Tree of the Week showcases some of the biggest and most beautiful trees in the GTA, as compiled by Megan Ogilvie. Here, Isabel Yancan tells us about her family’s gorgeous weeping willow, the “friendly giant” that dominates her suburban backyard and towers over the neighbourhood.

The houses in our south Etobicoke neighbourhood were built in the 1950s, and we feel lucky that this beautiful willow was not cut down and was allowed to remain in our backyard.

It is massive; its trunk is 4.7 metres (15 feet, 5 inches) around, and it is the tallest tree in the area.

We moved into our house in 1986, and this weeping willow sure made an impression with its enormous size. Today, it’s just as majestic, and it is always a conversation piece when people visit.

My husband, John, and I have two sons, Kyle and Corey, and our magnificent willow was a big a part of their childhood.

One of our favourite memories is of the boys climbing the tree, just high enough to see baby raccoons nesting in a hollow on one of its limbs. The boys would try to stay near the nest, but the mother raccoon’s hissing was enough to make them scramble back down the tree. That is, until the next day, when they climbed the tree again.

For many years, we had a tire swing attached to one of the tree’s big limbs. The kids loved swinging on the tire — and so did many adults. Everyone challenged each other to see who could swing the highest.

Hide-and-seek was another fun game with the tree. Corey would move around the massive trunk, inching just enough so that Kyle would not be able to see him.

Our boys were often entertained by the wildlife in the tree. They loved to watch squirrels chase each other around the willow’s trunk, and they often spied birds nesting way up at its top.

Now both our boys are young men. But they still recall with fondness the fun moments they had growing up with our willow.

We have lived in our home for more than 30 years and have always marvelled at the calming effect of our willow when its long branches sway in a gentle breeze. On hot summer days, we enjoy its lovely shade, and during a light rain shower our tree turns into a giant umbrella over our backyard.

Over the years, our tree has weathered many storms, and it has lost a few of its big limbs. But through it all, it still stands like a friendly giant, tall and proud.

We love this old tree and hope it remains in our backyard for a very long time.

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