“My elm was cracked down the middle after a windstorm. I called The Winnipeg Arborist and he came the same week. He explained it couldn't be saved and removed it cleanly. No damage to my fence or the neighbour's shed. Professional work.”
“I wanted my ash topped. He said no, that it would kill the tree. Instead he showed me how to thin the crown properly. Two years later, the tree looks better and I trust his judgment now.”
“My old elm has a weak fork. Rather than cut it down, he cabled it. Cost less than removal and I still have the shade. He explained exactly what he was doing and why.”
“After the removal, I had a stump in my back lane that nothing would touch. He brought the grinder in and ground it below grade. Took an afternoon. Now I can use that space again.”
Emerald Ash Borer Treatment in Elmwood
Elmwood sits on some of Winnipeg's oldest streets, lined with enormous elms that have stood for generations. The neighbourhood was named for its trees, and that canopy is under siege from two directions at once. Dutch elm disease has already claimed many of the giants overhead, and now the emerald ash borer is moving through the ash trees with the same relentless pace. Between the two, a huge share of this community's shade is at risk, and I have been called out to Elmwood regularly to assess what can be saved and what needs to come down before it becomes unsafe.
If your ash is thinning from the top down, or you notice D-shaped exit holes in the bark with woodpeckers working the trunk, that is the borer at work. I will climb it myself and tell you honestly whether treatment is still worth pursuing or whether the tree needs to come out while the wood is safe to work with. The narrow streets and older lot lines in this neighbourhood mean I have to think carefully about felling direction and where the chips will land, but that is part of the job. I do not charge to come and look, and I will not recommend a treatment that will not work.
One thing I will say plainly: do not plant another ash in its place. The borer will find it. If you want to restore the canopy on your Elmwood property, I can talk through species that belong here and will thrive. Call me at (431) 444-5195 for a free estimate.
Wood Chipping in Elmwood: Chip Everything On Site
Elmwood's tree canopy tells its own story. Those enormous elms that give the neighbourhood its character overhang narrow streets and sit close to older homes, which means when I cut, I cannot afford to leave brush piles stacked on the curb or blocking laneways. I chip everything I cut, right there on the property. My chipper stays with my truck, so once a limb hits the ground, it goes straight through the machine. That saves you a second cleanup, saves me return trips, and keeps the neighbourhood tidy while the work happens.
If you have done your own cutting and you are left with a pile of brush, I will come out just for that. Most species, maple, ash, basswood, you can keep the chips for your garden beds or paths. They break down well and save you money on mulch. Elm is the exception here. Because of the provincial regulations around Dutch elm disease, it is illegal to store elm wood in Manitoba, so those chips leave with me and go to an approved facility. I handle that part; you do not need to worry about it.
Pile size matters for my estimate. Tell me roughly how big the brush heap is, knee-high and the size of a car, or taller, and I will give you a free estimate. Call me at (431) 444-5195 to describe what you have.
Dutch Elm Disease in Elmwood: What I Look For
Elmwood's character comes from its trees, and the elms that line these narrow streets are part of that identity. Those massive specimens shade the older homes and back lanes, but they are also the reason I spend time here checking for Dutch elm disease. If you see one branch on your elm go yellow and wilt in June while the rest of the canopy looks perfectly healthy, that is flagging, and it usually means the worst. I will peel back a bit of bark and look for the brown streak in the wood beneath. That discolouration tells me the fungus has moved in, and once it has, there is no pruning it out.
I will not pretend otherwise, and anyone who tells you a diseased elm can be saved by removing the affected limbs is selling you something that will not work. If the disease is confirmed, the tree has to come down. The wood goes straight to an approved disposal site, never to a chipper or a pile. Elmwood's narrow streets and deep lots mean I often need to cable a healthy elm before I fell a sick one nearby, to protect it during the work. That cabling buys time and keeps the neighbourhood's canopy intact where it matters most.
The provincial pruning ban runs from April 1 to July 31, so timing matters. I check the rules for your address and plan the work around them. If you spot that yellow flagging on your elm, or if you want me to look at a tree you are worried about, call me. It costs nothing to have me assess it.
Tree Planting and Transplanting in Elmwood
Elmwood's character is written in its trees. The neighbourhood grew up around elms that once lined the narrow streets, and that history shapes what I plant there today. The soil is heavy clay, typical of the east bank, and it heaves against basement walls in winter, so I set every new tree far enough from foundations to let the root system settle without pressure. I also plant species that survive this zone and won't repeat the mistakes of monoculture planting. What I will not put in the ground is another elm or another ash. This city planted one species down whole streets and we are paying for it twice over now, with Dutch elm disease and emerald ash borer taking them out one by one.
When a tree goes in the wrong spot, I can move a young one if the root system will take the transplant. I handle the pit, the staking, and I give real watering instructions for the first two summers, not just a handshake and a hope. Elmwood's narrow lots and back lanes mean I think carefully about mature size and branch spread before I dig. A basswood or bur oak that looks modest at planting will need room to breathe in ten years, and I choose the spot with that in mind. I check the municipal rules for your address too, because elm comes with restrictions.
If you have a spot that needs a tree, or a sapling that landed in the wrong place, call me for a free estimate. I will tell you what will thrive on your property and what won't.
Elmwood, as the arborist sees it
Elmwood is an older east-bank neighbourhood where enormous elms arch over narrow streets and deep lots. I work here often, and I see why the place earned its name. These trees are the spine of the block, they shade the front yards, they frame the houses, and they define what the neighbourhood feels like in summer. The soil here runs heavy and clay-rich, which means the elms root deep and grow thick. When I walk the streets near Fort Gibraltar or around Lagimodière-Gaboury Park, I see American elms that are sixty, seventy years old, maybe more. They are beautiful trees, but they demand respect.
The narrow geometry of these streets changes how I work. My truck cannot always park close. The back lanes are tight, and branches hang low over fences and power lines that feed the houses. Before I ever bring a saw to one of these elms, I look at what it will drop and where. I cable and brace before I fell. That is not just technique, it is the difference between a clean job and a torn roof. Winter here brings wet, heavy snow that loads the limbs, and windstorms come through and test every weak crotch. I see a lot of storm damage in spring. The elms here are also subject to a provincial pruning ban from April through July, which I check for every job. This neighbourhood keeps me thinking about what a tree really needs, not just what someone wants removed.
