Fredericton replacing trees destroyed by Storm Arthur

The City of Fredericton is still repairing damage done by post-tropical storm Arthur nearly two years ago.

It's planting an extra 250 trees this year, in addition to the 250 extra it planted last year, to try and restore some of the 1,000 trees the storm destroyed.

• Fredericton begins replacing 1,000 trees lost in Storm Arthur

"Usually we only had a spring planting, but last year we had a fall planting as well," said Neil Trebble, the city's arboriculture foreman.

"We're going to be doing the same this year as well. We'll be putting close to 700 trees into the ground."

Usually about 450 trees are planted a year.

The city has also removed about 200 pine trees in the last year that were affected by diplodia tip blight, a fungus that kills new shoots, major branches and ultimately entire trees.

Trebble said more infected pine trees still need to be removed.

"They did get the disease because of the close proximity of where they were planted and because of the monoculture. It really added to the disease spreading and them all getting it," Trebble said.

The city is planting more diverse types of trees it says will help safeguard against more storms and diseases in the future, including maples, oaks and elms that are disease resistant.

Planting on the city's northside will being on May 17.