Sainte-Thérèse felling permit

The City of Sainte-Thérèse permits the felling or topping of trees only in the following cases:

• The tree is dead or dying.
• The tree is afflicted with an incurable disease.
• The tree is infested by an insect, a pathogenic disease (fungus), a bacterium, or a virus, and poses a risk of infestation and epidemic to other trees.
• The tree poses a danger to the safety of people or property, and pruning or cabling would not make it safe.
• The tree is a nuisance to the growth and well-being of a neighboring tree of greater value.
• The tree constitutes a nuisance or causes serious and documented damage to a building or public or private infrastructure by its roots, trunk, or main branches.
• Felling is required as part of work carried out by a public utility company or by the City of Sainte-Thérèse.
• Felling is required for the realization of a construction project or landscaping authorized by a permit from the City of Sainte-Thérèse. The project cannot reasonably be implemented elsewhere on the property to allow for the preservation of the tree. Normal inconveniences associated with the presence of a tree, such as the falling of small branches, leaves, flowers, or fruits, the presence of roots on the soil surface, the presence of insects or animals, shade, bad odors, sap exudation, or pollen release, do not constitute a nuisance.

Important: The felling of the tree must not endanger the stability of a slope or a rugged site.

Request for Tree Felling or Topping Permit

You must obtain a permit for any tree felling or topping work with a diameter of 5 cm and above, measured at 1.3 m above the adjacent ground level or with a diameter of 7.5 cm and above, measured within 15 cm of the ground.

Only the owner (or a duly authorized person) is allowed to apply for the permit. An approximate processing time of 10 working days is required for this type of request.

The permit is free of charge. Any felled tree must be replaced within 12 months of its felling. For this purpose, a deposit of $250 is required when applying for the permit. This deposit is refunded upon receipt of proof of planting a replacement tree in compliance. The deposit is retained if the planting is not done within the 12-month period or if the owner demonstrates that it is not physically possible to plant a new tree sustainably. The money thus retained is used to finance tree planting elsewhere in the territory of the city of Sainte-Thérèse.

Important: Failure to obtain a permit could result in a fine and the obligation to replace the illegally felled or topped tree.