Niagara Regional Police Service charge a 40-year-old Welland man after faces are carved into seven city trees last month.
The tree carver of Welland, has been caught.
Niagara Regional Police arrested and charged a 40-year-old man with mischief over $5,000 for chiseling detailed faces into the trunks of seven living trees.
While the Welland Downtown BIA described them as "unique carving pieces" on social media, city officials said the cuts had caused irreversible damage, leaving the trees more exposed to harmful diseases and pests. The ability of the Norway and Manitoba maples and five poplar trees to transport nutrients has been disrupted, said Welland staff in a statement.
The city anticipates it will need to replace the trees in a few years, which will cost taxpayers up to $8,000.
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