A century-old American elm tree on Parliament Hill has been cut down, despite passionate pleas for its preservation. On Saturday evening, construction fencing surrounded the former site of the five-storey tree, which towered over a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald on the east side of Centre Block. Visible in photos dating to the 1920s, the elm tree stood in the way of plans for an expanded Parliament Hill visitor centre being built as part of the forthcoming Centre Block renovations. The elm tree can be seen on the east side of Centre Block. Paul Johanis, chair of the Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital, said he hoped saplings grown from the elm tree's genetic material will one day grace Parliament Hill.

Source: CBC News April 14, 2019 01:30 UTC