Editor of the Meaford Independent,
An excellent story in last week’s paper on the old Oak in the Leith cemetery and the work of the local Tree Trust. The writer of the article failed to mention that it was (most likely) planted to commemorate the death of Queen Victoria a few years before.
Meaford the town has a similar story of English oaks being planted in the Bighead River Valley to honour King George the Sixth. Acorns from the Royal Windsor Park were given out on the cross-Canada Royal Tour of 1939. Local citizens grew several of these trees and they were transplanted to the property that belonged to the Stanley Knight Limited. The trees have thrived and now there are over 100 of these trees in existence. The land is now owned by the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy and they will be transplanting one of the young trees to the McMichael Gallery Arboretum in Kleinburg in October. This to honour the 70-year reign of our late Queen.
I had the pleasure of showing one of these young trees to our Lieutenant-Governor when she was in Meaford in August for the Volunteers Dinner. Below is an image of myself and the reps from the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy meeting Her Honour Elizabeth Dowdswell.
If the people of Meaford are interested in seeing these Royal Oaks, go to the west end of Muir St. and walk past the yellow gate and down the old road into the valley. I have flagged many of the oaks with green surveyor’s tape. If you go north on the riverside trail you will get to the original trees that are adjacent to the Ontario Hydro power lines.
An amazing story from a different time!
Robert Burcher, the Beaver Valley
