Went for a bike ride to find Winnipeg’s oldest trees. McBeth Park in West Kildonan is the oldest remaining stand of native trees in the city. Riding through it is like entering a set from Lord of the Rings. Felt like some of the trees were going to start talking.

This Cottonwood in McBeth Park is thought to be the largest tree in Winnipeg. It is 35 meters (115’) tall. It is as tall as a 12 storey apartment building currently being built on Broadway.

This tree known as the McBeth Cottonwood is thought to be the oldest tree in Winnipeg at least 160 years old. It is not long for the world. A giant limb recently broke off. The base is hollowed out and it sppears to be a local beer drinking hang out.

This Cottonwood tree in Point Douglas is also considered to be in the running as Winnipeg’s oldest. A well known landmark in the neighbourhood. Its crown is 85’ wide.

The Middle Gate Cottonwood is in Armstrong’s Point. Its true scale can’t be captured in a photo. Its massive crown is 31 meters (94’) across. It has a horizontal branch the size of a giant elm tree that appears to defy gravity.

The tallest Cottonwood in McBeth Park is about five feet shorter than this 12 storey building going up on Broadway.

Besides their sheer size the most striking feature of all these trees is the depth of the ridges in their bark - as deep as your hand. They almost don’t seem real.