Tree of the Month (formerly Tree of the Week) showcases some of the biggest and most beautiful trees in the GTA, as compiled by Megan Ogilvie. Here, Mhairi Kerr tells us about “Stumpy,” an old and stocky Norway maple that has been a landmark and friend to generations of elementary school students at Norway Junior Public School. We also hear from a teacher and students who have fond memories of Stumpy.

Norway Junior Public School has a long history in its community.

The first school on the site at Kingston Road, near Woodbine Avenue, was a one-room schoolhouse, built around 1870.

That was replaced in 1896 with a two-storey brick schoolhouse. Wings were added on each side of the school in 1910, and more additions followed in 1919.

It’s about this time that I believe the Norway maples, including Stumpy, were planted.

My mother attended Norway Public School between 1933 and 1937. She grew up in the neighbourhood and has fond memories of her childhood and her days spent at the school, which at that time was a hub for the community, often hosting evening events.

When I was a little girl, my mom would often point out her old school to me. One day, she pointed to Stumpy and said she remembered being a young girl, looking out the school’s upper-floor windows, into the branches of the tree. Sometimes, she said, she saw scarlet tanagers, a kind of native songbird, sitting in the tree.

Both my children went to the school; my daughter Katie graduated Grade 6 last June. She and my son Alec, who left the school a few years earlier, often talked about Stumpy. They liked to see the raccoons that lived in Stumpy’s hollow.

The tree has this beautiful umbrella-shaped crown of dark green leaves. Its trunk measures 3.25 m (10 feet, 8 inches) in circumference. I think it’s a touchstone for the community and many of us are grateful that it survived a fire that ravaged the building in 1942.

The original brick school building was torn down in the 1970s. Stumpy and several of its siblings are all that remain of the school’s past. I hope these trees will survive for many more years.

Anita Wright, teacher

I’ve been a physical education teacher at Norway for 29 years, and for all that time the tree has been known as Stumpy. I reached out to a retired teacher who had worked for the school for many years, and as far back as she can remember, the tree has been called Stumpy. No one really knows where the name came from.

Stumpy is a landmark for the school. At recess, students like to play tag and they will run to Stumpy first, making it their home base. When I teach phys-ed outside, we use Stumpy as a landmark. I’ll say: “Run to Stumpy and then back to me.” It’s also a nice hang out spot for the kids. At recess, students gather around Stumpy’s trunk, making games with rocks and sticks.

In the spring, we sometimes see raccoons hanging out in Stumpy. The tree has a nice little hollow, kind of like a cave, and we sometimes see a raccoon tail popping out.

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For our community, Stumpy is common ground, a peaceful landmark in our schoolyard. Students new to the school very quickly learn about Stumpy. We hope the tree will be forever there in our schoolyard.

Liv G. (Grade 5)

Stumpy is my favourite tree because (1st) Stumpy lived through a lightning strike. (2nd) Stumpy was at the old school when it burned down. (3rd) Every time I play manhunt someone yells out, ‘Last one to Stumpy is it!’

Rachel A. (Grade 5)

I’ve been going to my babysitter since I was two years old and Michelle (my babysitter) has three sons, but they’re much older. Her oldest son is in his 30s and went to Norway in 1993. That’s a long time. He started playing on Stumpy in third grade. So you can see Stumpy has been here for a long time and we will never cut him down.

Filip M. (Grade 6)

Stumpy is a place where I hang out with my friends or climb it to hide during games! It is also where I face-planted into the ground while climbing out of the tree! I have many great memories of Stumpy and would hate to see it go.

Abigail M. (Grade 4)

My cousin is over 20 years old and went to this school and remembers Stumpy. My brother’s friend almost broke his back climbing Stumpy.

Read more:

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Just try not to have an ‘ah-ha’ moment looking at Toronto artist’s paintings of our city’s trees

Shagbark hickory in Rosedale stole couple’s heart from the moment they laid eyes on it — in 1963