MONTREAL -- A cannonball may not have been enough to kill a certain famous Quebec City tree, but it appears time and illness will.
City officials said the well-known tree, whose roots appear to have sprouted around the ancient ammunition, will be cut down on Tuesday due to the risk it may fall over, as only 27 per cent of its wood remains healthy.
The tree on St-Louis St. is believed to be around 80-years-old and though the exact cause of its unusual feature is not known for sure, there are popular legends. Among them is that the cannonball was one of thousands launched by the British during the Siege of 1759. Years later, the tree is rumoured to have grown around it.
Others say that seminary students planted the cannonball.
However, historian David Mendel disputes both accounts and experts have said the object isn't a cannonball at all, but a bomb. Similar bombs, which were launched at buildings to start fires, are still being unearthed in the city. For more on the bomb's origins, watch the video above.
City officials said they plan to have the stump and bomb bronzed and turned into a piece of art. A bomb expert will be on hand, just in case.
- With reporting from CTV Montreal's Angela Mackenzie
