Calgary

Legacy of Cochrane's fallen Grandfather Tree will live on through new bench

With a proposal straight out of a Shel Silverstein children's book, Cochrane's beloved 300-year-old white spruce will live on through a commemorative bench made from its salvaged wood.

Beloved 300-year-old tree fell during windstorm in January

Cochrane's Grandfather Tree.
Cochrane's Grandfather Tree, a white spruce estimated to be three centuries old, was an iconic landmark at historic Cochrane Ranche before collapsing in a windstorm on Jan. 16. (Town of Cochrane)

The Town of Cochrane has found a way to pay tribute to its most treasured tree.

The Grandfather Tree, an estimated 300-year-old white spruce in Cochrane Ranche, was toppled by high winds during a storm in January.

Now through a proposal reminiscent of Shel Silverstein's book The Giving Tree, it will live on in the form of a commemorative bench made with its salvaged wood.

WATCH | Grandfather Tree mourned by Cochranites:

This tree outlived generations until high winds took it down

4 months ago
Duration 2:04
Residents in Cochrane, Alta. are mourning the loss of the Grandfather Tree, a long-beloved landmark estimated to have stood for about 300 years. High winds in southern Alberta on Thursday night led to its demise, and now the town must decide what to do next with what's left of its official tree.

The bench was chosen over two other options presented to Cochrane town council on Monday: a children's book authored by a local author and the production of wooden key chains made from the tree.

"In the weeks that followed [the tree's collapse], we saw an incredible outpouring of community sentiment," said Michelle Delorme, the town's director of parks and active living.

"Residents left reflections, drawings and stories in a temporary mailbox and journal placed at the site, showing us how much this landmark meant to so many people."

The tree is currently commemorated through two public art installations at The Station in downtown Cochrane.

Hereafter, an art piece by Malann Klassen and Lara Kruger in Cochrane.
Hereafter, an art piece by Malann Klassen and Lara Kruger, includes a resin-cast section of the Grandfather Tree. Another public art installation at The Station, the Cochrane Brico, also features a depiction of the beloved spruce. (Malann Klassen/Facebook)

The bench will include infographic interpretive signage and a mailbox where visitors can share their Grandfather Tree stories and reflections.

Calling the bench project "a meaningful, long-lasting tribute that can be delivered within our parks and active living budget," Delorme said it would cost from $7,000 to $10,000.

Some council members balked at that estimate. 

Price tag not popular

Coun. Patrick Wilson said he was "amazed" and "kind of disgusted" by the proposed cost.

When asked by Wilson, Delorme said the price is in line with that of other municipal benches in Cochrane's parks, with those costing anywhere from $5,000 to $7,000.

"I can't believe that number. I'm absolutely aghast that we pay that," he said.

Stacey Loe, community services executive director with the Town of Cochrane, said that while the cost would continue to be evaluated, this particular bench will likely be more expensive than others due to the labour involved with creating it from the Grandfather Tree. 

Delorme added that the entire bench won't be made from the Grandfather Tree's wood, but that the goal is for "at least half" of it to be.

"We will have to piece everything back together," she said.

A large tree stands in a forest
Before its collapse during a windstorm in January, the status of the 300-year-old Grandfather Tree was being monitored by the Town of Cochrane due to concerns around soil erosion and root damage stemming from people climbing the tree. (Town of Cochrane)

Coun. Marni Fedeyko said that "unless it's made out of, like, African rainforest wood, it seems kind of on the high side."

She supported the motion but emphasized that hiring local artists and contractors for the bench's construction should be prioritized.

Coun. Morgan Nagel acknowledged that the project sounds "a little too expensive," but said it was a reasonable proposal, likening it to "an artisan project off of the woods."

Councillors floated the idea of combining the bench proposal with the children's book idea, but ultimately approved the construction of the bench at the proposed price. Six of seven council members voted in favour of the motion, leaving Wilson as the sole dissenter.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amir Said

Reporter/Editor

Amir Said is a reporter/editor with CBC Calgary. A graduate of the University of Regina, Amir's award-winning work as a writer and photographer has been published online and in print nationwide. Before joining the CBC team, Amir was a multimedia reporter with the Western Wheel newspaper and Great West Media. Amir can be reached at amir.said@cbc.ca or through social media.