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Two more trees have been removed from Regina’s Wascana Centre after testing positive for Dutch elm disease, marking a troubling uptick in infections inside Regina’s urban forest.
“Last year, we had one positive case of Dutch elm disease. This year we found two,” Provincial Capital Comimission (PCC) Executive Director Jenna Schroeder said.
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“We are noticing just in the last two years that there’s more instances of suspected Dutch Elm disease.”
The infected trees were located near Goose Hill and the Saskatchewan Science Centre. They were removed on July 14 as part of Wascana’s proactive monitoring program, which runs through the summer.
There have now been five confirmed cases of Dutch elm disease in Wascana over the past decade — one in 2014, one in 2019, one in 2024, and two this year.
“Dutch elm disease is a fungus that’s carried by beetle,” Schroeder explained. “The beetle gets onto the trees, burrows into the bark, and then the fungus spreads throughout the tree.”
A Wascana Centre staff member points to evidence of Dutch elm disease on a removed branch.(Joseph Ho/980 CJME)
Wascana Centre crews set up insect traps in the spring to monitor beetle activity. This year, they’ve seen an increase.
“We have noticed that there are more of those beetles,” Schroeder said.
The PCC, which oversees Wascana Centre and Government House grounds, run a control program which includes surveillance, prevention, and timely tree removals when infections are confirmed or suspected.
Elm trees make up a large part of the region’s canopy cover and are considered vital to the area’s landscape and environmental health. Officials continue to stress the importance of public awareness and cooperation — especially when it comes to fire wood.
“Wascana Centre is proud to be a place where friends and families can gather and enjoy the outdoors at one of our many picnic spots,” Schroeder said.
“To ensure the continued health of our trees, we remind visitors that it is illegal to transport, store or buy elm firewood.”
More information on Dutch elm disease is available here.
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