A sword-fighting hobbyist may be duelling trees in Victoria Park at night. Is that illegal?
It's not your typical tree-cutting bylaw infraction, but the city would still like to remind sword-fighting enthusiasts that it is illegal to duel, trim or otherwise teach sharp lessons to the evergreens in Victoria Park.
Actually, swords are banned in all parks and the city frowns on unsolicited tree pruning with any implement.
But this message is particularly aimed at an apparent hobbyist who bemused residents say is using what looks like a long, straight sword to duel" with conifers in the west-end park after nightfall.
So far, nobody has formally complained to police or bylaw - and the only visible victims are a handful of unnecessarily pruned spruce trees. Park users have noted the piles of fallen branch tips since at least December.
In a Facebook discussion, neighbourhood residents who have watched the sword show appear to agree the individual has not acted aggressively toward people. But some expressed unease about the idea of encountering a blade-wielding person after dark - and others are miffed on behalf of the slashed spruce.
I doubt they are a danger to another human and are simply enjoying their hobby," wrote Kimberly Heipel in a message she hoped would reach the unknown sword-wielder via an area Facebook group. However, I'm speaking for the trees ... leave the trees in the park alone and find another space to practice your sport."
The motive of the alleged arboreal duellist remains unclear.
Is it for fun and fitness? Or to spruce up the local evergreens for Christmas? (There are some popular YouTube videos out there of farmers using a pair of swords to shape the seasonal tree harvest.)
Heipel said she first saw a brief conifer clash earlier this year while walking her dog in the park at night. She didn't feel comfortable approaching the blade-wielding stranger to express her concerns, so she crossed the street and watched from a distance.
The tree duellist practised for a few more minutes, then calmly packed up and walked away. There was some debate online about whether the after-dark pruning practice warrants a call to police.
FYI: It is actually legal under the criminal code to carry a sword around town so long as you don't use it as a weapon.
But harmless or not, such alleged tree-duelling sessions would run afoul of city bylaws, said parks head Kara Bunn. Specifically, you are banned from injuring park vegetation and bringing an offensive weapon of any kind" into a park.
Bunn said the city will investigate the alleged tree damage. But if you see someone swinging a sword at a city tree at night and are concerned, Bunn recommends calling police.
Matthew Van Dongen is a transportation and environment reporter at The Spectator. mvandongen@thespec.com