REGINA — Dutch Elm Disease (DED) isn’t going anywhere from Regina anytime soon.
The city has confirmed it’s on track to see the same number of DED cases as in 2025.
“We're at 26 right now, which is kind of on par for where we were last year, so I imagine it'll be probably pretty similar [to 87 cases],” said Ashley Thompson, City of Regina manager of parks technical services.
DED is a fungal infection carried by different species of the elm bark beetle, which bores its way inside the bark of an elm tree.
While not confirmed, DED is believed to have come to the city in the 1980s from the elm bark beetle travelling along a creek.
Recent trends of climate change are believed to be the cause of a sudden increase.
“So milder winters, we did have a couple of wet, wetter springs, which helps the fungus grow, and the mild winters help the beetle survive,” explained Thompson.
This year, the infection is city-wide, impacting more older elm trees, noted Thompson.
“We do see them in the older trees as opposed to the younger trees.”
DED can be identified when tree branches start to turn brown and die.
If residents or city crews notice a change in the elm tree’s health, a sample will be submitted for testing at the provincial lab.
“They’ll look for fungus growing on the plate of a sample,” noted Thompson.
Once DED in the tree is confirmed, the city will cut the tree down, with the rest of the wood going to the landfill to prevent further spreading.
A new tree species will then be planted in the missing space, including maple trees or lindens.
Thompson also said the city still plants new elm trees, but ones which can resist the fungus.
As for the future, Thompson said DED will likely become the norm.
This could lead to an increase in the city's forestry budget, which is currently about $2 million. Thompson noted that removing a single tree can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000.
Meanwhile, the city encouraged residents to take measures to prevent DED.
“Not storing and transporting elmwood is a big thing that we would like people to know. Also, not pruning your elm trees during the pruning ban and then just trying to keep your trees as healthy as possible,” said Thompson.
