Goulais residents concerned over Algoma Power cutting plans (2 photos)

A group of Goulais River residents are concerned with tree removal in their neighbourhoods by a utility company.

“I went through it all this morning,” said Lorraine Pruce, who told SooToday she witnessed workers, hired by Algoma Power, take down trees from her property Wednesday.

“Algoma Power had told me they were going to come and trim under the power lines. I’ve been here for 36 years and every other time they had done that, they never touched my trees. This year they came and they took them out,” Pruce said.

“It was very upsetting because of the fact my husband, who is deceased now, and my granddaughter, planted those trees together.”

“Today they sent a representative from Algoma Power who said everything 15 feet back has to go.”

“He said ‘it’s the law.’”

Pruce lives on Pruce Road, named after her husband Bill, who passed away Aug. 17, 2014, and herself.

“They’re going to take lots of trees down (from other residents),” Pruce said.

Algoma Power officials were not immediately available for comment, but contacted SooToday late Wednesday afternoon, stating a comment would be issued Thursday.  

Robin MacIntyre, a Kirby Road resident and owner of Bellevue Valley Lodge, said Algoma Power had sent letters to some area residents (about 15 homes in total, she estimated) in the spring, advising there would be some tree trimming and asking for input.

What is surprising and alarming to some area residents is how much trimming has been done.

To them, it is not a case of ‘trimming,’ but outright tree removal.

“It appears Algoma Power wants to do clear cutting instead of just normal cutting to prevent trees from dropping on power lines. Where there used to be a little bit of cutting every year to make it more presentable along the property lines, now they want to clear cut 15 feet inside,” said Goulais resident Suzanne Irwin.

Some residents feel their property lines extend to the middle of the roadway, and that the roadway actually runs through their property lines.

They feel they’re losing not only their privacy, but also a natural barrier that protects them from the elements and noise pollution.

Irwin said she and her husband sent a letter to Algoma Power expressing their concern “several weeks ago” with no response. 

Irwin said she and her husband sought legal advice, and that Algoma Power has since emailed her, advising her their lawyer has been contacted and they will be in touch soon.

“We consider our property our sanctuary…a place to enjoy every evening,” Irwin stated.

Irwin’s husband put a rope along his property line in front of the trees, along with a note advising Algoma Power not to clear cut the area.

“We’re not saying not to cut, but do like they’ve done previously, cut the trees around the lines. They don’t have to cut down whole trees and go in so far,” Irwin said, adding she senses Algoma Power is looking at reducing long term tree trimming expenses by cutting down large patches of trees at once.

“I am supportive of her (Suzanne Irwin’s) concerns, about the line clearing that has been going on, on an industrial scale basically all through Goulais River,” MacIntyre said.

“Last year, on Highway 552 they cut a heritage tree that was a trail marker which had probably stood there for 150 years.”

“From a perspective of both residential as well as tourism values, they’ve done a very poor job. The line clearances that have been going on along the North Shore are huge,” MacIntyre said.