The destruction of a more than 70-year-old willow tree in Windsor’s Coventry Gardens marked more than just a loss for Carol Tingle. A chaotic storm ripped through Windsor on Thursday, uprooting the tree and dislodging a plaque placed below to honour Tingle’s parents, Alfred and Jeannette Campeau. The couple planted the tree in 1953 while living in a home on Buckingham Road with Carol and her sister, Maureen. “The memories are just so important, and the tree has been such a focus and such a big part, I think, of the community,” Tingle told CTV News. Using seeds from a similar tree in their backyard, the Campeaus grew the willow tree at what was then a private park to create some added shade. Little did they know, it would blossom into a regular destination for family outings, and a site for the community to enjoy. “The tree was always a big part of my growing up, and we’d be down here most nights, and there was a little L-shaped dock at the end, and Dad kept his boat there, and we hung out,” Tingle said. Over the years, as the family grew into grandchildren and great-grandchildren, the willow tree’s importance was never lost, regardless of where family members moved. Even when moving into a retirement residence on Riverside Drive, Jeanette could conveniently see her tree from the window up until her last days. A plaque placed under the tree features a poem written by Maureen, who now lives in Ottawa. Staying in the area, Tingle lives nearby where she could still keep an eye on it regularly. Each passing storm warranted a walk to go make sure it was still standing. “It’s very sad,” she said. “I knew it would happen someday.” Ageing, the tree gradually lost leaves and branches before the latest storm sent the 73-year-old tree toppling. Sitting between her daughters, Jennifer and Kelly, Carol and members of her family wear necklaces, each with a leaf from the tree dipped in silver. Past media coverage of the family’s story has even reignited old memories. “When the article came out, I had friends reach out, send me pictures, say, ‘I remember that tree’, and they would send me pictures of them with the tree,” said Kelly. While their tree may have seen its last days, they don’t have to look far for a place to create new memories. Years ago, a sapling was created from the willow tree and has now grown only steps away from the original. Though they’ve referred to it as “the teenager,” they admitted its quick growth means it’s in need of a new name. “The City of Windsor built the sapling, and they grew it in the greenhouse first until it got big enough and planted it, and that’s going to take over and become the new willow tree,” said Jennifer. Tingle plans to reach out to the City of Windsor this week to ask about next steps and the plan for the plaque. Her family is hopeful they can secure a log from the willow tree to create tables as a keepsake. “Our whole life has been centred around that tree,” she added.
