27 m
Carbon Stored: 2.5 ton

Waterloo Region

Reep Green Solutions, in collaboration with Tree Trust and the Echo Foundation, is thrilled to announce that the 2023 Tree of the Year is Waterloo’s Bur Oak! Five legacy trees from various cities and townships competed for this title. The importance of these mature trees to community resilience cannot be overstated. You can continue to learn more about these impactful trees here.

“It’s got grandeur. . . .”

Sharon Woodley of the Uptown Tree Coalition is referring to a broadly-spreading, solitary oak next to the Albert Street parking lot at the Waterloo Public Library. The Coalition, which she and a few other Waterloo residents established in 2021 to champion the urban forest in the city core, has nominated it for Tree of the Year 2023. “We had to nominate it. Everyone in the neighbourhood loves it.” And Sharon should know, being an active community builder who moved into this neighbourhood more than 50 years ago… [read more]

Meaford

Meaford, ON, September 25, 2023…..One tree has stood out from among a half dozen trees that were nominated for the Meaford Tree Trust inaugural designation of Tree-of-the-Year, a lone super tall sycamore tree that towers over the monument to Beautiful Joe in Meaford’s Beautiful Joe Park.

The tree’s origin is a mystery. Its location this far north is surprising. The fact that it is thriving and that Tree Trust has chosen it as its Tree-of-the-Year is “auspicious”, according to Tree Trust arborist Tobias Efflinger. “Not only is it a grand tree but choosing this sycamore is timely,” he said. “Sycamores are Carolinian. The Carolinian trees are moving north, south, east and west – the change is not linear. The fact that we have a Carolinian species here suggests that we have good genetic soils and they will survive here.”

Tree Trust is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to preserve the biggest and best urban trees. The organization raises funds to hire arborists who keep the trees healthy and extend their lifespans through measures such as pruning, fertilizing and insect control.

Coordinator Pete Russell has come to recognize the special connection that many individuals have to particular trees. “When talking to people about big old trees, often their faces will light up as they tell me about a special tree that they love,” he says.

“Legacy trees are key players in the fight against climate change. They are the carbon sequestering giants in the battle against climate change. Grey County is blessed with an assortment of legacy trees, some less notable than others, some in more or less healthy condition, yet so many of which loom tall in the hearts of those who have a personal connection to them. Meaford Tree Trust set out in June to designate one such tree as the 2023 Tree-of-the-Year.

“The program was sponsored by Echo Foundation. We received six nominations, all of them certainly worthy, each with its own appeal. The nominations included a rare specimen of a sycamore tree, a spirited ‘laydown’ tree, a giant cottonwood tucked away on a side trail, a pine tree that conjured up a fantasy world, a statuesque willow, and a beech tree that glows in the late afternoon sun.

“Choosing one over the others was not an easy task.”

Read more about the nominated trees here.