Planting & Removal
Planting
The City of St. Albert replaces trees removed from boulevards in the next planting year, budget permitting. The City will review areas that require replacement and trees are ordered from various tree nurseries in the area. If a tree cannot be replaced in the same location it was removed due to current engineering standards and utility locates, replacement will be done elsewhere to maintain the tree canopy in the neighbourhood.
City Service Level
- Planting and maintaining City-owned trees along residential boulevards, buffers, parks, and arterial roadways.
Homeowners must remove any extra landscaping (i.e. rocks, annuals) before planting can occur and are encouraged to water new trees that are planted to help ensure survival.
Tree Maintenance
The City prunes City-owned trees year-round on a five-year tree maintenance cycle. Residents may request an assessment of their public tree if they believe it needs immediate attention. Work will be prioritized and scheduled if critical.
City Service Level
- Pruning trees to ensure roadway and traffic sight lines are clear and traffic signs and signals are plainly visible. The City assesses twice a year to ensure that traffic signals and signs are unobstructed.
- Crown raising to ensure that low branches are high enough to avoid interfering with vehicle and pedestrian traffic on roads and sidewalks. This is a key component of the five-year maintenance program across all City roadways and residential areas.
- Sanitation pruning is the removal of dead and diseased wood to stop or slow the spread of disease.
- Structural pruning entails the removal of competing leaders, badly joined branches, and various unsound growth habits. This ensures that the tree can develop a strong, healthy and tall form. In this area, crews mainly work with younger trees, where the most benefit is gained from the time spent.
Trimming Around Power Lines
- If there are concerns with trees that are on or near power lines, please contact Fortis Alberta at 780-310-WIRE (9473)
- For more information on this, please visit: Fortis Alberta Safety
Removal
One of the main priorities for tree removal within the City is to ensure that the safety of our residents and property is met. Trees that are dead and/or dying and could potentially hurt or injure people and/or adjacent properties are inspected and removed. Trees that are taken out will be placed on the list for replacement in the future, subject to current engineering standards and utility locates.
City Service Level
- Pruning or removing trees that present risk or liability to the public.
- Removing badly broken, dead or dying trees, including those in natural areas that may pose a risk to people or adjacent private properties.
Homeowners must remove any extra landscaping (i.e. rocks, annuals) before most tree removal or stump grinding can occur.
Reporting Damaged, Broken or Diseased Trees
If you would like to report a tree that needs to be trimmed or if it is damaged, broken, or diseased please report the issue online or call 780-459-1557. These requests are recorded and sent to the appropriate section. They will then be inspected and scheduled for repair based on their level of severity.Related Pages
Last edited: January 10, 2025