Appendix: Arborist Report - 73 Norquay Road

Re: Douglas-fir and Grand Fir trees along retaining wall on the property boundary between 73 and 71 Norquay Road

During our May 10, 2016 site visit, at your request we inspected one 43 cm d.b.h. Douglas-fir tree and one 56 cm d.b.h. Grand Fir tree that are located on the property at 73 Norquay Road and where their growth characteristics are impacting the adjacent property at 71 Norquay Road. The trees are located in the front garden and against a rock retaining wall that retains the raised area of the front lawn and garden on this neighbouring property.

Our visual inspection found these two young trees to be healthy with foliage of normal size, colour and density on the limbs and twigs and average elongation of the annual shoots and growth leaders. We did not observe any fruiting bodies of wood or root decay pathogens, or any soil cracking heaving root plate lifting or any other indicators of root plate instability.

While at present both trees are young and relatively healthy, the Grand fir is a tree species that is highly susceptible to infestations by the Balsam Woolley adelgid and Balsam Twig aphid insect pests, and infection with needle cast disease pathogens. Infection and infestation with these insect and disease pests frequently results in the loss of the lower foliage and growth on the lower portion of the trunk, and the development of heavily weighted multiple growth leaders in the upper canopy as a result of the central growth bud being killed by these pests. The central leaders become highly susceptible to breakage and there is a high incidence of failure of these heavily weighted growth leaders in this tree species. For this reason this is a tree species that we do not recommend retaining close to house or in other high target locations.

Both trees grow close to the retaining wall that was constructed along the property boundary with 71 Norquay Road to support the raised area of this neighbouring front garden.

The root collars of both trees have been exposed by hand excavation and structural roots were observed growing beneath the retaining wall. It appears that the trees have grown in this location since the wall was constructed, or they were much smaller at the time the wall was constructed and the wall was constructed without severing these structural supporting roots. The wall above these roots, as observed in the attached photos, has now been lifted and cracked by the root growth. The cracking and damage to this retaining wall will become more severe as the trees mature and the roots continue to increase in size and diameter.

Due to the close proximity of the tree trunks to the retaining wall the options for addressing this damage long term, while still retaining the trees, are somewhat limited.

If it is your intention to eliminate the existing damage to your neighbours retaining wall caused by the growth of the tree roots so that the wall can be repaired and to prevent any future damage from occurring, it will be necessary to sever all of the roots that are growing beneath the wall.

In our opinion severing the roots this close to the tree trunk will result in an unreasonable risk that the trees will not remain stable and will increase the risk of failure once the roots are severed. Coniferous trees in general and particularly Grand Fir trees show a low tolerance to root loss and such loss frequently results in a decline in health and may lead to the eventual death of the tree.

Given the tree species, their location close to the houses on both properties and the anticipate loss of structural supporting roots we recommend the removal of the trees prior to this root pruning to eliminate all potential future risk that would result from this root loss.

Please do not hesitate to call us at (250) 479-8733 should you have any further questions. Thank You.

Yours truly, Talbot Mackenzie & Associates

Tom Talbot & Graham Mackenzie ISA Certified, & Consulting Arborists

Enclosure – picture pages (2 pages)

Disclosure Statement

Arborists are professionals who examine trees and use their training, knowledge and experience to recommend techniques and procedures that will improve their health and structure or to mitigate associated risks.

Trees are living organisms, whose health and structure change, and are influenced by age, continued growth, climate, weather conditions, and insect and disease pathogens. Indicators of structural weakness and disease are often hidden within the tree structure or beneath the ground. It is not possible for an Arborist to identify every flaw or condition that could result in failure nor can he/she guarantee that the tree will remain healthy and free of risk.

Remedial care and mitigation measures recommended are based on the visible and detectable indicators present at the time of the examination and cannot be guaranteed to alleviate all symptoms or to mitigate all risk posed.