The borough of Côte-des-Neiges has already sustained considerable damage from the attack of the emerald ash borer. Over 200 trees have already had to be cut down, and it is feared that the voracious beetle will cause hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars' worth of damage before it is finally brought under control.

Peter McQueen, who serves as councillor of Côte-des-Neiges, had this to say on the matter: "The emerald ash borer knows no borders … It’s attacking all our trees. We believe a concerted plan must be put in effect right away. There’s no point in waiting. It is here and it is killing trees right now."

McQueen then went on to add that, if the progress of the invading beetle is not stopped in time, "Property values will fall, air conditioning costs will go up and during heat waves even more people — elderly people, vulnerable people with respiratory problems — will pass away during those heat waves if we lose more trees."

Officials of the city have confided to the press that just over a million dollars has been set aside to fund efforts to control and eliminate the emerald ash borer from the region. However, authorities are looking to the province of Quebec to supply additional funds.

So far, no clear plan of action has been agreed upon. One thing is certain: The sooner authorities from all sectors of government in the region come together to fight the emerald ash borer, the better.

[caption id="attachment_82056" align="aligncenter" width="444"] The Emerald Ash Borer was first discovered in America in June 2002 in Michigan. It is believed to have been brought to America unintentionally in ash wood which was used to stabilize crates during shipping.[/caption]