Main bylaws of the City of Boucherville regarding trees

Tree Removal Maintenance Planting

Tree Removal

In Boucherville, any tree cutting within the sectors or areas listed below requires an authorization certificate (tree cutting permit) from the City of Boucherville:

• Vieux‑Boucherville;
• Protection area;
• Tree protection buffer zone;
• Areas bordering the Saint‑Lawrence River or another watercourse;
• Wooded area;
• Vacant lot;
• In the front yard of a lot occupied by a residential user;
• In all setbacks and yards of lots occupied by commercial, industrial, or community uses.

In Boucherville, it is prohibited to cut down any tree without an authorization certificate (check with the city for exceptions) that has:

• A diameter at breast height of ten centimeters (10 cm) or more for a deciduous tree. In the case of birch clusters, the diameter at breast height will be calculated as the total of all stems;
• A height of three meters (3 m) and a DBH of 10 cm or more for a conifer. An authorization certificate (permit) may be issued by the City of Boucherville under the following circumstances:
• The tree is dead or affected by an incurable disease, or irreversible decline is observed in 50% of the tree’s canopy;
• The tree poses a danger to public health or safety;
• The tree constitutes a nuisance or causes damage to private or public property;
• The tree makes it impossible to carry out public works or a construction project, landscaping project, or other developments authorized by the city;
• The tree constitutes a nuisance to the growth and well‑being of a neighboring tree, provided that the neighboring tree thus cleared can remain in good health and safe condition;
• The trunk of a coniferous tree is located less than three meters (3 m), and less than one and a half meters (1.5 m) for deciduous trees, from the building’s foundation wall, and the tree’s crown is in direct contact with a window of the building over at least thirty percent (30%) of its surface;
• Any tree to be cut that does not fall under one of the above circumstances must be evaluated and approved by the City specialist to justify the validity of the cutting;
• If the tree is affected by a fungal or bacterial disease that is epidemic across a territory and recurring more than one year out of two over a ten‑year (10) period;
• The tree is a silver maple located in the setback or front yard of a residential property and located outside the Heritage Site perimeter (Vieux‑Boucherville);
• The tree is an ash tree located in the setback or front yard of a residential property and located outside the Heritage Site perimeter (Vieux‑Boucherville).

Any tree for which a cutting request is submitted must be marked with a ribbon, rope, or any other means (without damaging the bark or any other part of the tree) to confirm that it is indeed one of the trees concerned.

Thuja hedges may be cut without an authorization certificate and without replacement obligations (please contact the municipality to be informed of possible exceptions).

Any tree to be cut that does not fall under one of the circumstances listed above must be evaluated and approved by the City specialist to justify the validity of the cutting.

Violations of these regulations are subject to fines ranging from $600 to $5,000.

Financial Assistance Offered by the City for Ash Tree Treatment: TreeAzin

The City of Boucherville offers financial assistance if you wish to treat your healthy ash tree. A reimbursement of up to 50% of the TreeAzin treatment cost may be covered by the city. For more information, we suggest consulting the following City of Boucherville webpage: TreeAzin Ash Treatment. You will also find the application form and all conditions of the financial assistance.

For additional information or any other questions regarding the city’s financial assistance, contact the Info‑Environment line at 450‑449‑8113.

Authorization Certificate (Tree Cutting Permit) for Tree Removal

The tree cutting permit is free. The processing time for permit applications is approximately 30 business days. The permit is valid for nine months.

Two methods are available to obtain your permit:

• Submit an online permit request;
• Send all documents by email to urbanisme@boucherville.ca. Required documents are:
• Full name, full address, and a phone number;
• Number of trees, genus, species, and location of each tree to be cut;
• Start and end dates of the work;
• Reasons justifying the cutting and its value;
• Name and contact information of the contractor, as well as the contractor’s quote for the work;
• Photos of each tree, if necessary;
• Location plan including all trees to be cut clearly identified on the plan;
• Certificate of location, if the document is recent;
• A proxy if the permit applicant is not the property owner.

Trees to be cut must be identified using a ribbon, rope, or any other visible identification method. The identification method used must not damage the bark or any other part of the tree (do not nail or screw into the tree, for example).

If you have questions regarding the regulations or wish to apply for a certificate, you may also contact the Permit Counter at 450‑449‑8625.

Maintenance

The following operations that cause or could cause damage to the tree are prohibited in Boucherville:

• Topping or heading;
• Use of climbing spikes;
• Bark alteration (girdling);
• Cambium alteration;
• Alteration of the tree’s natural shape;
• Soil modification within the protection zone;
• Contact with a contaminant;
• Severe pruning of more than twenty percent (20%) of the tree’s branch volume within the same year.

Before undertaking pruning work on a tree on your property, ensure that the tree is not located within the right‑of‑way of a public street, as only personnel authorized by the City of Boucherville may cut branches, trim, prune, or cut down a tree or shrub on any municipal land or within the street right‑of‑way. If a city‑owned tree must be pruned or possibly cut down, you must contact the City of Boucherville and inform them of your situation.

Topping and severe pruning are prohibited throughout the territory of the City of Boucherville and subject to heavy fines.

In Boucherville, any tree affected by a disease or infested with insects that may deteriorate its condition and pose risks of infection, epidemic, or infestation spread must be cut down or receive the necessary care and treatments. Any tree cut down and any pruned portion must be disposed of in a manner that prevents the spread of disease or infestation.

Mandatory Pruning in Boucherville

Any tree, hedge, or shrub must not obstruct road visibility, encroach on the public roadway or sidewalk, or block road and pedestrian traffic signs and signals.

In Boucherville, every property owner must carry out the necessary pruning or cutting to correct nuisances caused by trees, hedges, or shrubs affecting road, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic. Road visibility must be ensured, and traffic signs and signals must be cleared.

Planting

In Boucherville, any property with a dwelling built after September 1, 2010 must include at least one tree in the front yard.

Any tree that is cut down must be replaced by another within 12 months following the cutting. Certain exceptions apply; we suggest contacting the city’s urban planning center for more information.

Any tree required by municipal regulations, including a replacement tree, must meet the following characteristics:

• Have a diameter at breast height of at least 2.5 cm;
• Be cultivated;
• Have a single trunk;
• Reach a minimum height of 6 m at maturity.

The City of Boucherville requires diversity in the genus of planted trees according to the following characteristics:

• If the planting of two (2) to nine (9) trees is required, one genus may represent at most 50% of the total number of trees to be planted;
• If the planting of ten (10) trees or more is required, one genus may represent at most 25% of the total number of trees to be planted.

Tree Planting Restrictions in Boucherville

Planting a tree or shrub less than one and a half meters (1.5 m) from a fire hydrant, service entrance, visibility zone, public‑property lamppost, or traffic sign is prohibited in Boucherville. The tree must also be planted outside the street right‑of‑way.

In Boucherville, it is prohibited to plant a tree of one of the species listed in the following table within fifteen meters (15 m) of a main building, public street right‑of‑way, sanitary or storm sewer line, water supply line, water well, or wastewater treatment installation. List of trees with planting restrictions:

Work Near HydroQuébec Power Lines

We can undertake tree removal and pruning work only near telecommunication wires or low voltage wires. Please note that we are not authorized by Hydro-Québec to perform work near medium voltage electrical wires or electricity distribution networks. For more information, we suggest consulting our Aerial network section on our website. You will also find the procedure to help you locate a company authorized by Hydro-Québec for this type of service.

City of Boucherville

500, rue de la Rivière-aux-Pins
Boucherville, Québec
J4B 2Z7
450 449-8625
urbanisme@boucherville.ca
boucherville.ca

Please note that the information provided on this page is for informational purposes only and has no force of law or legal value. For further information or to verify current regulations, please contact the municipality.