High winds down trees in Calgary and area

Strong winds with gusts surpassing 80 kilometres per hour downed trees in Calgary and the surrounding area late Thursday, and also knocked out power for thousands of Calgarians.

Enmax told CBC News that crews worked through the night to restore electricity to approximately 10,000 customers across Calgary who were affected by outages.

The power company said the outages began at approximately 10:30 p.m. and the majority of repairs were completed early Friday.

According to Environment Canada, windy conditions in Calgary started at about 7 p.m. and strengthened through the evening past midnight.

Gusts of 70 to 80 km/h lasted for roughly four hours beginning before 10 p.m. 

The winds in Calgary didn't subside until after 5 a.m.

Calgary resident Jamie Alexander, who lives in the southeast community of Manchester, says two trees on her property had fallen.

"I was sleeping and I woke up because my dog was barking and then next thing you know, I go outside and the tree is on my neighbour's car," she said.

Alexander speculates the second tree was downed because the first fell on top of it.

"I'm just happy it didn't fall down on the house because I would have been underneath that roof right there where it would have landed," she said.

She added she works with trees for a living and was cutting and clearing the tree from the area Friday morning.

"It's just another day's work, just by myself," Alexander said.

Craig Vindevoghel, an arborist with Calgary Tree Experts, says his company received about a half dozen calls for downed trees on Friday.

He says coniferous and spruce trees are more prone to breaking during high winds; however, it also depends on how heavy the tree is, if they have been pruned properly and whether sections have been hollowed out by animals.

"[Pruning] should be performed every three to five years," Vindevoghel said. "You want to prune for the health and longevity of the tree."

He adds it's also prudent to prune trees to prevent the spread of disease and to reduce how much wind is caught by their branches, which will lower the risk of wind knocking them over. However, he says, pruning should be performed by a professional to avoid damaging trees.

"There's no such thing as too tall of a tree, so don't reduce the height of them, that's the No. 1 worst thing that you can do. You do more damage than good," Vindevogel said.

Cochrane's 'beloved' Grandfather Tree fell

The Town of Cochrane reported Friday that the Grandfather Tree, which it described as a long-standing and much-loved community landmark, also fell during the windstorm.

"Known for its rich history and natural beauty, the Grandfather Tree, estimated to be around 300 years old, has long been a beloved feature of Cochrane's landscape," the town said in a release.

Cochrane says protective measures were taken in recent years to preserve the tree and the surrounding area, near the Cochrane RancheHouse, including the installation of fencing to address concerns about foot traffic, soil erosion and root damage. 

However, the strong winds proved too much for the white spruce, which caused the trunk of the aging tree to snap.

The town's parks department is asking residents to submit their ideas on how to commemorate the tree as the town works to stabilize the area and mitigate soil erosion. Cochrane says it will not remove the downed tree at this time.

"The Grandfather Tree held a special place in the hearts of our community," said Lisa Almond,the town's executive director of community safety and well-being. "Its loss is deeply felt as it was not only a gathering place but also a symbol of pride and connection for many."