Where is your tree located? Is it on your property or out by the sidewalk? Personally I don't know any arborists in Oshawa but you might want to try placing a call to the municipality. They would send someone out to see if the tree is bad enough to remove. If it is out by the sidewalk and needs to be removed, they should do it or they might charge a fee for removing it from your property. Hope this helps. Marg

Thanks for the suggestion Marg, unfortunately it is at the very back of my property, right against the fence between my neighbor and I.
d

Here's a link that might list any certified arborists in your area. You can probably get a consultation too - they'll tell you weather the tree really needs to come down, or if something can be done to save it.

Keep in mind that hiring a *certified* arborist will be more expensive, than any old tree removal guy, but they usually know what they're doing, and are less likely to damage any buildings ar other trees when they take the tree down. And if they do do some damage, they usually have insurance to repair the problem.

BP

Not to mention - they should know if any permits are necessary to remove a mature tree.

Diane_blue: The 'any old tree removal guy' that bonniepunch wrote about actually showed up in my yard last year to take out a short hedge of shrubs we wanted removed - little did we expect him to drive the backhoe thru our wooden fence (which was way on the other side of the yard no where near the shrubs being removed - at least we owned the fence that landed in the neighbours yard), he then got the backhoe so stuck in the hole where he was attempting to remove these innocent shrubs and he kept rocking and rocking the backhoe as it continued to sink deeper and deeper. He got frustrated and he left the backhoe stuck in this hole for almost 2 weeks while it sunk lower and lower as the spring rains kept coming. When he eventually came back to get the backhoe, he did get the darn thing out, but blessed us with another reminder of his visit - on the way out of the yard, he clipped the 20 year old climbing hydrangea at the side of our house and ripped the roots of this big beautiful climber to bits, dragged most of the climbing branches as they became tangled beneath of the backhoe and everytime I go to the backyard, I remember how wonderful this hydrangea was... as it use to climb one whole side of the house....use to is the operative word....

Get an arborist....

Diane_blue - how's the maple doing?