Historic Elm Tree Coming to St. Marys

MEDIA ADVISORY

For Immediate Release

Perth—Wellington, ON – An historic elm tree will be planted in the Town of St. Marys on Saturday September 14, 2019.

The sapling was propagated from the Historic Elm Tree on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, which grew next to the statue of Canada’s First Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald.

The tree was one of the few to survive the spread of Dutch Elm Disease in Ontario throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s. It was cut down this past spring as part of the ongoing restoration project on Parliament Hill.

Arthur Meighen Statue in St. Marys Ontario

Twigs taken from the tree were transported to the University of Guelph Arboretum for its Elm Recovery Project. Ten of the grafted twigs survived and John Nater, Member of Parliament for Perth—Wellington has acquired one to be planted in the Town of St. Marys in honour of Canada’s 9th Prime Minister, Arthur Meighen. The sapling will be planted in Lind Park, next to the statue of Arthur Meighen, by M.P. Nater and Mayor Al Strathdee on the 32nd anniversary of the statue’s unveiling.

The Arthur Meighen statue was crafted in the 1960’s and was to be installed on Parliament Hill as part of Canada’s Centennial Celebration. However, installation on Parliament Hill did not happen and the statue stayed in storage until it was delivered to St. Marys in 1987.

Date: Saturday September 14

Time: 4:30 p.m.

Location: Lind Park, (33 Church St. S.) St. Marys Ontario

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Media Contact
Keith Mitchell
Office of John Nater, M.P.
John.nater@parl.gc.ca
519-273-1400