There Are Lots Of Trees, But This One Will Be Missied

Jeff Green | Apr 16, 2014

Two machines have been slowly, steadily, inexorably dismantling the former Sharbot Lake High School over the past few weeks. The school, which was built in three stages over decades, is being taken apart one attached building at a time.

Its replacement, Granite Ridge comprehensive school, built in a style that could be called 'modern institutional', is just a few feet away.

Although the process was announced in advance, it has still been disheartening to see the building where so many children grew into young adults being torn open and turned into piles of rubble.

Even though the school principal told the school community that removing trees was a regrettable part of a process that will be setting the stage for a new parking lot and playground for Granite Ridge Education Centre, it did come as a shock when the large oak that graced the front lawn in front of the main doors of the school was chopped down last week. It is laid out on the ground in pieces, as if it were nothing more than the rubble gathered in piles beside it.

A number of maples behind the school have come down as well, but this tree was a major feature of Sharbot Lake High School, and judging from its size, it was likely far older than the school that was built around it.

There is, I hope, a good reason why this particular tree had to go, because any replacement tree will not attain anything like the majesty of that oak in the lifetime of even the youngest JK student at GREC.

When the landscaping is being done around the school, we will see whether the Limestone board is bringing some vision to the process that justifies removing this particular tree. Hopefully it has not just been jettisoned in the same way that the contents of the school were tossed into dumpsters when the school was being emptied before being demolished.

Whether the reason is a good one or just a matter of lazy expediency, it is sad to see that tree laying in pieces on the ground.