No Respect For BC's Big Trees

2 homeowners hired an arborist to illegally cut or damage 35 trees
in Capilano River Park to 'improve' the view from the homes

"The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing which stands in their way."

BC's big trees, despite attracting thousands of tourists every year, have a hard time getting respect from some of the people who live under them. Tragically, our government still allows the logging of the last of the big original trees out in what is remaining of our wilderness, while in our cities homeowners are illegally removing park trees to "improve the view".

A tree-cutting incident in a North Vancouver park made the news recently and highlights the attitude that many have in this province. Poet William Blake summed it up long ago when he said, "The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing which stands in their way."

Standing in the way of two homeowners living on properties bordering Capilano River Regional Park were 35 trees (in the park) up to 145 years old. The homeowners, in an attempt to improve the view and increase the value of their properties, allegedly found an unscrupulous arborist in the neighbourhood that was willing to take money to remove or damage the park trees.

All three are facing charges of mischief over $5000 dollars, and will have to pay for remediation.

Capilano River Regional Park on Vancouver's North Shore contains old growth forest
that has been surrounded by residential properties

As far as I am concerned, the homeowners reduced the value of their properties. I would be willing to pay extra for the privilege of living in a place with such incredible forest in the back yard. How could you possibly enhance that view?

Whatever they gained in view they lost in slope stability in the area below homes where the trees in question were  hacked down or severely trimmed. Maybe the houses will be at risk in the future when the slope fails, or when the hole in the forest canopy causes a blowdown event and trees begin to topple. Experts also say the illegal work increased the risk of fire.

Why would you spend $2 million dollars to live in forested North Vancouver if you don't like trees?

As audacious as this sounds, it is unfortunately not an isolated event in the old growth forest of Capilano River Park, which is surrounded by urban development. Last year another tree cutting incident in the park was dubbed the "North Vancouver Tree Massacre" by one news outlet. Again, 'improving' the view was the motive.



View Homeowners Illegally Cut Trees To Improve The View in a larger map


A little respect would go a long way when it comes to BC's old growth trees and public spaces.

Caring For The Urban Forest

Royal Roads urban forest in Victoria may be N. America's oldest

In recent years we have been increasingly recognizing the importance of trees and forests everywhere, including urban forests. Urban trees provide soul soothing green space amidst the black and greys of the endless pavement and concrete of cities around the world. When we build our cities, whenever possible, we also plant trees - and for very good reasons.

Why Are Urban Forests Valuable?

Trees and forests:

• Conserve energy by shading buildings and paved surfaces
• Filter air, and water-borne pollutants
• Remove atmospheric carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas
• Reduce storm water runoff
• Increase the value of our homes
• Have important psychological benefits; seeing and being around trees makes us feel better
• Urban forests can be managed to provide wood and lumber for art, building, and a sustainable energy source

Studies have found that hospital patients with a view of trees recover faster and with fewer complications than patients without such a view. Considering their importance to us, we should all be urban forest rangers and do what we can to maintain the health of our trees.

Caring For Urban Trees

Urban trees are constantly under threat. Changes in soil depth around trees can harm root systems as it drastically reduces the amount of oxygen and water available. Urban development often includes excavating - digging around established trees can damage fragile root systems, and kill trees.

Basic Care

Tree problems also occur because of over and under watering, improper fertilization, and competition between roots. Over watering causes the soil pore (air) spaces to fill with water and restrict available oxygen. Under watering does not provide sufficient water for proper development. Over fertilization can injure or kill the roots, while under fertilization results in a lack of the minerals essential to maintain a healthy tree.

Competition for water and minerals between tree roots, bushes, grass and flowers can
stress trees. Trees will stress if routine soil preparation for flowers damages tree roots.

Top 10 Urban Forests

Other practices that affect tree health are: deicing salts and other chemicals; wounding through digging and trenching; and adding deep mulch over 13 cm ( 5 inches), concrete, pavement, or compacted soil that restricts water percolation, and suffocates roots.

Herbicide Alert - Imprelis Kills Trees

Another potential problem is the improper application of a herbicide, or using the wrong herbicide (or any herbicide). Poison pusher conglomerate Dupont is in the news lately because of its new herbicide Imprelis. This herbicide was developed to target broad leaf weeds in grass, but it seems to be killing much, much more than that.

Imprelis is killing Spruce, Pine, and other urban conifer trees after the correct application of the herbicide on surrounding lawns. Dupont is being sued by a number of landscapers, towns, golf courses and cemeteries that say that label use of their product has inadvertently killed tens of thousands of trees across America.

Imprelis is so persistent that grass clippings are basically toxic waste for several months after application of the herbicide. Dupont recommends that grass clipping not be composted or sent to the landfill during that period.

We can help our urban forests through proper basic care of our trees. Another way we can help is by pushing for a ban on the cosmetic use of harsh landscaping chemicals in our cities. We need to get our lawns and gardens off chemicals so that not only our urban forests can thrive, but so that all life that is found within them can thrive, naturally.

Local Big Tree Sights

Big Douglas-fir, Francis King Park

With gas prices at record highs, we have been taking fewer back country and longer distance field trips to see trees. Luckily, from pretty much anywhere in the south island area it is possible to ride a bike, walk, or drive a short distance to see beautiful specimens. In the rich, mild coastal environment big trees grow everywhere.

In this post I will share some of my favourite local big tree tours that I return to often to experience the sensation of being in a lush, and rare, old growth forest, or just to stand next to a single big tree left over from the old days.

Note: this information, and more, is available in the See Them page.

So save gas (and the atmosphere), and be with some of the biggest trees around, right here on southern Vancouver Island.

Victoria Area

Native Tree Species

    1.    Francis King Regional Park (some of the biggest trees closest to Victoria, including one on the B.C. Big Tree Registry - largest Douglas-fir in the CRD)
    2.    Beacon Hill Park (designated Heritage Tree Status)
    3.    Thetis Lake
    4.    Royal Roads/DND Lands (Urban big trees in Colwood, including the 2nd and 3rd largest Douglas-firs in the CRD)
    5.    Goldstream Park (very accessible old growth 16 km from downtown Victoria)
    6.    East Sooke Road/East Sooke Park (along East Sooke Rd. is one of the biggest Western red-cedar in the CRD)
   7.     Ardmore Golf Course (Saanich - massive Douglas-firs)
   8.    Witty's Lagoon Beach parking lot (Metchosin)
   9.    Royal Colwood Golf Club (has the most extensive collection of varied-age Douglas-fir and Garry oak forest in an urban setting)
  10.   Victoria Area Arbutus (Arbutus are coast-hugging, broad-leafed, evergreen trees. They are abundant in parks and urban areas. The largest is found on Thetis Island, one of the Gulf Islands)

Non-native Tree Species

   1. Beacon Hill Park (Heritage Tree Site: many exotic trees such as Giant sequoia)
   2. Victoria Area (Urban Giant sequoia of huge proportions)

Sooke Area

Fat Douglas-fir, Phillips Road, Sooke

    1.    Sooke River Road/Galloping Goose Trail
    2.    Sooke Potholes Park 
    3.    Sunriver Park - Phillips Road
    3.    Matheson Lake Regional Park
    4.    Humpback Road (near Goldstream Park in Langford, a nice addition to a drive or hike in the park)
    5.    Muir Creek (threatened by logging) - west of Sooke
    6.    Roche Cove Regional Park (the map in this post has directions to big Douglas-fir and Arbutus in a shore line area of this beautiful park)
    7.    Juan de Fuca Provincial Park - China Beach 
    8.   French Beach - nice, older second growth forest with lots of Sitka spruce
    9.   Chin Beach Trail Lone Cedar - grows on the Juan de Fuca Rural Resource Lands west of Sooke, 13 km past China Beach parking lot.

Enjoy our local trees. See them, save them.

Unparalleled Urban Forest: The Royal Colwood Golf Course

Towering trees line the Royal Colwood Golf Course, photo from RCGCC website
(Click on photos to see larger version)

The Royal Colwood Golf Course was designed and cut out of the old growth forest in 1913. Today, according to the Victoria Horticultural Society, it has "the most magnificent natural stands of Douglas-fir and Garry oaks of all ages in an urban area". The golf course is a designated Heritage Tree Area which signifies its importance to the surrounding community, as well as to the deer, herons and bald eagles that live there.

Here the giant Douglas-fir and twisted Garry oak may be barely noticed by folks letting their game detract attention from the walk through the outstanding ancient forest. I have been wondering for a while now, "How does the tree enthusiast get to see the wonders of this semi-private club without chasing a little white ball around?"

Historical photo of golfers dwarfed by the big trees that are even bigger today
From: RCGCC website

I started with the wonders of the Internet. It provided an interesting start in my quest to get "on the course" (without getting hit on the head by a fast moving ball, or chased by some angry guy in a golf cart). I searched for 'Royal Colwood Golf Club' which came up with interesting links that gave me a sneak peek at this amazing, exclusive forest.

450 year old Douglas-fir at 'Cathedral Hole' (16th hole)
Photo credit: Matt

First there was Matt from St. Catharines, Ontario who is an avid golfer and blogger. When he was on Vancouver Island in the summer of 2009 he visited the Royal Colwood, and was one golfer that did notice the forest. His blog can be found here and features many excellent photos of the course and the trees, including the photo above. He summed up his experience on the course by saying, "The trees out here are just incredible! They are the strongest feature at the club..."

Matt also points out that the 16th hole was named 'Cathedral Hole' after the old Prince of Wales played at the course back in the day. The prince, who knew quality when he saw it, felt that the light filtering through the surrounding Douglas-firs at the 16th was like that coming into a cathedral. This moving forest experience would later lead to the golf course getting its 'Royal' designation from King George V in 1931. The next notable historical event at the golf club 68 years later was not as tree-friendly.

Huge branches of ancient Douglas-fir on 16th hole, from RCGCC website

In 1999 Len Barrie, failed Bear Mountain developer, had a run-in with the Royal Colwood over an infamous illegal tree removal incident. The ex NHL player lived in a house that backed onto the golf course. He hired a contractor to cut down 28 trees—Douglas firs, an arbutus and a few wild cherries—that ran between his property and the green. He was trying to 'improve' his view.

Some of the trees were as much as 16 metres beyond Barrie's property line. The Royal Colwood sued Barrie for $18,500 and, after several appeals, he settled for $14,700. The golf club revoked Barrie's membership, which caused him to throw a tantrum and cut more trees over on Bear Mountain in order to build his very own golf course. This misguided development was placed under court protection from creditors in March of 2010 after running into financial troubles.

Another online resource for good tree shots was the Royal Colwood Golf Club website. It has many beautiful pictures of the trees in this park-like setting. The golf course keeps very close tabs on the impressive collection of ancient sentinels, with lists documenting all significant trees. And there are many significant trees.

Big Garry oak, from: RCGCC website

Some of the oldest Douglas-firs are 61m high with up to 221cm diameter trunks. The oldest trees are up to 500 years old. Other native trees to be found here are Black cottonwood, Quaking aspen, and Grand fir. There are also many introduced species represented on the grounds, such as non-native oaks.

To complete my research I had my big tree assistant give the Royal Colwood a phone call on the off chance that they gave tree tours to the ordinary non-golfing public. The call went through to the pro shop, and the person contacted was very friendly and accommodating. He was also noticeably proud of the trees on the course. So much so, that he offered a personal tour of the place. Success!

What began online I am looking forward to completing in person with an eagerly anticipated field trip. Afterwards I will be posting pictures here. It will be interesting to see where the call of "Fore!" has prevented the yell of "Timber!", resulting in this unparalleled urban forest.

Entering Royal Roads Forest From Wishart Road

Earlier this week my tree hunting partner and I nipped into the Royal Roads old growth forest to check out access gates, trails, and big trees. In spite of driving by this treasury of trees often over the years, we have not thoroughly explored it. But its dark confines and big trees beckoned.

Recent History

The Government of Canada bought the 565 acre Hatley Park (as the area is also known) from the Dunsmuir family in 1940 for $75,000 dollars. It has gone through a variety of uses and is currently being leased by Royal Roads University. The land was designated a National Historic Site in 1995, and is the only area with such a designation in Canada to contain an original old growth forest.



Royal Roads (and adjoining Department of National Defense lands) represent a nice chunk of the last stands of the ancient coastal Douglas-fir forest ecosystem. Such a forest contains Western hemlock and Western red-cedar, in addition to fir. This forest also contains Garry oak, Bigleaf maple, and the easternmost stand of Stika spruce on Vancouver Island.

The B.C. government has listed the coastal Douglas-fir eco-zone as rare and endangered, and after discovering in my research that the 2nd and 3rd largest Douglas-fir trees in the Capital Region District (the largest is in Francis/King Regional Park) are in the Royal Roads forest, I have vowed to give this area more attention, and find those trees.




Into The Forest

After driving along Wishart Road in Colwood we found several entrances to the forest. We chose one at random (across the street from 3122 Wishart Road) and entered the park.

It was a major transition, stepping from the city landscape on one side of the street, and into a towering old growth forest on the other. The city side probably came into existence in the 1970's, judging by the homes. The wild side has been here since the last glaciers retreated 13,000 years ago. Some of the veteran trees have been around for many centuries.




Immediately the city disappeared and we could have been anywhere in the wild lands of Vancouver Island's coastal Douglas-fir forest. Fat trunks of trees tower overhead. The light was a distinctly different quality, filtered through the green canopies of the trees.


Only in a few places did the shafts of sunlight penetrate all the way to the forest floor. It was cooler and we zipped up our light jackets. The smell in the forest was divine. Intoxicating odours revealed growth and decay mixed with the smells of an ocean breeze. Ravens clucked at us from the branches high above.

From this access point trails extend in either direction along the outer perimeter of the forest. We took a wider path straight ahead which took us, after about 10 minutes, to a gravel pit in the middle of the trees. Following the path past the pit took us to another access point on Metchosin Road. We doubled back on the same trail to complete our short hike.



Notable Trees

Along this short route there are many fine Western red-cedar of fairly large proportions. Just inside the gate and to the right a few steps along the path is an impressively large Douglas-fir. Further down the wide path, and off to the left, is another weathered old fir. It shows the scars of a tree that has withstood the centuries of winter storms and summer drought. There is also evidence of logging here, but of a very limited nature.

All along the trail there are smaller side trails, so one could use this entrance to really explore the area. We did not find the biggest Douglas-fir that we were looking for, but we will be back. It is exciting that there is so much more left to explore and discover for the first time.


Getting There

Royal Roads lands are accessed via a variety of gates and service roads. The main entrance is off Sooke Road. Watch for other small gateways along the fence around the perimeter of the park. Drive along Wishart Road to locate many different ways of getting into the forest. We chose the gate across from 3122 Wishart Road. Note: parking is limited along Wishart. The area is well serviced by public transportation, and the Galloping Goose Trail runs by across Sooke Road.


View Royal Roads Forest (from Wishart Road) in a larger map

Giant Douglas-fir In Sooke

This is the biggest Douglas fir I have found within the Sooke, B.C. town boundary. It is a healthy, robust specimen that is easily several hundred years old. Although I think it is within a park, it has a gravel pit on either side of it, one of which is still active and is getting closer to encroaching upon this ancient survivor all the time. Photo: by author

Royal Roads, Colwood, B.C. - An Urban Ancient Forest

I have passed by the fat, ancient, and soaring hulks of the Douglas fir trees on the Royal Roads lands at the top of Lagoon Road many times. I overlooked the area, even though I have been aware of it's ecological significance for some time. Perhaps this is because the Royal Roads old growth forest is located in Colwood, an urban area west of Victoria. On one side of the street are large houses, big screen TVs, and hot and cold running water. On the other side, a wild remnant of a forest landscape that has been 99% consumed in only 200 years time.


One rainy day I stopped by to explore this island of ancient wonders. I passed through the gate, swung it closed on creaking hinges, and left suburbia behind. It was a time machine. A few steps down a wide path and I was surrounded, immersed in a land little changed over thousands of years. The car exhaust lingering in my nostrils faded away as I walked under the massive canopies of Douglas fir, Spruce and Hemlock. Thick trunks shot up all around and the sun beamed shafts of light through the mist. It smelled richly of growth and decay. A slug slowly slid across the trail and left its own glistening path.

The 650 acre Royal Roads property (and adjoining DND lands) has one of the last remaining undisturbed old growth Garry Oak/Coastal Douglas-fir habitats on south Vancouver Island. The site has a history of human settlement dating back thousands of years. The Straits Salish people, the Songhees, had a settlement at Esquimalt Lagoon, and evidence such as shell midens by the lagoon, and culturally modified trees in the forest, are a testament to early occupation. They have outstanding land claims to the area to this day.



View Larger Map


Royal Roads University is the current occupant of the site. There are two manicured gardens and a historical building on site as well. But the old growth forest of Royal Roads is by far the most significant aspect of the entire area. Such forests are rare in this undisturbed state, and in this size, anywhere. Never mind driving out to Cathedral Grove. Here you will find trees that are among the top 10 largest in the province. Trees that are many hundreds of years old. The Sitka spruce growing here represent the farthest eastern limit of their habitat on Vancouver Island.


There is pressure to develop this land. Some though, recognizing this ecological jewel, propose protection. Royal Roads and the DND lands are already public meaning that we would not need to buy the land in order to protect it for future generations. What a legacy a park would make. Some are calling it a potential 'Stanley Park' for Victoria and region.

Often old growth forest is synomonous with wilderness, but not in the case of Royal Roads/DND lands. This is one ancient forest you can get to on a city bus. There is access off Sooke Road and at Lagoon Rd. and Heatherbell. There is a small spot to park on the side of Heatherbell. Across the street you will see a gate in the chain link fence. Pass through and leave the city behind.

Don't let the Royal Roads urban location fool you. It's wild in there. Can we make sure it stays that way?