The City of St. Catharines regularly evaluates the health of trees planted on City property and on boulevards. Any trees identified as dead, in poor health or in need of removal are identified by qualified arborists.
Cutting and trimming trees on public property
Property owners are not permitted to cut or trim trees on City property, in front of or behind their homes. Please contact us if you have a concern about a tree's health or public safety, such as low-hanging limbs and trees impacted by strong winds or lightning.
Tree removals
After the City identifies a tree on public property to be removed, a crew is scheduled for its removal. We will also provide you with an informational door hanger if it is located near your property. If you would like to comment on the tree removal, you have 14 days to contact us after the hanger is issued.
Tree removal process
The tree is scheduled for removal based on its priority within our system, but the schedule may change due to emergency. Depending on the size of the tree and our available resources, the tree may be removed by either:
- Removing the crown of the tree first and returning to remove the tree's trunk at a later date; or
- Cutting the trunk down to ground level in one visit
We then schedule a crew to grind out the stump, remove the grindings and backfill with soil and seed.
Requesting a new tree
You can request a new tree after receiving your tree removal notification and we can assist in selecting the ideal tree species for your site.
Stump removals
Once a tree is removed, our crews return at a later date to remove its stump.
Stump removal process
We obtain utility locates on the site before the stump is removed. If you see spray paint on the area near the stump, it means locates have been completed and the stump will likely be removed within the next 30 days.
Please remove any plant material, baskets or decorations from the stump. If possible, please do not park on the road, as crews can work faster when they can park directly beside the stump. It may take anywhere between 20 minutes to three hours to remove a stump.