About 200 Hydro customers in Notre Dame de Grace were without power after a tree snapped and felled a Hydro transformer early Tuesday.

The downed silver maple tree was quite a sight to behold Tuesday morning, lying in the road just south of Monkland Ave. on Marcil Ave. and blocking all traffic. Leaves and twigs were strewn across the road as well.

Ryan Strauss got the shock of his life when he went outside his apartment for a smoke a 2 a.m.

“It sounded like heavy raindrops, and then a bunch of bark fell off the tree and then down it all came,” said Strauss. “I was lucky it missed me by about a foot.” 

Earlier Tuesday, almost 200 Hydro customers had no electricity but that number dropped to 74 before 9 a.m.

No one was hurt when the roughly 12-metre high tree fell to the ground, but three parked cars were damaged. It also took out a street lamp.

SIlver maple falls in NDG

No one was hurt when a roughly 12-metre high silver maple tree snapped and fell to the ground in N.D.G. early Tuesday, but three parked cars were damaged. (JL Boulch/CTV Montreal)

Hydro Quebec shut off electricity so a city crew could begin cleaning up the mess.

The tree was about 80 years old, according arborist Yves St. Laurent. It's believed someone cut the tree's roots at some point, perhaps during renovation work or gas line repairs, which weakened it. The tree was also hollow inside, which wasn't obvious until it fell Tuesday.

“There was no real way to tell on the outside, otherwise someone would have made a complaint. Someone would have called,” said St. Laurent. “Trees that are old, they’re hollow and they fall eventually."  

St. Laurent said it’s hard to tell how many other trees in the city look strong, but really aren’t.

“It's hard to give a number, but there are a few out there. They can fall in 10 minutes, they can fall in 10 years,” he said.
 

The city has enough arborists to trim branches, but they can’t test every tree. Experts say if you suspect a tree is at risk, call 311 to have it inspected.

Meantime, Strass said he’s happy he wasn’t standing one foot over.

“I'll consider myself lucky,” he said.

 

Fallen silver maple blocks N.D.G. street

A view of a fallen silver maple tree looking southward on Marcil Ave. in N.D.G. The tree took out a Hydro transformer and a street lamp but no one was hurt. (JL Boulch/CTV Montreal)