After the San Juan Sitka Spruce near Port Renfrew lost its top in 2016 due to a lightning strike, it lost enough volume to be demoted from its previous status as Canada's largest sitka spruce.
So what is the largest Sitka spruce in the country now?
According to BC's Big Tree Registry, the San Jo's Smiley tree found on northern Vancouver Island is now the largest sitka spruce in Canada.
The Smiley Sitka is measured at 4.36 meters in diameter, and 77.8 m tall. The girth of the tree, measured at a height of 1.30 m, is a whopping 13.69 m.
This is what bctreehunter21 on Instagram had to say about this special tree:
"San Jo's Smiley, an exceptional Sitka spruce near Vancouver Island's Cape Scott, exceeds all expectations. While the tree's diameter of 4.36 metres is very impressive, it's the entirety of its mass that is most significant. The lack of taper is unique, and even 20 metres up its 77 metre trunk, the width looks to be close to 2.50 metres!"
It is, however, much harder to access than the San Juan Spruce.
The Ancient Forest Alliance, in announcing and celebrating the new champ on September 27, 2023, says it is "located near the San Josef River outside of Holberg in Quatsino territory."
While isolated in an area that few venture into, it is still well worth the trip, I am convinced.
If you are on northern Vancouver Island in the Cape Scott region, and are feeling adventurous, definitely search out this amazing tree survivor.
These massive remnant trees are worth infinitely more standing than laying on the ground to be chopped and hacked and insulted by petty, temporary human desires.
Cutting down trees that can live over a thousand years? When they are some of the last big trees of their type in the world?
How rude.
So it is incredible that trees, including the San Jo's Smiley Tree, still exist.
We are keeping it that way. BC and interested parties are ensuring that we are moving forward on big tree and forest protection.
That is great, because there are many more BC trees/forests worthy of protection that are currently at risk of being laid down.
The San Jo's Smiley tree, Canada's new largest Sitka Spruce, is one of the at risk trees.
It has no legal protection.
