When Leslie Coutts read the news that the town was planning to remove 36 trees from Sixth St. as part of the road’s reconstruction, she decided she couldn’t sit by and do nothing.
Born and raised in Collingwood, Coutts recently launched a petition to save the Sixth St. trees following the news that the town was planning to remove all 36 trees on the north side of the street as part of a full redesign of the street.
“I wanted to get the word out more and have the town realize how many people this is going to affect, and how many people aren’t happy with this decision,” Coutts told CollingwoodToday. “This is a really bad direction to go in.”
The 1.3-kilometre stretch of Sixth Street between Hurontario and High Streets is due for watermain replacement to improve water supply and pressure to the western side of Collingwood via the Stewart Road Pump Station, and while the town is making those necessary repairs, it’s reconsidering the current design of the streetscape.
The first proposed design included a 1.5-metre sidewalk on the north side and a three-metre multi-use bicycle trail with both east and west lanes located on the south side of the road.
Town staff took their second kick at the can for their proposed redesign of Sixth St. in May, to add one-way cycling tracks to each side of the street following opposition to the first design this past fall.
All iterations of the streetscape plan included at least some tree removal, according to town staff.
Council approved a tree replacement plan in response to the information that the design would necessitate the removal of 36 trees at their meeting on June 3, which would see trees replaced on the street at a two-to-one ratio or more, and property owners on Sixth St. offered free trees for their private yards.
Current project timelines will see the entire project completed by 2030 in a phased approach, with Hurontario to Oak Street expected in 2026 and Oak to High Street expected in 2027.
Coutts said she saw a lot of talk on social media about people not being happy about the tree removal part of the redesign, but didn’t see much talk of action.
“I just wanted to get the word out. So often, people are busy and they don’t understand the reasons why things are happening,” she said. “When you start paying attention, I think it isn’t as needed as we thought.”
Coutts would like to see other alternatives for the streetscape explored, adding that there must be a solution that doesn’t include the removal of all the trees.
“This is a significant amount. I think about the number of birds that will be displaced and what that will do to our environment,” she said.
She points to Collingwood council voting to declare a climate crisis in 2019. She also notes the town receiving a private donation of $500,000 by Julie Di Lorenzo to plant new trees in Collingwood over a five-year span.
“Obviously they want to create a habitat but we have to remember that these mature trees are more important than a newly planted one,” she said.
When reached by CollingwoodToday this week, the town’s director of public works, engineering and environment Peggy Slama acknowledged there is some misinformation swirling in town regarding the project, and said the town has received many inquiries about it.
“The primary reason for this project is to replace aging infrastructure and install a transmission watermain to support growth,” she said. “Creating cycling infrastructure is not the primary objective of the project, however with this work being conducted there is an opportunity to improve the street elements.”
She said Sixth St. was identified through the town’s Cycling Master Plan as the east-west corridor through town that connects to the trail system.
“It should be noted with any reconstruction project, trees are sensitive,” she said.
When considering design options for the street, Slama said staff and consultants evaluate many different components with an intent to move forward with a design that best meets the town’s vision for the community.
“Preservation and improvement of our tree canopy is one priority/desire,” she said. “Every road reconstruction project includes some form of compromise.”
She said that with every option considered by staff for the design of the street, there was some tree removal as part of it. The limited space on the north side of the street due to the cycle track and buffers requires some tree removal to make room for snow storage and garbage bins.
The public reaction to the evolving plans hasn’t surprised Slama.
“We know the community is passionate about trees, active transportation and cycling. Staff and council have the challenge to balance these values of our residents,” she said.
Slama notes that the town has been transparent about the project all along the way, including holding a public information centre in May 2023, hand delivery of notice to Sixth St. residents, hosting a page on the town website devoted to the project and including input from the trails and active transportation advisory committee in the design.
When asked why the design didn’t come before council for approval, Slama said this is a normal part of the engineering design process.
“Engineering designs are an administrative function and they do not require council approval,” she said, adding that staff wanted to show it to council anyway as they anticipated major public interest in the project.
“(We) know any option would significantly change the character of Sixth Street, making this a generational project,” she said.
Slama said she and town staff are aware of the circulating petition, although it hasn’t been presented to them formally yet.
“Council has the ability to reconsider,” she said.
On Wednesday, Mayor Yvonne Hamlin told CollingwoodToday that she is planning to put together a council motion regarding the Sixth St. redesign, to be considered at the June 17 council meeting.
"I have heard our community's concerns about the removal of trees on Sixth Street during the reconstruction project,” Hamlin wrote in an email. “I will bring a motion to council on Monday that will, if supported by council, preserve these trees by relocating the bike lanes.”
Coutts intends to bring the petition to present to town council at a future time.
“My hope is that they’re willing to talk and are willing to go back and really think about this. I know there were several council members who were really apprehensive. Maybe there’s more discussion that can happen here,” she said.
To view or sign Coutts’ petition, click here.
