Residents in the Collins Bay area of Kingston, Ont. are calling for an immediate stop to the clear-cutting of trees happening in Mile Square Forest.
The local group claims that the destruction of this important woodland, which lies within Kingston’s city limits, started a couple of months ago but has escalated significantly in recent weeks.
“It’s not just trees being cut down; it’s a forest,” said Joyce Hostyn, a member of the community group. “It’s a forest home to birds that depend on a true canopy. It’s also where woodpeckers nest, and they have federal protection that wasn’t even considered.”
The City of Kingston has a tree bylaw that stops residents from removing or damaging trees on private property without a permit. However, an amendment made in 2017 allows farmers to skip this permit process if tree removal is part of standard farming activities.
Story continues below
The neighborhood group believes that landowner Bernie Robinson is exploiting this exemption and plans to develop the land rather than use it for agriculture.
Source link
Get daily National news
Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you’ll never miss the day’s top stories. Sarah Knight, another resident, pointed out that the clearing might be breaking other protective regulations. “There are many vital species and rare habitats on this site that haven’t been evaluated or assessed,” Knight stated. Robinson strongly refuted any claims about development during a phone interview, insisting he has no plans for development “whatsoever” and aims to keep farming the land. More on Canada More videos “We follow best farming practices and have done so our whole lives,” Robinson remarked. However, residents argue their findings indicate that the land isn’t suitable for proper agriculture. The region features a rare alvar ecosystem with very shallow soil over limestone bedrock. “This land may have been farmed before but was abandoned because it’s very shallow limestone,” Hostyn explained. “It’s a unique habitat-farming there isn’t feasible.” The City of Kingston acknowledged in a statement that it’s aware of tree-clearing activity near Mile Square. “The matter is currently under investigation, and appropriate enforcement action has been initiated,” stated the city. Story continues below The community group plans to keep pushing for work stoppage until officials perform a thorough environmental assessment on the property. & copy 2026 , a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.Source link
