KINGSTON, ON – A Kingstonian man has been unable to repair the damage to his home after a heritage-designated tree fell on top of it during a storm.
The 223-year-old protected fir tree was struck by lightning earlier this week and landed on Bradley Garnett’s two storey house. However, he has been told by municipal bylaws officials that he can’t remove massive log and branches for heritage conservation reasons.
“The copper plaque most likely attracted the lightning bolt,” explained Garnett as he stood near the ruin of his home. “When the fire department arrived, they asked me if anyone was crushing the 8,000 ibs log and whether I made modifications to the tree when I extracted myself from the rubble.”
The tree was given its heritage status in 1975 due to its importance of being old and having roots firmly planted in a historically rich city. Local historians also speculate that Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, once relieved himself on the tree’s trunk after a whiskey-fueled bender in 1869.
“Debris blocking the road will also need to be carefully analyzed and assessed for its historical significance,” said a city official. “We expect to complete our historical assessment within the next ten years, but for now, the road will be closed indefinitely.”
With the protected mass of lumber now part of his partially destroyed bedroom and bathroom, Garnett’s house has been automatically designated as a heritage property under the Ontario Heritage Act causing the taxes on his decimated dwelling to skyrocket.
According to sources, Kingston Trolley Tours has added the now historic log and the destruction it caused to one of its stops.
