Downed Charlottetown trees get a second life after Fiona

Some of the historic trees downed by post-tropical storm Fiona will get a second life.

The City of Charlottetown is gathering selected trees that will be turned into a wide range of woodworking projects.

"Right now, the big logs have been marked, and those are the ones we really want to salvage and look at for future opportunities, whether it be benches, tables, commemorative opportunities as well," said Carly Siopis, strategic initiatives officer with the City of Charlottetown. 

Siopis is leading the project to salvage the trees and get them to people who want them. 

"My inbox is full from community members and residents who are looking at things like commemorating a fallen tree, whether it be a park bench in that same area, or looking at picnic tables," Siopis said. 

"Things like art projects and sculptures, lots of great ideas coming in and I'd say keep them coming." 

Siopis said efforts are being made to track where the sections of trees are from.

"We are trying to keep them identified in a particular way so that we can say, that's the elm that was at that corner, or that's the maple that was at that street," Siopis said.

"Unfortunately, some have been missed, but we are trying to keep them marked, and attached to the legacy."  

Mixed emotions

Furniture maker Brodye Chappell and cabinet maker Elliot Mallett have been scouring city parks, looking for the pieces of downed trees with the best potential, a mission with mixed emotions.

"It was pretty heartbreaking to see King Square decimated like this, seeing all the trees laying on their side, but we want to try and salvage them as as best we can," Chappell said.

"We're marking them with white paint for the arborist to section them accordingly. How a chef, whenever he butchers the pig, he doesn't want to waste anything."

 
Chappell said some of the older trees are a treasure trove of opportunities for woodworking.

"That's how we're looking at it, trying to save the burls, the cross sections, and the long lengths. Cut them accordingly so we can get the most out of the material."

It's pretty exciting that we're going to basically give these trees another life​​​​​—Brodye Chappell, Brodye Chappell Builds 

The woodworkers, who are also custom saw millers, said the response from residents has been positive. 

"We were out the other day, scouting out some trees and everybody walking by was super excited to hear that some of them are going to be saved, and turned into beautiful pieces of art," Mallett said.

"A lot of things go to waste when they're still perfectly good, and it's really good to see that we're able to save these."

'A bright light'

The woodworkers said the next step is to go through the salvaged wood, and grade it, which could take weeks, and then prepare the wood.

"We may do a small batch of milling so that we can show what can come out of these beautiful trees," Chappell said.

"Maybe by the spring, I'm thinking, because kiln drying and air drying is such a a long process. Hopefully it makes the residents of Charlottetown really excited to see these trees live another life."

Carly Siopis said the tree salvaging project has been rewarding, personally, in the aftermath of Fiona. 

"Although there's been a lot that we're still dealing with on the ground, this project in particular has been a bit of a bright light," Siopis said.

"It keeps me going, it keeps me inspired, and I'm just so proud of the ideas, and the opportunities that are coming through the door."