A Barrie man fed up with an enormous soft maple tree took matters into his own hands to get it removed by pouring gasoline all over it.
Earlier this week, Chris Peyton witnessed his neighbour approach the large tree on the corner of Belcourt Avenue with several white pails.
“I witnessed my neighbour from on the other side of the fence on my front yard with a couple of big white 20 litre pails of gasoline splashing on the tree,” says Peyton.
The gasoline was enough to do damage to the long-standing tree.
“It's absolutely terrible. We loved this tree. I think it's a crime what's happened and we're all shocked and saddened,” says Betty Cushnaghanchubb, a neighbour.
City crews have been cleaning up the mess. They were forced to cut it down.
“The problem is once it gets into the ground water. That's our biggest concern,” says John Thompson, the city’s director of environmental services.
The issue stems from a long battle between the man and the city. He claims the roots were killing his garden.
“The root system encroached so badly on our garden, so badly we could hardly till it,” he says. He asked to remain anonymous.
He’s lived in Barrie for more than 45 years, and since the last ice storm, the tree has posed a danger to his yard. He says the city told him they were going to remove it, but then changed their mind.
“They told me that in October that they took it off the list of trees that should be taken down without giving thought to the right or wrong of it. I decided to take things into my own hands and of course I regret that.”
However, his neighbours say he knew exactly what he was doing.
“He should definitely be held accountable,” says Cushnaghanchubb.
At this point, no criminal charges are pending. When the man's taxes rolls around, it'll likely have $10,000 added to it to cover the cost of cleaning up the mess.
