[CANUFNET] Fate of elm tree on Parliament is decided

[Debra Huron]

Liberal MPs vote to abandon elm tree 



On April 2, advocates for an elm tree did our best to convince Members of Parliament to do two things: 1) delay removal of the elm until a full appraisal of the tree's health can occur after it comes into leaf this spring, and 2) reconsider the currently held assumptions about the size and location of Phase 2 of the Visitor Welcome complex. The latter, by the way, is envisioned as a 30,000 sq. meter underground complex. The place where the elm tree sits is not above the visitor complex centre; the elm enclave will be used as staging area for construction on the site, which is expected to last 13 years. 



Five Liberal MPs on the House of Commons Procedures and House Affairs Committee voted against a motion that would have put a further moratorium on destruction of the centenary elm that sits to the east of Centre Block on Parliament Hill. Four opposition members voted in favour of the motion, put forward by Randall Garrison, a New Democrat. The motion said: "I move that this committee request a moratorium on the removal of the centenary elm and construction activity that would compromise its health until the end of June to allow for a further evaluation of the health of the tree and of alternate plans that would allow for its long-term survival."



You can listen to the proceedings of the committee here http://www.ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/PROC



Here is a news story that summarizes yesterday's events https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/liberals-vote-against-saving-parliament-hill-elm-tree





*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
*Debra Isabel Huron*
*Here I am...*
*living on unceded*
*Algonquin territory *
*living with the reality*
*of climate crisis*
*living with rivers & trees*
*& sun & lakes & birds*
*Phone: 613 859-8049 *
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*


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