Several dozen people gathered at Indian Landing in Port Sydney today to recognize a beloved landmark.
The Giving Tree, a gnarled maple that stretches over the Muskoka River, has been the backdrop for countless family and wedding photographs. It provides inspiration for artists, shade for picnickers, and a peaceful place for solitary contemplation. A long-standing Giving Tree campaign has raised more than $30,000 for the preservation of historic Port Sydney Community Hall.
Its significance to the village is unquestionable, but now it has received official recognition of its social, cultural, and historical value—the tree has been included in the Forests Ontario Heritage Tree Program.
In a special Earth Day ceremony today, a plaque and a certificate were presented by Forests Ontario CEO Rob Keen to Councillor Jason FitzGerald, who chairs the Municipal Heritage Committee.
MP Tony Clement, a Port Sydney resident, said he was pleased the community would have “a bit of a recognition of how important this tree has been and (how) emblematic it is of our neighbourhood.”
FitzGerald added that it’s likely one of the most photographed trees anywhere, but that it means more to the village. “It represents a lot more to the community than just wonderful pictures, it represents that we are a village and we work together to make it all happen.” He thanked local resident Jennifer Falvy for her efforts in nominating the tree for the program.
Falvy, like many other local residents, has often spent time relaxing beneath the tree. She’s also an artist and photographer and has taken many videos of the tree. When she learned of the Heritage Tree Program, she knew it was a tree that deserved recognition.
Forests Ontario agreed. At the ceremony, Keen also thanked Falvy along with municipal councillors and staff for nominating the tree, and added, “When you look at Canada as a whole, we are a relatively young nation…but how fitting it is that we as a nation so rich in resources look at our heritage trees as our biological monuments…the stories they must be able to tell.”
~(From left) MP Tony Clement, Councillors Jonathan Wiebe and Jason FitzGerald, resident Jennifer Falvy, Forests Ontario CEO Rob Keen, and Town of Huntsville Manager of Arts, Culture and Heritage Teri Souter unveil the Forests Ontario plaque
Rather than being affixed to the tree, the small plaque will be placed on a post some distance away to preserve sightlines for photographers and artists who want to capture the tree’s natural beauty. The plaque will be installed in the coming weeks after the ground has thawed.
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Well done Gang !