New Benches from Iconic Sequoia Tree

It was a sad evening on March 3, 2019, when Kerrisdale’s majestic Sequoia was cut down. The 90-year-old tree had been a valued part of the neighbourhood, standing tall and mighty on West 41st Avenue near Vine Street.

Terri Clark, coordinator of the Kerrisdale Business Association (KBA) says, “The KBA had been advocating for the tree’s health, even offering to have an arborist assess it at our cost. Despite that, and following three hotter than usual summers, the tree effectively died and presented possible safety issues.”

Proactively, Terri contacted the property manager, as the tree stood on private, commercial property, and asked if he would be receptive to the KBA taking a large chunk of the landmark Sequoia when it was taken down. Terri says, “In March 2019, I contacted Mark Perry, who owns Kerrisdale Lumber, and asked if his forces could be there the night of the felling and secure an 18-foot log for us.”

At their own cost, Mark’s staff and lumber vehicle secured the log and then drove it to their yard.

She also contacted Andrew Robinson, a Technology Studies teacher at Magee Secondary School, to ask if he would be interested in using the wood when it was milled and dried for students to fabricate into benches

Evan Fedder and Andrew Robinson, Magee Secondary School

Mark arranged for the log to be milled on the Sunshine Coast, which the KBA financed. Kerrisdale Lumber delivered the rough boards to Magee in the fall of 2019. Andrew explains, “The wood needed to dry for a year. This is a process that must happen with all lumber.”

Andrew was invested in the project as soon as he learned about the opportunity to repurpose the tree.

He says, “I believe it is important to develop and maintain a strong connection between the school and the surrounding community; this helps students connect what they are learning in the classroom to the outside world. I feel it is vital that I help facilitate learning opportunities where my students can make these connections between the community and what they are designing and fabricating in the shop at Magee.”

“The Sequoia project embodies these beliefs while also enabling students to make tangible connections between their local environment, materials, and the manufacturing process,” says Andrew.

Some production delays occurred due to the pandemic. Andrew mentions, “Our schedule was changed to meet the new COVID-19 safety protocols created by the Ministry of Education. As a result, the school year was divided into four quarters, which meant courses would be intensive for two to three months as opposed to year-long programs. This change required our original plan to be refined since I would not have the same amount of time to work with students to design and fabricate the benches. We decided to scale back the project to ensure success given the ever-changing landscape of a COVID world.”

Andrew worked with Evan Fedder, a Magee student who recently graduated from Grade 12. Evan completed the Design and Fabrication course, while in Grade 11, and worked as Andrew’s community service student. The talented young designer will be attending Dalhousie University next year where he will study Engineering.

“Evan took full responsibility for the project, coming up with all the design ideas and completing all the machining and finishing. He spent two months designing, milling, machining, and finishing the benches. In doing so, he demonstrated an excellent ability to visualize his design, layout measurements, and organize his materials. He safely and successfully used several stationary machines including but not limited to the jointer, planer, table saw and chop saw to mill, machine, and joinery for all the parts,” Andrew reports.

To date, two benches have been completed. They were delivered on July 16, 2021, to the store adjacent to the Sequoia’s massive stump. Additional benches will be fabricated by Magee students starting in September 2021, as a way to raise funds for the Design and Fabrication program. The KBA plans to locate some of the benches along the Arbutus Greenway.

There is a lovely symmetry to this story; the tree that was loved by the community resulted in dedicated community members banding together, and now the iconic Sequoia will be enjoyed in its new form for years to come.