Federal Buildings Heating and Cooling Plant Renovations | U/C - Page 15

zzptichka · #**281** Posted **Sep 11, 2025, 4:27 PM**

Kitchissippi · #**282** Posted **Sep 11, 2025, 4:30 PM**

I also took this photo, I really like how the liquid highlights go with the undulating forms and the reflections on the tower.

acottawa · #**283** Posted **Sep 11, 2025, 4:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by phil235

I think we have people on this board that are much more knowledgable on the subject than I am, but in my experience Norway Maples are super destructive - I just had to pay $4000 to take down a bunch that were wrecking our garage.

Would be outstanding if they can make one continuous park there. One of he best spots in Ottawa.

Yes, the shallow roots choke out plants (even grass) and the dense canopy doesn’t allow much else to grow.

ponyboycurtis · #**284** Posted **Sep 12, 2025, 4:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by acottawa

Yes, the shallow roots choke out plants (even grass) and the dense canopy doesn’t allow much else to grow.

Fair enough. Stands to reason the would have some notion other than having to work around them. The only tree species I really know are stuff I work with from Home Depot

We'll plant some new ones!!! And in traditional fashion not properly tend to them.

As an aside, I noticed the other day that a very good portion of the saplings planted on the big berm by the VIA flyover while riding line two were dead. Like at least half were either dead or severely stunted. I don't know much about arborism but maybe that's just the way its meant to be? Not like you can bring a water truck there. Some live and some die.

Its the ones in the planter beds and other obvious spaces they just give up on. Hurdman station much? I cant even sit on the curb anymore with my feet in the planter bed. I bet they paid more to fill them in with concrete.

J.OT13 · #**285** Posted **Sep 12, 2025, 1:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ponyboycurtis

As an aside, I noticed the other day that a very good portion of the saplings planted on the big berm by the VIA flyover while riding line two were dead. Like at least half were either dead or severely stunted. I don't know much about arborism but maybe that's just the way its meant to be? Not like you can bring a water truck there. Some live and some die.

I think saplings have really been struggling to adapt to climate change. The hot and dry summers, the freeze-thaw cycles of winter, they need much more care than before, but the City (and any agency responsible for new trees) haven't adapted.

Blair also has huge plater beds with no trees. They didn't even try to start over; they just gave up. Trees are a key part of battling climate change. We can't afford to give up.

Whatever happened to Sutcliffe's promise of planting a million trees?

ponyboycurtis · #**286** Posted **Sep 13, 2025, 5:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I think saplings have really been struggling to adapt to climate change. The hot and dry summers, the freeze-thaw cycles of winter, they need much more care than before, but the City (and any agency responsible for new trees) haven't adapted.

Blair also has huge plater beds with no trees. They didn't even try to start over; they just gave up. Trees are a key part of battling climate change. We can't afford to give up.

Whatever happened to Sutcliffe's promise of planting a million trees?

whoa now.. nobody ever said the million trees were going to survive.

Putting extra care into trees at the transit stations seems like a no brainer to me when it's already devoid of shade. I don't think you need to be a wizard to figure that a mature tree canopy over you is literally good for your psychological health in addition to shade.

zzptichka · #**287** Posted **Sep 13, 2025, 5:38 PM**

Maybe they should be planting Norway Maple in all those empty tree boxes.

ponyboycurtis · #**288** Posted **Sep 16, 2025, 1:59 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Maybe they should be planting Norway Maple in all those empty tree boxes.

You running for Mayor next go around? We could use some forward thinking.

OTownandDown · #**289** Posted **Sep 16, 2025, 1:23 PM**

Honestly, once you start to know which species are nuisance and invasive, you start to identify them absolutely everywhere. The 417 is lined with garbage Norway/Manitoba Maples, the NCC lands are spread thick with Buckthorn, and grasslands have been steadily replaced with either Dog Strangling Vine, Wild Mustard, or Wild Parsnip (last one is extremely harmful if touched. Teach your kids to identify and run the other way).

A good example, if you're ever out that way, Kanata legacy neighbourhoods have very nice, planned trees at major street corners, like a mix of pines and maples. Sticking up and out and around ALL of these are a mix of Manitoba Maples and Buckthorn, sure to choke out the planned trees. Its a shame, because these trees are planted for a 50-year-plus outlook, and they'll be choked out and die, nobody will care, and you'll end up with a thick hedge of Norway/Buckthorn. The length of the Rideau River at Billings Bridge, or the entire Ring Road around the General Hospital are both additional examples of thick buckthorn hedges where the Ash trees died.

In my local park, there are stands of white pine, where kids used to love to play underneath in the open spaces beneath the huge trees, even 8 or 9 years ago. Because the City doesn't cut the grass all the way under these trees, they've been colonized with buckthorn so thick that you can't even fathom walking through them. Its a shame.

These 'ignored' areas you're all discussing will no doubt be colonized by one or all of these things soon enough. But ask me how I really feel, lol

kwoldtimer · #**290** Posted **Sep 16, 2025, 1:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

Honestly, once you start to know which species are nuisance and invasive, you start to identify them absolutely everywhere. The 417 is lined with garbage Norway/Manitoba Maples, the NCC lands are spread thick with Buckthorn, and grasslands have been steadily replaced with either Dog Strangling Vine, Wild Mustard, or Wild Parsnip (last one is extremely harmful if touched. Teach your kids to identify and run the other way).

A good example, if you're ever out that way, Kanata legacy neighbourhoods have very nice, planned trees at major street corners, like a mix of pines and maples. Sticking up and out and around ALL of these are a mix of Manitoba Maples and Buckthorn, sure to choke out the planned trees. Its a shame, because these trees are planted for a 50-year-plus outlook, and they'll be choked out and die, nobody will care, and you'll end up with a thick hedge of Norway/Buckthorn. The length of the Rideau River at Billings Bridge, or the entire Ring Road around the General Hospital are both additional examples of thick buckthorn hedges where the Ash trees died.

In my local park, there are stands of white pine, where kids used to love to play underneath in the open spaces beneath the huge trees, even 8 or 9 years ago. Because the City doesn't cut the grass all the way under these trees, they've been colonized with buckthorn so thick that you can't even fathom walking through them. Its a shame.

These 'ignored' areas you're all discussing will no doubt be colonized by one or all of these things soon enough. But ask me how I really feel, lol

Hence the term "invasive".

Mousel · #**291** Posted **Sep 16, 2025, 2:17 PM**

Norway Maples are absolutely invasive and unfortunately everywhere. They were planted extensively from the 50s through the early 2000s because they're resistant to salt and soil compaction. Unfortunately they're also extremely prolific and form extremely dense canopies that shade out competition. They're also allelopathic which means that they produce a toxin that poisons other plants in their vicinity to eliminate competition which means that they also end up contributing to soil erosion as they prevent other plants from growing whose roots would have otherwise bound the soil together.

Removing Norway Maples is always good and I think the city and NCC should be a lot more aggressive about getting rid of them and replacing them with native trees that contribute to the ecosystem.