St. James tree protest

People living on a stately cul de sac across from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton say their neighbourhood is being destroyed by a developer and there’s nothing they can do to stop it. CHCH spoke to the owner who was cutting them himself today –he was evasive about his plans for the property but some of the people working for him say it’s meant to be a parking lot.

With the buzz of chainsaws heard around the block.

Neighbours on St. James Place were horrified to see what the new owner of the property on the corner was doing to the ancient trees growing there.

“It was heartbreaking” Julie MacCuish, a St. James Place resident says, “We are all extremely stressed and sad. these homes are our lives.”

Wictor Veri says he’s just one of the new owners, and he doesn’t appreciate the concern.

“This happens all the time, everyone wants to save a tree,” Veri adds “I say plant them on your own property.”

“A lot of them are no darn good. In fact the neighbour there was happy because they’ve got a pool and all the leaves were falling in the pool. to put up a fence, we don’t want a tree there.”

“We didn’t say that,” Julie MacCuish responds “so it’s another example of how he’s lied directly to us.”

Veri won’t say what the plans are, but his own workers believe it will be a parking lot much like the gravel one veri operates across from the hamilton general hospital. Veri, who ran for Mayor of Hamilton in 2010, is allowed by law to cut down trees on his property.

“We’re complying with the law,” Veri says “if there need to be changes to the law, well, the people will be notified.”

He won’t fully explain his plans for the property, and neighbours don’t want to see another hospital parking lot. Many of the neighbours believe that is the property’s fate, similar to the gravel lot filled with parked cars across from the Hamilton General Hospital.