This kind of stupid thing makes me mad. If caught they should get a stiff sentence to set an example. I think the city should post a $5000 reward so the punks ratty friends turn him in, and then make a big example out of the fool so it doesn't happen again.

$5000 is a lot of money, but if its the cost of getting the word out that this is not acceptable in this town, then its money well spent IMO if a tale is told that brings the perp to light.

I agree with Eagleone!
Post reward posters downtown..Also a good public canning comes to mind!

Surveillance cameras. More RCMP night time foot patrols. Bigger jails and judges with bells.

from the Kelowna Municipal Properties Tree Bylaw No. 8042

"Every person who commits an offence against this bylaw is liable to a fine and penalty not exceeding Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) for each City tree unlawfully cut down or damaged in addition to the Equitable Compensation as outlined in Section 8.0 of this bylaw."

Don't know if we have a similar one.

Of course, the individual has to be caught.

While this is bad, it wouldn't be so much of a loss if we had 1,000 trees downtown, like we should.

The city needs to start a mass tree planting program - 200 a year.

The state of our city promoted this type of thing.
From unsightly yards to burned out buildings.
I wonder if I really need to dump my garbage in the landfill or just dump it downtown or on some unsightly property that is pretty much anywhere in this city.

I agree with the "state of our City" comment. However, I find the "state of the City" of Kelowna to be much better, yet I saw the exact same tree vandalism there during my visit.

I made a comment to the proprietor of an outdoor restaurant on Bernard Street about the lack of "street people" downtown. He said walk one block south to Lawrence and I would likely retract that comment.

BTW, in order to reduce the opportunity vanadalism of trees, the City might want to plant trees with a more substantial calipre. The one in the picture looks on the low end of a 1.5 to 3 inches calipre suggested for increased likelyhood of the tree establishing itself to the new conditions.

However, the new conditions often only consider soil and not the reality of urban damage through accident or intent.

To the best of my knowledge, none of the birch trees on the north side of 3rd between Victoria and Brunswick have been damaged after some 20+ years of being there.

Maybe we need a pilot project. Plant alternating trees - 4+ inch calipre with every second one being about 2 inches.

whoever the bastards who did this should be thrown into the fraser river to die a horrible death. One of the trees be Shephards corner I likes was one of the trees "cut down". If this person (or anyone) would touch my trees in my yard, I would feel like beat the crap out of him!!!! I would have the same feelings if they weck a living person.

This speaks volumes about some people in the downtown. Seeing as I have no reason to go downtown, might I say that was a great picture?

Village idiots + booze and drugs = destruction for kicks.

If we caught these dummies, restorative justice would have them replace the trees by their own devices, likely by hand and shovel. (dig it up, and replant it)

Isn't it about time for some kind of loitering/vagrancy bylaw? Everyone knows what the real problem is downtown but everyone is too friggin' "PC" to name it & deal with it.

Exactly, nobody wants to deal with the problem. "Let's just plant bigger trees" one says. "Maybe we should just remove the metal protective rings" another suggests. And another says, "if we planted a 1000 trees, maybe a few damaged ones wouldn't be such a big deal".

Let's face it, these suggestions do nothing about dealing with the problem. The problem are the vandals. They have no respect, no fear and no concerns about anyone or anything. And old friend of mind suggested we send them all off to the Queen Charlottes until they grow up.

Mr. Trendy Trudeau got rid of our vagrancy laws. His reasoning? As a great socialist he was, he stated it should not be against the law to be poor and without visible means of support. Thus our society has unfolded as it should, just like the universe. To coin a phrase.

whoever the bastards who did this should be thrown into the fraser river to die a horrible death. One of the trees be Shephards corner I likes was one of the trees "cut down". If this person (or anyone) would touch my trees in my yard, I would feel like beat the crap out of him!!!! I would have the same feelings if they weck a living person.

accidently posted above post second time (refreshed article). I got word from a person at Shephards corner (where I went after posting the first post) that another person there saw 2 guys and a girl wecking the trees. He told a city worker. Who knows if the city worker acted on the information. They were not the street people but drunks from the burbs (who does most of the vandalism downtown). The street people mostly respect the downtown property.