Much-beloved historic Cochrane landmark destroyed in powerful windstorm

Its a bittersweet time for residents of Cochrane, Alta.

On Friday morning, the municipality announced that a longstanding and much-loved assemblage landmark was destroyed by the windstorm that swept crossed Alberta connected Thursday, during which upwind gusts reached astir 85 km/h.

Known arsenic “The Grandfather Tree” — a achromatic spruce, estimated to beryllium astir 300 years aged — it has agelong been a celebrated diagnostic of Cochrane’s earthy landscape.

The past histrion was portion of a basal of trees increasing southwest of Bighill Creek, adjacent the historical Cochrane Ranche.

Its astir awesome diagnostic was its immense basal system, with galore of the roots increasing outward, supra ground, to assistance enactment the value of the tree.

“This is simply a beloved landmark,” said Cochrane Mayor Jeff Genung, arsenic helium surveyed the harm to the histrion connected Friday.  “To locals this is truly a concealed gem.”

“Growing up successful Cochrane, I played successful this wood on this large elevation creek for many, galore hours, and the histrion was ever the spot wherever — my friends and I were similar — we volition conscionable you astatine the tree.”

Genung says determination has been an outpouring of enactment and affectional tributes to the tree.

“We had a quality advisory spell retired notifying residents, and there’s been a groundswell of enactment and endearment and radical sharing each of their stories of and pictures of the tree.

“Even erstwhile we walked up (to the tree) we recovered a enactment from immoderate Grade 2 students who it appears person travel down and shared a fewer thoughts astir the tree.”

“The Grandfather Tree held a peculiar spot successful the hearts of our community,” said Lisa Almond, Cochrane’s enforcement manager of Community Safety & Wellbeing.

“Its nonaccomplishment is profoundly felt, arsenic it stood for generations arsenic a gathering spot and a awesome of pridefulness and transportation for truthful galore successful Cochrane.

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The histrion was besides the cardinal diagnostic of an interactive mosaic mural created by the Cochrane and Area events society, “highlighting heartwarming stories and hardships Cochranites encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Spokesperson Marina Chabbert says the histrion “represents Cochrane residents reaching retired to 1 different during hard times, bringing retired the champion successful people. We person a agelong past of being rooted unneurotic arsenic 1 assemblage arsenic symbolized with our beloved Grandfather Tree.”

In caller years, the tree’s wellness had been failing, truthful a fig of measures were taken to support the tree.

Signs were installed asking visitors to debar climbing connected the roots, and fencing was installed successful the autumn of 2024 to code concerns astir accrued ft traffic, ungraded erosion and basal damage.

The municipality says the histrion volition not instantly beryllium removed, but Almond said, “As we bespeak connected its significance, we are cautiously exploring meaningful ways to repurpose the wood and nurture caller beingness done effect propagation, ensuring its bequest continues to animate aboriginal generations.”

Propagation specialists were on-site Friday to cod familial worldly successful an effort to turn a caller histrion from the Grandfather Tree.

The municipality is besides soliciting ideas from the nationalist connected however to commemorate the histrion by sending their suggestions to community.services@cochrane.ca.