Metrolinx starts, then pauses Osgoode Hall tree removal as court considers injunction

Metrolinx says it has agreed to temporarily pause tree removal work at Osgoode Hall on Saturday morning, ahead of a court hearing initiated by the Law Society of Ontario.

The move comes after it's already been seen removing parts of centuries-old trees at Osgoode Hall on Saturday morning, despite the law society requesting an injunction to stop it from doing so. The society operates out of Osgoode Hall, along with the province's highest court, the Ontario Court of Appeal.

"Following the hearing, we look forward to proceeding to get this critical transit line built," said a statement from Metrolinx, noting it's met with the law society 17 times prior to removal work.

Wynna Brown, spokesperson for the law society, said on Friday night its lawyers have filed an application with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and made a request for an urgent case conference meeting as soon as possible about construction work by Metrolinx at Osgoode Hall.

The court hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday. But workers were seen removing the first limbs hours before, around 9:15 a.m.

The move is the latest in a months-long dispute between advocates and city councillors opposed to the provincial regional transit agency's plan to uproot historic trees from the heritage property to make way for the future Osgoode Station, as part of the Ontario Line.

Protestors gathered Friday night in a community vigil in support of the green space, where they demanded meaningful consultation from Metrolinx. The protesters said they were there to protect the trees that have weathered more than 200 Toronto winters.

"I'm very pleased that Metrolinx has decided to pause this destruction," said Liz Driver, the interim chair of the Build Ontario Line Differently (BOLD) Coalition, which represents communities affected by Ontario Line work and are opposed to how Metrolinx is conducting it.

Driver was at the site Saturday, watching as contractors were clearing out fallen tree branches, when she heard the news. She said the agency was "trying to skirt" the courts by starting tree removal before the matter is presented in court.

The coalition is seeking more time from the province's regional transit agency to consider a third-party review, overseen by the city. It found while the Osgoode Hall station placement worked best for commuters, a site at the nearby Campbell House could potentially work as an alternative, and benefit from further analysis.

Toronto-St. Paul's Coun. Josh Matlow thanked the community members for their activism, crediting their work for pushing Metrolinx to rethink their next move. Following years of "mismanagement" of the Eglinton Crosstown, Matlow says Metrolinx is starting to do it again but with stops along the Ontario Line.

"Metrolinx needs to know — the Doug Ford government needs to understand — that public agency should be accountable to the public that they serve. That they should be doing things with the public rather than through the public or at the public," Matlow said.