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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday March 30, 2007 - 9 It's official -- tree is saved By Krissie Rutherford OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF ...Redefine Your Living Space We design and build Bathrooms . Kitchens . Basements The money's in the bank ­ all $343,000 of it. Oakville's citizen-led save-the-tree campaign came to an official close Wednesday with a final $10,000 boost from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. That brings the final tally to the amount needed to reroute Bronte Road around the more than 250-year-old white oak tree. To save "Mother Oakville," as Ward 4 Councillor Allan Elgar put it. "This tree was here 100 years before Oakville was formed," he told a group gathered by the white oak Wednesday morning, including TD representatives on hand with the final cheque. "(Oakville is) celebrating our 150th anniversary and this tree is celebrating its 250th anniversary. This is a great day, and it's a great finish." A finish to a fundraising campaign that started last June. It began after plans were proposed to expand Bronte from a two-lane to a four-lane road. That would have meant wiping out the historic tree, which stands in the path of development. That's when citizens got together to fund a plan to reroute the road around the tree ­ two lanes on each side ­ an initiative projected to cost $343,000. "The town is named after this tree," said Jim Young, who co-chaired the Woodlands Oak Tree Preservation Committee with Joyce Burnell. "Trees like this used to blanket the town, but because so many were cut down, this is the last visible remaining giant oak tree of its kind." That's one of the reasons many people donated time and money to make sure it survived development. "Thanks to you, it has been saved from the axe of progress, which would have seen it disappear and be forgotten, after over 250 years of gracing this Woodlands farm site," Young told onlookers. "There won't be another one like it, with the way things are going," Elgar added, pointing to development. "We are called Oakville, we will never become oak-less Oakville now." Regional Chair Gary Carr said the save-the-tree campaign's success is a testament to Halton citizens and their willingness to help out. But the most remarkable part of the save-the-tree effort, which started June 21, 2006, is that it extended well beyond Halton's borders. Residents of India, England, Ireland and the United States all heard about the threatened white oak and donated to the cause. "It actually went from a local issue to regional, to national, to international," said Elgar. A $150,000 donation from a Toronto woman who wanted to remain anonymous, a young girl who broke open her piggy bank to give all she could, kids who ran fundraisers at their schools, corporate donations, personal donations FAMILY OWNED & ED OPERAT KAZ NOVAK / HAMILTON SPECTATOR SAVED FROM DEVELOPMENT: Co-Chair of the savethe-tree campaign Jim Young announces that the more than 250year-old white oak behind him has officially been saved from development thanks to fundraising efforts. Regional Chair Gary Carr (left), looks on. More than 20 years of experience 198 Speers Road, Oakville 905-845-9675 Canada's up to or choose up to Choice $ in a Bonus Cash Rebate Get A Great New Vehicle At A Great Price... Then Choose One Of Three Bonus Offers: $ in Mopar Accessories* 1500 1000 $ in Free Gas** See Lockwood Chrysler for details. '07 CHRYSLER SEBRING '07 CHRYSLER PACIFICA '07 CHRYSLER 300C '07 DODGE CALIBER 750 '07 JEEP COMPASS or choose up to The Choice is Yours! '07 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED '07 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN '07 DODGE RAM RVAL DRIVE R Financing Provided By WYECROFT RD. 175 Wyecroft Road, Oakville 905.845.6653 www.lockwoodchrysler.com See Donations page 12 RR ST. AFALGAR R THE LOCKWOOD REWARDS CARD INCLUDED WITH EVERY PURCHASE QEW