Ash trees along Thunder Bay walking trail being removed due to emerald ash borer

More than 100 trees along a popular south-side multi-use trail will be removed in the coming weeks after it was discovered they were infected by the emerald ash borer.

The trees are located along the Woodward Trail corridor, running between James Street and Neebing Avenue along a rail line.

"It's really significant that this hit that particular area as much as it has," Westfort Coun. Kristen Oliver, who posted about the issue on Facebook on the weekend, said in an interview.

However, Oliver said, it's not surprising, as the emerald ash borer is often a problem for ash trees located along rail lines.

"I think it's likely related to some external influences that happen with cargo being carried and whatnot," she said.

The trees will be removed in the coming weeks before the weather warms and the insects emerge.

In an email to CBC News, Dan Corbett, urban forester with the City of Thunder Bay, said the trees will be replaced by "a broad diversity of trees to improve the resilience of the city canopy."

Oliver said replacing the trees also act as a sound barrier between the rail line and nearby homes.

"I think that's a lot of the concern as well, too, is the noise impact," she said. "So I think that there's some level of relief to know that not only are we enhancing the community by planting more trees, but we're going to try and ensure that that noise barrier's in place for the people that live at the end of the street."

The city's emerald ash borer website states that the insect was first discovered in Thunder Bay in 2016.

More than 25 per cent of the city's trees are ash — that number doesn't include ash trees on private property — and the city has an emerald ash borer strategy in place.

Some eligible ash trees can be treated with chemical injections that target emerald ash borer larvae.