Hydro One denies appeal to save 300+ year old trees; now up to County
Administrator | Aug 24, 2026 | Comments 5
Neighbours, Prince Edward County Field Naturalists and South Shore Joint Initiative members have appealed unsuccessfully to Hydro One and to the Hydro One Ombudsman to save 300-400 year-old trees on County Road 13.
“We are hoping that an appeal to the PEC Operational Services department will result in a last-minute reprieve for the trees,” said Cheryl Anderson, of SSJI, noting the department had unfortunately so far given approval of this plan.
The residents learned Hydro One will destroy ancient Burr Oak trees that are between 300 and 400 years old and adjacent Shagbark Hickories – without prior consultation with all the neighbours along County Road 13 from approximately address 4500 to 4575. There are three trees intended for destruction. They are part of a group along the roadside from the bend where it becomes Long Point road to Gravelly Bay road.
The trees are being destroyed to facilitate moving the hydro and phone lines to the roadside from the interior of the properties on the lake side of the road in the area where the road becomes known as Long Point Rd.
“The Burr Oaks are some of what remains of the original pre-European forests that covered the South Shore,” said Anderson. “By removing them, Hydro is altering yet again the important and unique habitat of the South Shore of Prince Edward County. That habitat has been nationally recognized in the designation of the South Shore Key Biodiversity Area due to its geographically restricted ecosystem types (forest and woodland).”
From a Prince Edward County Field Naturalist brochure titled Oak-Hickory Forest: “At least 1/5 of the County (approx. 55,000 acres) is on shallow soil over limestone and is classified as Farmington Loam soil.
“This area was likely an open woodland of Shagbark Hickory and Oaks including Bur Oak, Northern Red Oak, White Oak and Chinquapin Oak as well as Red Cedar and White Ash. Much of the Farmington Loam was cleared for agriculture but was marginal for this use and has now become dense Red Cedar bush. Remnants of the original Oak-Hickory woodland now account for less than 1 per cent (500 acres) of their former extent.”
“We are hoping that an appeal to the PEC Operational Services department will result in a last-minute reprieve for the trees.”
The Office of the Hydro One Ombudsman is an independent “office of last resort” that investigates unresolved complaints about Hydro One. Reach out to them by phone at 1-844-608-8756 or email Ombudsman@HydroOne.com, or use the online complaint form.
Troy Gilmour is the County’s Director of Operations. Phone: 613.476.2148 ext. 4001. Fax: 613.476.9121 Email: tgilmour@pecounty.on.ca
Filed Under: Featured Articles • Local News
I thought we had by-laws in this County to prevent ANYONE! from doing this. What’s going on here? Council…please step up!
Yes, there are acorns on the trees. You should be able to find them pretty easily – since the trees are marked with that orange tape.
Are there any acorns on the trees this year? I’d like to collect some if so, I’ve been growing Oak trees from acorns collected in fall. I’d share any seedlings that grow in the spring next year. Let me know thanks.
This is a shame, such beautiful trees should be left alone.
Thank you Bert for adding that context. I hope you are successful in saving your Burr Oaks.
We in L & A county are up against a similar dilemma with 300-400 yr old but oaks the county wants to remove because they pose a liability to vehicle operators on cty Rd 9 near Shermans Pt and another sole 400+ yr old burr oak on cty Rd 41 near Ingle (west of Tamworth). There has been numerous letters to the County Director of Roads and Bridges. but to no avail. Also attendance to county meetings by 110+ residents and petitions,signed by many many people.
We wish that there was another avenue we could plead our preservation case to, to get better action. Maybe letters to the local MPP? We wish we all collectively could find a true remedy, other than handcuffing ourselves to those trees and make a public statement, to open the eyes of the unaware people who could help. These are ancient trees. They were here long before Canada became a country! There are many short sighted politicians out there who need to see past their noses, on what impacts their decisions will make. These trees are the senior citizens of our heritage, of our county’s heritage! In some countries you would be arrested or jailed for cutting down or harming trees of this age! Are we really that backward?