Art or vandalism? Tree carvings in Welland, Ont., spark debate as police investigate

A series of haunting faces carved into tree trunks in Welland, Ont., may look like art,but to city officials and policeit's straight up vandalism.

On the trunks of seven trees, faces have been chiselled that to Game of Thrones fans are reminiscent of mythical, talking weirwood trees.They're located on a path behind the city's Civic Square.

However, the cuts made in the Norway maple, Manitoba maple and fivepoplarsalmost guarantees their untimely death, says the city.

The damage to the trunks disrupts their ability to transport nutrients, and exposes them to harmful diseases and pests, says the city's statement.

"These [cuts]are not only detrimental to the tree but can also affect the overall tree canopy that provides shade, oxygen, and habitat for wildlife," the statement said.

The city says it anticipates it will need to replace the trees, costing taxpayers up to $8,000. That amount includes staff wages and time to remove the damaged trees, preparing the area for replanting, buying and installing new trees.

It will take a few years before changes in tree health become apparent,the city says.

Niagara police detectives began investigating earlier this week, says Const. Luke Lindley.

Officers are also patrolling the area on bikes and on foot to deter other incidents.

But when it comes to identifying the tree chiseller, police are stumped.

They're appealing to anyone with information to come forward, says Lindley.

'An intriguing' mystery

Before police began investigating, the BIA posted photos of the trees on social media describing them as "unique carving pieces."

The post on social media garnered mixed comments with one person describing the carvings as "wicked" and others warning the trees will almost certainly die.

"It's an intriguing thing," said Lee Carr, executive director of Welland downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA), of the incident.

While BIA is a "staunch advocate for public art displays," it doesn't condone doing them without city permission, Carr said in an interview.

"We now know there's serious concerns about impacts on living trees and there's other places this could've been done," he said.