Residents want Montreal to pause plan to fell hundreds of ash trees

The St-Paul Woods are a hidden gem on Nuns’ Island -- it is home to more than 100 species of birds and rich with biodiversity.

"This is the entrance of the forest and as soon as you come in and you really feel the peacefulness of the of this place,” said Alain Bosse of Friends of Domaine St-Paul. "There's also between 10 and 15 different plants that are endangered plants in this in this boise."

Bosse’s group worries that the area could be at risk, as many of the largest trees in the forest are ash trees that have been infected by the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle that slowly suffocates and kills the trees.

"What is interesting is you can see it from inside the bark and you see all these little paths that it makes between the bark and the actual tree, so that's why this tree has fallen down,” said Bosse.

Many of the forest’s ash trees have already been cut down and in January, the city plans to remove more than 1,000 more.

Coun. Alex Norris is responsible for major parks and said the trees will be replaced.

"It's to protect people and protect the health of the forest,” the city councillor said. “This is the advice of our forestry engineers."

Bosse said that planting efforts in the forest have failed in the past.

Three years ago, he said there were efforts to plant trees, but they did not thrive, and now Bosse is urging the city to slow down.

"The risk of going too fast and to carry on with a drastic operation is the fact that you will lose the canopy,” he said. “If you lose the canopy, then this is opportunity for undesirable vegetation to take the place and to cover the ground."

However, the emerald ash borer problem is much bigger than the St-Paul Woods.

Three years ago, 3,600 trees had to be cut down in Angrignon Park, and the city believes that acting quickly is the best long-term solution for the forest.

More than 2,200 Nuns’ Island residents have signed a petition asking the city to take a slower, more measured approach.