Of course my life works like this.

I have been trying since March of 2016 to have the City chop down trees on my lake front. They used to do it every other year but not in over 5 years now.

I was first told by the Parks Department that it would be done in May of 2016. It wasn't so I contacted the City Councillor and was assured it would be done by July. It wasn't and was told it had to wait till next year. In March of this year I emailed the Parks Department, the Councillor and the Mayor and was assured it would be done by July. It wasn't.

Contacted them again and told the Mayor a big sob story about my Mother having Alzheimers and that looking at the lake is one of her last pleasures . He probably knows who she is but I reminded him, with links, of the tens of thousands of volunteer hours she has put in for the City (eg. feeding literally thousands of people). He essentially said he did not care and it was not a priority. The Councillor did not respond.

So I hired a private firm to do it even though I expected to be fined $1,000. The crew came today at noon and were done by 2:30. $700. At 3:00, I noticed a City worker out back looking at the trees. I went out and was asked if I knew who did this and admitted it was me. Explained how I was careful as to not damage the trees or the root system so as to not cause any environmental damage.

He advised that he was not satisfied as it should have been taken down lower and wider and so he would send a crew by tomorrow to do a much better job.

Bittersweet. I get the job done; but it cost me $700 to get their attention. Or maybe I saved $300 by not getting fined.