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Investigators are trying to track down the vandals responsible for damaging a half-dozen trees near Westboro Beach in recent weeks.
Four of the trees were on National Capital Commission (NCC) land along the Ottawa River Parkway. Three of the trees had been sawed about halfway through the trunks and had to be cut down by NCC staff.
“With the fourth tree, some sort of chemical substance, we don’t know what, was poured over the roots,” said NCC spokeswoman Kathryn Keyes. “We are still doing an assessment on that tree to see if it can be saved.”
An area resident contacted the NCC earlier this month after one of the trees fell over. NCC conservation officers then discovered the damage to the other trees.
Police are investigating. If caught, the vandals could be charged with mischief damage to property.
The trees were planted in the area more than 30 years ago, Keyes said, during the construction of the parkway. The acts appear to be random in nature and there doesn’t seem to be anything about the specific trees which would have attracted the vandalism.
“I can’t think of another time when we had something like this happen,” said Keyes. “I’m thinking back really far and I can’t remember a similar incident.”
terri.saunders@sunmedia.ca
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