Saskatoon's Legacy of Trees
It is important to recognize those who came before us, both city staff and citizens, who planted and cared for the urban forest that we have today. Saskatoon is indebted to the visionaries A. H. Browne and W.W. Ashley for their foresight and dedication in establishing our urban forest.
Alfred H. Browne, a gardener from England, became the first Parks Superintendent in Saskatoon in 1911. He was responsible for over seeing the planting of approximately 30,000 trees in the city. In his early days there was nothing available for planting but native poplar and willow. He soon began importing different species from a Winnipeg nursery, and started a city tree nursery in Saskatoon to grow spruce, pine, and elm. People who knew Browne said that planting trees was a joy, not a job for him. He worked for the city for 44 years.
Wyndham W. Ashley was a business man who championed trees. He became a charter member of the Saskatoon Parks Board in 1912 and served for 45 years. Ashley supervised the planting of 1500 spruce trees in President Murray Park and planted most of the stately American Elms along Saskatchewan Crescent. The City of Saskatoon purchased the nursery in 1966 and developed it into a park and zoo. Ashley personally collected seeds from these trees, along with maple and butternut, and sent them around the province to anyone who wanted them. He encouraged the cultivation of nut trees on the prairies, and he persuaded the Forest Nursery Stations at Indian Head and Sutherland to grow American Elm seedlings for free distribution.