Trees

You do not need a permit to plant or maintain (prune) a tree on your property. However, pruning must be done in accordance with the by-laws. A permit is required to fell a tree located on your property. To obtain a permit, contact the Urban Planning, Permits and Inspection Department at urbanisme@saint-lambert.ca or 450-672-4444.

For complete details on the by-laws concerning trees on the territory of Saint-Lambert, visit the section below.

Did you know that there are 13,600 public trees in Saint-Lambert? These trees can be found growing in rights-of-way, on private property, in parks and green spaces, on medians and islands, etc. These trees belong to the Ville de Saint-Lambert.

It is important to know that it is forbidden to prune or fell a public tree. If you believe that a tree is in need of maintenance, you are invited to contact the Environment Management division at foresterie@saint-lambert.ca or 450-672-4444 to request an inspection. You can also submit a request for a tree be planted in the municipal right-of-way abutting your property.

Reporting damage to your property or possessions
To report damage to your property or possessions involving a public tree, please refer to the Legal services page. Please note that you have 15 days to report an incident.

Forestry Department

The Forestry Department handles the following:

• Requests to fell a public tree;
• Requests to prune a public tree;
• Requests to inspect a public tree;
• Requests to brace a public tree;
• Requests to plant a tree in a public right-of-way.

You can send your requests at foresterie@saint-lambert.ca or 450-672-4444. Due to the high volume of requests during the summer period, a certain amount of time may be required to process your request. Upon receipt of a request, an inspection of the tree will be carried out. You will then be notified whether or not the request is accepted.

To find out if a tree on your property is yours (private) or the City’s (public), identify your property line using your certificate of location. If the center of the base of the tree is located within the public right-of-way, the tree belongs to the City.

The municipal guide to choosing trees to plant (in French only), which was developed in keeping with the specific features of our territory, will promote the harmonious development of our urban forest by advising you about all aspects of a tree species. In addition to helping you choose the appropriate species, the guide incudes recommendations about tree planting, maintenance, protection, and cutting.

The guide is a practical tool that you should consult each time you have questions about trees on your property. Print copies are available for on-site consultation or on sale at a cost of $4 at City Hall and at the Urban Planning, Permits and Inspection Department.

This concept was developed by the Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki as a way of quickly restoring urban woodlands on barren land. It is a method that involves planting native tree species close together and randomly to simulate local environmental conditions. This practice maximizes competition between the trees, natural selection, and relationships among plants. It results in the rapid growth of trees that compete with each other for light, as well as the rapid production of plants and weeds, which populate the lower layers of the new forest.

The Ville de Saint-Lambert planted trees and shrubs in Brixton Park with this principle in mind. While not following the Miyawaki method to the letter, as the planting density is lower, it is still enough to have the same benefits. Also, many different species were planted, including native species especially chosen to live in urban environments.

The Ville de Saint-Lambert recognizes the importance of trees in its urban environment, which is why it adopted a tree policy in September 2012. We all have a shared responsibility to preserve and improve our urban forest to ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy the quality of life to which they are rightfully entitled.

The Tree Policy provides us with a management framework for working to conserve and develop this precious resource.

The City of Saint-Lambert asks all property owners to maintain or plant at least one tree per front of a building on the part of their property that borders the street.

It is forbidden to cut any deciduous trees measuring more than 10 cm (4 in.) in diameter down to 30 cm from the ground or conifers measuring more than 2 m in height, on private property without a permit.

Print the application to request a permit to cut down a tree (in French only). Bring the completed form to the Urban Planning, Permits and Inspection Department to obtain your permit. Certain fees apply.

A tree can only be cut down for one of the following reasons:

• the tree is dead or has an incurable disease;
• the tree is dangerous for residents’ health or safety;
• the tree constitutes a nuisance or causes damage to public or private property;
• the tree is a nuisance for the growth and health of adjacent trees;
• the tree is located in an unrestricted cutting zone.

The following are normal inconveniences related to the presence of a tree and do not constitute reasons for felling a tree: falling twigs, leaves, seed pods, seeds, needles, flowers or fruit; the presence of exudate of sap or honeydew, roots on the ground’s surface, insects or animals, shade, unpleasant odours or the release of pollen.

When a tree is cut down, it must be replaced by another tree planted in the same section of land. However, no replacement is required if the number of trees on the property after cutting down the tree remains higher than the required minimum, as specified in the following table:

* However, there must be at least one tree in each yard, regardless of its surface area.

The replacement tree must be at least 7.5 cm in diameter (measured 30 cm from the ground) if it is a deciduous tree, and at least 1.5 metres tall if it is a conifer. If the tree cut down is a medium- or large-growing species, it must be replaced by a variety of species that will grow to a similar size. If the replacement tree dies, a new tree must be planted in its place.

It is prohibited to plant certain species less than 20 metres from the sidewalk or public roadway, underground pipes, underground public utility service infrastructures, or lot lines:

• weeping willow (Salix alba tristis);
• white poplar (Populus alba);
• eastern cottonwoods (Populus deltoides);
• lombardy poplar (Populus nigra italica);
• balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera);
• trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides);
• silver maple (Acer saccharinum);
• box elder (Acer negundo);
• american elm (Ulmus americana);
• norway maple (Acer platanoides);
• female Ginko biloba (ginkgo biloba L.);
• Glossy buckthorn (rhamnus frangula);
• Common buckthorn (rhamnus cathartica);
• Ash (fraxinus) of all categories.

This regulation applies only to the new plantations.

Due to the presence of the emerald ash borer on our territory, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) strongly recommends not planting ash trees.

Tree topping, which consists of cutting the crown of a tree, as well as overpruning, are prohibited at all times. The consequences of tree topping are extremely harmful. A topped tree is weakened, risks developing blight or sunscald, and breaks more easily, and its esthetic value is diminished. In the worst-case scenario, topping can kill the tree, meaning that it has to be chopped down.

Proper pruning techniques minimize the risk of damaging a tree. It is important that this work be carried out by qualified individuals. You can consult the site of the Quebec Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture to find a tree care professional in your area.

During landscaping or construction work, significant damage to trees may be caused by machinery traffic, the stockpiling of materials or excavation activities. Before proceeding with any such work, you should check with the Urban Planning, Permits and Inspection Department to find out what precautions you should take to protect trees.

Throughout the territory of the city, it is forbidden to:

• Pollard a tree;
• Top a tree;
• Place any object or material on the ground that could interfere with the supply of water, air or nutrients to the roots of a tree;
• Mark, remove bark or engage in any action that may injure a tree;
• Build a structure in a tree in a way that will cause damage to the tree;
• Poison a tree or bring a tree into contact with a poisonous or harmful substance;
• Alter the slope, height or drainage of soils in such a manner as to interfere with the supply of water, air or nutrients to a tree;
• Girdle a tree trunk;
• Fell a deciduous tree of more than 10 cm in diameter measured at 30 cm from the ground or a conifer measuring more than 2 m in height without having first obtained a certificate of authorization issued for this purpose.