Photo by Barry Wallace
The scene pictured above shows towering trees being cut down on private property on the southeast corner of Keele Street and King Road, in the centre of King City, on Friday. It reminded me of the "Rape of King City", as John Belknap called it, at the end of the 1960s, when Keele Street lost many of its ancient and beautiful trees to make way for the widening of Keele Street from two to four lanes. Because the trees above were on private property, the owner(s) had the right to remove them. It leaves me with a sickening angst, however, as I believe the intersection, as a whole, will never as be as environmentally and ecologically elegant again.
Please comment if you wish.
Barry Wallace
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ReplyDeleteI think that I shall never see....
ReplyDeleteYour Feb10 2013 post showed a photo from 1910 looking south on Keele at the corner of town. In that black and white photo there is an Elm tree in the yard of the house (forget their name) hidden by the store I remember as O'Riellys. In the early 40's my Dad (Alex Campbell) quit school in Aurora and trained as a pilot in Brantford with the RCAF. Upon receiving his wings he took his plane for a joy ride. Of course he wanted to see what King City looked like from the air. Tipping his wings and doing some swoops and dives , he got a little too low , and the wing of his Tiger Moth clipped the top branch of that Elm tree. This would be the 1st of many close calls he'd have in a plane. The tree was there during my time in King , but I remember years later Dad telling me when it was felled. I'm sure it was a sad day for him. Todays photo has the same effect.
King once had charm ! A long time ago.
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