Illustration: Marlena Zuber

Beset by constant change since the first colonial arrivals, the St. Lawrence neighbourhood is a checkered tale of development and nature coexisting in a dense urban area. It was here that the British harvested the centuries-old white pines that once dominated the skyline to further their naval empire’s dominion. Eventually, the lands along the tree-stripped harbour were extended into the lake with landfill. At the time, the area was partially administered under the Gardens-Trust Act, which was enacted to ensure residents always had access to a tree-lined harbour. In time, however, mills, factories, and vast gasworks filled the area. The man-made land was transformed yet again in the 1970s and early 1980s. At a time when low-income families were being squeezed out of downtown accommodations, a newly elected urban reform-minded city council led by David Crombie undertook the creation of a mixed-income, mixed-use, high-density neighbourhood. Designed to be livable and accessible to people of diverse socio-economic levels, the St. Lawrence neighbourhood is largely seen as a success story and a model for other urban renewal projects with goals of social inclusion and sustainability.

Among the more inspiring human transformations are attempts in recent years by local residents to steward and revitalize the urban forest, work which will go far to benefit the community in years to come. Since much of the land is human-made, nearly every tree in the area was planted when the neighbourhood was built. As a result, most of the trees are around the same age, which means that they will likely die around the same time. Planting new trees now before the older ones die out is an important step to ensure that the community retains its canopy cover in years to come. The care that the residents provide to their urban forest is especially important in this neighbourhood. While the area’s much-celebrated density allows for many people to live and work in one place, it also leaves little space for trees to grow. Nevertheless, there are still lots of trees and greenery among the buildings, an example of how a little creativity on the part of residents and planners alike can help grow our urban forest.

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Tour stops

1. 1Crombie Park
2. 2The London plane tree and vines of Berkeley Castle
3. 3Enjoying a drink in the shade
4. 4Siberian elms at Berkeley Street Theatre
5. 5Arboreal aria
6. 6Green amongst the glass and concrete
7. 7The beautified princess
8. 8Good and eco in the garden of pizza
9. 9Guerilla gardening
10. 10Monster Billboard
11. 11Nature in the cracks
12. 12New tree on the block
13. 13A tale of two alleys

Contributors

Writing: Dale Duncan, Ryan Kamstra, Todd Irvine

Photography: Luke Tyszkiewicz

Local history provided by: Ben Marans, Bruce Bell, Dan O’Leary, Dennis Glasgow

Community Partners

smartliving St. Lawrence, St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association