Saskatoon Saskatchewan - As a Saskatoon North Park resident, I would like to express my concern over Canadian Pacific (CP) and its so-called "vegetation management program".
 
The clear-cut which they created on the rail embankment paralleling 33rd Street East was reckless, unnecessary, and inexcusable.
 
I would echo John Penner's sentiments (SP, 25 May 2020) in which he describes the effects of this disastrous action by CP on City Park and North Park/Richmond Heights communities.
 
Not only did CP destroy a small urban forest and its intrinsic value, it also eliminated the traffic calming effect the trees had on the irritating noise and pollution of trains moving through the neighbourhoods.
 
The response of CP to the concerns raised by individuals and groups leaves a lot to be desired.
 
Mostly, it has consisted of PR-related, non-transparent, explanations, that they removed trees for "safety reasons" and as part of their "annual vegetation management program".
 
None of this stands up to scrutiny.
 
A Google satellite map image of the track shows the rail line virtually unobstructed and any trimming or pruning required would have been very minor, certainly not to the extent of clear-cutting the entire forested area.

C'mon CP, you can do better!
 
How about making amends with landscaping and tree-planting to match the nicely landscaped hiking/cycling path paralleling the embankment, created by the city a few years ago.
 
That might help the residents feel a tiny bit better.
 
Cliff Speer.