The people doing it are making a downtown that they prefer. Why fight it? The needle exchange and the various social support systems are built to attract people that have wrecked bodies or minds. Wrecking and junking their surrounding is understandable and natural. Why is anyone surprised?

I say sell it all to a off-shore "investor". They'll buy the downtown as long as the city agrees to tax it as vacant land, like the rest of their investments. It's amazing how much land around PG has been removed from local hands and will be frozen for a very long time.

Lets just brick it in... paint them green, and put up small pictures of trees,,, cheaper!!!.. going to get as many people downtown as the real thing....
Lets cut costs and have people who are looking for work do it..minimum wage....I bet you get "NO" takers for the job..

$500 dollars a tree, not $900 as the first report said is still high, but I suppose transportation and planting with some care afterwards could cost that much.

Downtown is not the only place this has ever happened. I remember when the same thing happened on Domano Blvd in College Heights. Every tree planted between the Highway and the High School was bent over and broken one night. That kind of vandalism is not just in run down areas.

Until we deal with the vandals in an effective way, they will continue to destroy the work and property of others. This vandalism has not gone unnoticed. Someone knows who is responsible and has a responsibility to turn them in.

I think of Ospika Blvd, 15th Ave., Domano Blvd and Downtown. They have all been defaced by destructive people. Arrest them and put them back to work replacing all of the damage they caused plus the damage the previous 7 culprits caused. Breakeven is not justice. It's time real justice is being served. I am fed up with the bleeding hearts who continue to protect and make excuses for the likes of this type of behavior. Chester

If the City has installed a sprinkler system that works to water the trees I wonder why they are also watering them with the water truck? Maybe they have wet feet and are dying or is it just another City story. They are great story tellers from past history.

Cheers

Earlier this year, I noticed that the tops of many of the trees looked dead.

I was told this is common after trees are transplanted. While they look dead, this part of the tree will recover and produce new growth in following years.

As to vandalism; Prince George in no different than most populated centres. Vandalism is a constant problem. Some communities are more effective than others in dealing with it.

I will say however, that I have noticed far too much tolerence for public drunkenness and vagrancy in the downtown area. I have also noticed a definite trend towards disrespect of public & private property here. I am often surprised at how people flagrantly fire their cigarette butts, gum, litter, etc., onto our roads and sidewalks. I have even watched people here casually dump their fast food garbage out the windows of their cars and trucks.

Aside from the drunkeness problem, I believe it is time for authorities to crack down on these everyday litter violations. I also believe the average citizen should take more responsibility by publicly expressing their outrage at these activities. Peer pressure can be very effective.

On a separate (but related) topic:

Many treat the end of Domano in College Heights as their own personal garbage dump. Recently, I noticed some folks yanking yard waste from their pick-up. I stopped and asked them where they were from. They replied, "Upper College Heights". When I asked why they didn't simply take their waste to the nearby Vanway transfer station, they said it was too far.

They didn't seem to think it was a big deal to dump their refuse here despite the very obvious sign that said it was prohibited. After all, they said, "everybody else is doing it".

I asked them for their specific address. When they wanted to know why I told them, "so I can come up to your neighbourhood and dump my yard waste!"

They got the hint. The reloaded their truck and left.

Disregard for property is a big problem. We can't just simply ask the "authorities" to do something about it. We as individuals need to take action. But why don't more people stand up and be heard??

Your thoughts???

Bricking up the area or giving into the problem is the real problem.

One thing will lead to another, until society doesn`t give a damn about anything.

We have to continue to pick up the garbage, replace the trees and fix the broken windows.

I do agree with Chester that when caught, vandals should be made to repair the damage and do extra, preferably in full view of the public.

"We have to continue to pick up the garbage, replace the trees and fix the broken windows."

I fully agree! Go one more step, though:

Strategically placed surveillance cameras should be able to pick up images of these vandals while in the act of damaging and destroying public property - the property paid for and maintained by our own taxpayers' money.

It's probably only a handful who sadistically get some kicks out of wreaking destruction on defenseless trees and other property!

Charge them, lock them up and keep the streets safe!

This is probably an inhumane and cruel suggestion - but that is my opinion, like it or lump it!!!

They look dead. this part of the tree will recover..... Famous last words.

You make some good points LONGWORTh. The words you are looking for are "public apathy and our comunity lacks truck loads.

Cheers

Interesting mention LONGWORTH on the fast food garbage. I see lots of all brands of fast food containers tossed out everywhere. The bigger the franchie the more the garbage.

How many on here think city council should pass a bylaw to close all drive thru windows? Certainly would cut back on the garbage in our streets.

I got a good idea, forget the trees and start planting people....they're cheaper and they could fight back.

Better idea....get that Rambo cop from Telegraph Trail and dress him up as a tree and put him in the planter. When someone comes by to vandalize him, he could shoot them right there. Unless they had a valid PAL and registered their guns.

A sign that says:

"It is a $5000 dollar fine to litter or vandalize public property. You are being watched".

Most criminals are stupid, which is why they are criminals. They will believe what they read and think twice. We need these signs all over this city, a few garbage cans would be nice as well. I can list a few places where people leave garbage bags for public use where the city should be locating a garbage can.

I was thinking of making some official looking signs of my own and putting them up in a number of places.

Mr. Trudeau whilst giving us our unforgettable national debt, also rid us of our vagrancy law. His reasoning was at the time that it shouldn't be against the law to be poor. Ah, memories. Now that's socialism. Aint it grand?

The high federal debt was given to us by Brian Mulroney more than Trudeau. Trudeau took the federal debt from about $17 billion to about $200 billion. Mulroney then increased the debt every year he was in office, taking it to $429 billion. Whatever criticism you may make of Trudeau, Mulroney has him beat by a mile.

In addition, the five years between 1985 and 1990 saw the most dramatic increases in taxation ever seen in Canada. Mulroney also signed the NAFTA after telling us he would not, promising that it would solve our lumber disputes with the US. Did it?

I find it rather ironic that Harper criticises the previous government so stridently over the debt, while accepting the support of the ex-leader of his own party who was most responsible for giving it to us in the first place.

I'm not so quick to criticize PM Harper. Our taxes are lower, our personal income exemptions have increased, our debt is lower and we are running surpluses. I will continue to encourage more of this type of fiscal responsibility. Chester