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Thirteen years after it was planted in the shadow of Parliament Hill as a lofty “emblem of achievement, vitality and hope for the future of Canada’s forests,” Ottawa’s Millennium Tree remains a stunted bush vulnerable to even the slightest brush with Canadian weather.

This winter, as with previous winters, an A-frame structure has been erected to protect the twisted evergreen against Ottawa snow. As well, its usual rope enclosure has been beefed up with a section of bright-yellow steel fencing to shield the tree from vandals.

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A fine example of leading-edge science

Of course, it has not stopped passersby from pelting the tree with empty Tim Horton’s cups.

In short, the stunted tree has fallen quite far from the high hopes with which it was first consigned to the ground in the spring of 1999.

“This tree can flourish in all forested parts of Canada, in all soil and climate conditions,” Liberal MP Ralph Goodale declared at the tree’s official planting, according to a news account of the proceedings. “It is a fine example of leading-edge science that can be enjoyed by Canadians in this millennium year and for generations to come.”