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New Russian olive tree planted at Cenotaph
By Chris Conway
As of May 21 a Russian olive tree proudly stands again in Invermere’s Cenotaph Park.
The new tree is about 15 to 20-feet high and was placed carefully Thursday by a crew from Mac-Neil Landscaping.
In preparation for the park revitalization project, a large old Russian olive tree was removed last year for safety reasons. The old tree had been a beautiful and an iconic feature of the downtown for decades. It could not be saved due to its age and rot setting in. Removing the old tree was an unavoidable but emotional decision for many residents.
“The new tree is a really big deal for Invermere,” said Gord Fullerton, Mac-Neil Landscaping’s Operations Manager. “It’s a feature piece of the new park and connects it to the history of what used to be here for many years. Mac-Neil Landscaping is really proud to be part of this project. We’re looking forward to getting ‘er done.”
As the tree was being placed, a large crew from Max Helmer Construction was working steadily to install the hard surfaces around the cenotaph and the footpath along 7th Avenue.
District chief administrative officer Chris Prosser and Director of Development Services Rory Hromadnik were on site reviewing the progress.
As was discussed at the last council meeting on May 12, the plan is for Helmer Construction to complete the hard surfaces by the end of the month and then Mac-Neil Landscaping will lay the turf and plant the remaining trees. District workers will then be planting annuals and grasses. The bulk of the project is expected to be completed by mid-June. That timing appeared to be fully on-track on Thursday.
Lead image: Neil Carey and Gord Fullerton from Mac-Neil Landscaping position the Russian olive feature tree at Cenotaph Park on Thursday (May 21).
