Local tree removal company responds to hundreds of calls

The devastating storm that hit the capital on Saturday, May 21 left thousands across the city without power and destructive winds also caused trees to collapse on roadways, vehicles and even properties. 

Davey Tree Ottawa, a local tree removal company, said they've responded to hundreds of calls over the last few days and they anticipate there will be more. 
Ian Laidlaw, an International Society of Arboriculture certified arborist and district manager at Davey Tree Ottawa, says emails are also on the rise. 

“The phones were out this weekend for a while and I probably responded to about 150 emails just through my cellphone,” Laidlaw tells CityNews Ottawa.

Although the company is based in Ottawa's west end, Laidlaw says they've been responding to calls from the Cumberland area, in Ottawa's east end, one of the most impacted communities from the storm. The requests from homeowners, he says, range from anything including loose branches to broken trees, depending on the impact. 

“So, usually when I get a call, we kind of triage it with stuff that's stuck on the line, stuff that's stuck on houses, stuff that's stuck on cars,” explains Laidlaw, adding that during the early days of any storm, the company works on clearing debris from cars or properties or even split trees—anything that can still be hazardous. “So that's where we start and then we come around for the next couple of weeks, cleaning stuff up.” 

The strong winds were not unusual, he says, but in terms of the devastation from the winds, that was unusual. Laidlaw suggests during different times of the year when trees have little to no leaves, the impact might not have been as severe.

“What happened is winds just (catch) the leaves, the branches, they end up breaking and it (blew) stuff over,” he says. 

For homeowners who are concerned about potential tree damage in the future, pruning and maintenance are something to keep in mind. Regularly thinning branches or trimming down hazardous branches down could mitigate the risk of potential damage from strong winds. Laidlaw also suggests calling tree removal companies so that they're able to notify homeowners about whether trees could be hazardous.

“And we can tell you if there's going to be potential for damage down the road,” he says, adding that homeowners will get advice on whether certain limbs or branches are frail and so on. “So, just having someone come down regularly and just check your trees, is what I would recommend.”