According to Carroll, the tree has been documented and the Arboretum at Guelph University has on record the position, condition and size of the tree. The Arboretum, through the Elm Recovery Program, looks at these large American elms to see how resistant to Dutch Elm Disease they are.

Carroll said the recovery program looks to these old surviving trees for collection of seeds and genetic cellular regeneration to save the species into the future.

“There are not many left in Ontario, and we need these types of trees to further the recovery of true American elms,” he said. “It’s such a great healthy tree, it would be a shame to lose this one.”

The tree is located on the old Jacobs property where a nursery use to operate, Carroll said.

“We may never see trees of this size and condition in the province of Ontario again if we continue to remove them for parking lots and buildings," he said.

Metrolinx is planning to relocate the Lincolnville GO station to the southwest corner of Tenth Line and Bethesda Road. The area is designated for residential and urban medium density residential uses.

Council approved the Lincolnville GO station area land use study terms of reference last year and directed staff to plan for a major transit station area (MTSA) within a 500-metre radius of the new GO station.

The provincial growth plan requires such an area to achieve a minimum density target of 150 residents and jobs combined per hectare within a 500-metre radius.

The town said if approved, the area will add about 5,000 residents and 750 population-serving jobs to the town’s 2031-2041 growth forecasts. If approved, staff said the area will help support a possible future extension of the all-day GO rail service from Unionville to Lincolnville.