Why we started HHTW 

It’s been quite a journey since we began Hoggs Hollow Tree Watch in the summer of 2021. It started when a healthy 250-year-old sugar maple at the end of our street was “on the chopping block”!   We started investigating when we learned this beautiful tree, the oldest and most majestic in our community, would be destroyed to make way for a massive new monster house. We learned that our mature, healthy tree canopy was being destroyed at an alarming rate…and it was happening right under our noses, and nothing was being done.  We knew we couldn’t sit quietly and allow this to happen, so we started our grassroots initiative, HHTW, to save our neighbourhood tree canopy.  

Our wake-up call came in early June 2022—three separate incidents, unrelated and infuriating.

The demolition of a heritage home at 19 Plymbridge Crescent on the May 24th long weekend.  This demolition of this home and the felling of several mature trees were done without permits.  The destroyed home was a much-loved neighbourhood treasure. It backed onto the ravine and in a designated environmentally sensitive area. It also lies within a flood plain, making future builds complex. The build continues as of August 2023, and the developer defies the City and the neighbourhood.  There have been Stop work Orders, fines levied, noise complaints, traffic violations, the owner has threatened neighbours, and the mayhem continues. Trees continue to be damaged or taken down, and the City and its many departments seem powerless.

The second incident was the felling of 3 very large, very old and very healthy pines from a neighbour’s backyard.  This was done without a permit, there was no fear of a punitive financial penalty from the City, and there was certainly no concern as to how this impacted neighbouring properties, which now lie completely exposed. which is now completely exposed.  The workers who removed the trees had the company’s name on the side of their truck covered up, and when neighbours questioned what they were doing and if they had a permit, they became combative and aggressive.

The third “are you kidding” moment came when we learned that a new build had been approved for 7 Knightswood.  This build required MASSIVE variances, including the destruction of a healthy 

250-year-old tree. The Committee of Adjustment approved the build without hesitation.  This is when we learned that the Committee of Adjustment often does not work in the community’s best interests. They care little about how the build will impact the environment or if it will set a negative precedent.  We learned from the neighbours that the online meeting was a farce.  There seemed to be inconsistencies pre, during and post the on-line meeting:

• those that did receive mailed notice of the meeting received it only a few days before the meeting(it is supposed to be a minimum of 10 days prior).  They had no time to prepare, no time to solicit help
• the notice of the meeting was poorly posted.  120’ from the street, on a door covered with debris, other notices, unopened mail and broken branches

Four neighbours attended the meeting, and there were technical difficulties:

• difficulty signing in for the meeting, and connection was lost several times during the meeting
• the neighbours who did get online were put On Mute
• changes were made by the architect mid-meeting which the residents could not ask questions about because they were muted

Urban Forestry had written a compelling report in hopes of saving the tree. The TRCA (Toronto and Region Conservation Authority) was unconcerned although 7 Knightswood :

• is in a designated environmentally sensitive area
• is on high ground and has already caused flooding to neighbours
• is in a flood plain
• is in a ravine system
• is metres away from the Don River

 These three incidents added to the feeling that our neighbourhood was under siege. The Committee of Adjustment needs to be more concerned about how these types of builds will impact neighbourhoods and the precedents they set.  Urban Forestry was powerless to protect our neighbourhood and its tree canopy.   Frustratedly, we started our Stop the Chop campaign in our amateurish, grassroots way.  We began by cutting and pasting a flyer which neighbourhood children distributed.  We had a neighbour design the sign, and we walked around our community and asked residents if they wanted a sign on their lawns.  We distributed over 100 signs in just a few days, and a real movement was started.  We recognized we carried the weight of the neighbourhood’s want and desire to protect our tree canopy, but we also knew we didn’t know much.  We set out to work to learn as much as possible and try to educate our neighbours along the way.

Although we have learned a lot in 2 years, it has been a steep learning curve and, frankly, pretty depressing at times.  Figuring out who does what at the Municipal, Provincial and Federal level and how each entity can impact our fight for trees has been like going through a maze.  There is no guidebook to lead you through this, but our naivety has also been our strength.  No question is too dumb for us to ask! 

Reality hit hard for us when the owner took down the tree at 7 Knightswood in late September.  He had a permit, what he did was not illegal, but in our minds, it was cruel and callus and very calculated.  There had been an online neighbourhood meeting organized by our councillor Jaye Robinson the night before.  He was on the call and knew how impassioned the neighbourhood was about saving the tree.  He was at 7 Knightswood early the next morning with his wrecking crew, the tree was down before 11am.  The owner is now renting the property, almost all of the trees on this once beautifully treed property have been removed, who knows what will happen next.

One of the strange by-products of our tree protection campaign was discovering that the home at 7 Knightswood was an Iceberg house.  No one, including ourselves had any idea what this was.  A building that has a 2 or 3 story basement seemed crazy.  Sports court, full theatre, karaoke bar, garage… all deep in the ground,  it seemed over the top. Then we found out how environmentally destructive these types of builds are especially in a flood zone and on a hill and the necessity to takedown of a 250 year old tree. This story has taken on a whole life of its own and the destruction of the tree and the uncovering of the Iceberg plans have been covered by local and national media.  It is very satisfying to see the interest we have generated and we like to believe the tree was sacrificed and good will come out of this.  There has certainly been newfound reverence by our neighbours for our few remaining old trees and very importantly they are willing to fight back.  Motions have been passed in City Council by Jaye Robinson which we hope will further tree protection and impact the City’s planning process in respect to tree preservation in general, tree protection during the building process and the potential destructive nature of Iceberg houses. 

We haven’t been alone in our fight to protect our tree canopy:

• incredibly supportive neighbours who have cheered us along

• the YMVA (York Mills Valley Association) a hard working, over tasked, under appreciated group of residents who have day jobs, have been dogged in their support.  They do the heavy lifting on behalf of the neighbourhood because of their love of the Valley

• Jaye Robison our City Councillor has been an unbelievable ally.  She has organized 2 neighbourhood meetings and gathered top officials from various departments to answer questions and put forth their views.  She has worked tirelessly to pass motions in City council, availed herself of our many questions, provided us with knowledge, connections and experience that we simply could never have gathered on our own

• Kim Stratham the head of Urban Forestry.  She is motivated, hands on and she really wants to make a difference in her job.

• the media has been wonderful.  There always seems to be commonalities when they come “down to the Valley”.  A real wow moment when they see just how beautiful our tree canopy is, an appreciation that we are making this effort and funnily many seem to have their own story about developers, Committee of Adjustment, trees being cut down…frankly everyone feels resentment that so little is being done to protect our natural heritage. 

 Kim Statham from Urban Forestry told us are last remaining “big tress” are called Remnant Trees, they are actually remnants from the original boreal forest that once covered southern Ontario.  Our mandate is to save these as well as protect the rest of our tree canopy….not just in Hoggs Hollow but throughout the GTA.  The provincial government has decimated environmental protection legislation and that is why it is so much easier to destroy the canopy. Development at any cost is the mantra of the provincial government and one of the costs is our tree canopy.

Shannon, Laura and Trudy