Too much timbercraft in St. Vital park leads Winnipeg to take woodwork down a notch

The City of Winnipeg wants to whittle down the number of new tree carvings in Bois-des-Esprits after a grave increase in engravings in the St. Vital forest.

City parks officials are now asking carvers to seek permission before bringing their knives out to the nature park on the western edge of the Royalwood neighbourhood.

Carvers will only be approved on the basis of their ability to produce a professional-quality image, parks staff told city council’s community services committee Tuesday.

The new rules require etchings to be related to nature or forests. Text, symbols and plaques won’t be permitted — though existing plaques and non-conforming carvings won’t be taken down.

Carvings will only be allowed on dead trees within Bois-des-Esprits — and never on live trees, said Rodney Penner,