It may not be the prettiest tree; I have seen maple trees that are much more pleasing to the eye. It is certainly not the largest or the highest. What this tree has for being famous is that it is the oldest maple in all of Canada.
Comfort Maple Conservation Area is barely a quarter acre in size, and it is just big enough to hold a parking lot, the tree and probably the bumpiest driveway we have ever driven on. Estimated to be 500 years old, this makes it the oldest surviving maple tree in the country. It has weathered many storms, and with the help of human intervention, it can still weather some more. The most prominent feature (besides the tree itself) is the brickwork on a section of the tree that must have broken off years ago. Cables are helping to keep this tree upright and not a crumpled heap on the ground.
I first visited this site because we like the unique or odd locations to see. How many places have a special section set aside for a tree? How many other places does everything to keep a tree alive and not just cut it down?
I thought that I would stop, smile, take a pic and be gone in under 5 minutes when we first arrived. Instead, we stayed far longer than that. There is something about a tree that has stood here, in this very spot, for centuries that drew us to admire it. It appealed to us so much that I would bring my mother to see it as well.
On both occasions when we visited, I was impressed with the number of other people who had come to see this tree. It has its own magic and hopefully will be able to stand hundreds of years more.
- Be sure to check out the Google map that I created called Featured. This map shows all the locations I discussed on this webpage, including this tree and The Biggest Tree in West Virginia.
