Vegetation Management

Trees contribute greatly to the natural beauty of our town. But, if not properly managed, they can create power outages or hazardous situations by touching or even falling on the powerlines.  

There are an estimated 18,000 trees (public and private) in the Hydro Line Clearing Program that are located near Oakville Hydro's primary and secondary lines, which are maintained on a four-year cycle.

We have contracted the Town of Oakville's Urban Forestry Services to conduct regularly scheduled tree maintenance across Oakville. The town ensures that trees in each of the four areas of our service territory are pruned responsibly on a four-year cycle to ensure safety and maintain the integrity of the natural surroundings. 

If you have concerns about trees or vines growing near powerlines, please contact us by calling 905-825-9400 or emailing customerservice@oakvillehydro.com. A Customer Service Representatives will be happy to assist you.

Hydro Line Clearing Program

Each year, the town and its tree service contractor perform hydro line clearing on behalf of Oakville Hydro to reduce safety hazards and power outages, while maintaining the health, safety and well-being of the town’s tree canopy. 

Starting in January 2023, hydro line clearing in will take place in west Oakville (Area 1) from Fourth Line to Burloak Drive, south of Rebecca Street. You can review the progress of the program on the Town of Oakville's interactive map.

Trees are pruned in each of four zones on a four-year cycle following the Electrical Safety Authority guidelines to maintain a three-metre (10 foot) clearance between branches and primary power lines and one meter (three feet) for secondary lines. In some situations, the town must prune trees on private property if they are growing too close to hydro lines. As a last resort, some trees growing too close to the hydro line may need to be removed if the arborist cannot achieve the clearance standard with acceptable pruning practices.

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Rotational Tree Maintenance

Through the rotational tree maintenance program the town proactively prunes all town-owned street trees on a ten-year rotational cycle to improve tree health and structure, and provide clearance for sidewalks, roads, buildings, and traffic signs and lights.

Rotational tree pruning is performed on town trees only. In some cases, trees are located on the municipal property bordering a homeowner’s yard which may include the house-side of the sidewalk.

You can view the progress of the rotational tree maintenance program on the Town of Oakville's interactive map.