Is the Village of Yorkville Park looking a little bare to you?

Last month, some 30 trees were removed from the open space, sawed down with only a small stump of about two feet high remaining. While this may leave the park looking a little barren just as festive wreaths and poinsettias begin to decorate the area, the trees have been removed for a very good reason — and they'll be making a comeback very soon.

According to Ward 27 councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, the trees weren't in the best of health to begin with. This is due to the parking garage located underneath the trees — the soil became unable to drain, which resulted in over-saturation for the root systems of the trees. With these issues causing them to deteriorate and die, city staff decided to remove the trees as the weather cooled down and wait until this coming spring to re-plant.

With promises to improve the soil beds, hopefully these measures won't have to be taken again. In the meantime, get used to a fairly spartan Yorkville Park.