Your trees are getting help from Calgary, no kidding.
You know, there are some things you just expect. The Oilers, for example, making you question your life choices every spring. Or the River Valley being absurdly beautiful while you pretend you're not out of breath on the stairs. But the City of Edmonton calling up Calgary, specifically their *forestry crews*, to help clean up after our recent storms? That's like asking your estranged cousin to help you move. It's… unexpected. Honestly though, it puts a fine point on just how much rain we've seen. More than a year's worth in two months, they say. It's been less a summer and more a prolonged, damp sigh from the sky.
### What This Means for Edmonton
* **Tree Carnage:** Those back-to-back storms really did a number on the urban canopy. If you've driven down, say, Groat Road or through Old Strathcona, you've seen the debris. It’s like a giant, invisible lumberjack went to town. * **A United Front:** Calgary sending crews our way is, if nothing else, a rare moment of inter-city solidarity. Or perhaps they just felt bad for us. Either way, our elm trees, bless their hearts, are getting some attention. * **The Muttart and Elk Island:** Some of our key attractions, like the Muttart Conservatory's pyramids, are closed. Even Elk Island National Park, which is usually immune to everything but a good bison stampede, is dealing with flooding. It highlights the sheer scale of the waterlogged reality we're navigating.
It's tempting to make a joke about how Calgary's trees must be so much tougher, given all that dry chinook wind they get. But in all seriousness, the damage is extensive enough that we needed the extra hands. It's a reminder that even in Edmonton, where we pride ourselves on our resilience against the elements – particularly the cold, which frankly builds character and I will not elaborate – nature still finds ways to surprise you. Edmonton doesn't need your approval. Never did. But sometimes, it needs a hand.
The morning crew at MiTL is probably still shaking their heads over this one – catch their take live at mornings.live.