A maple tree on the site of the former Suntrust bank in Black Mountain is set for removal to make way for a Circle K gas ...

The "big leaf" maple trees are all in a conservation area on the mountain, where a Burnaby bylaw prohibits damaging or removing any vegetation. Violators can incur a $2,000 fine.

Norway maple trees were planted in Montreal's Mount Royal Park in the 1960s and 70s, and their fruitful seeds have continued blowing onto the mountain from other parts of the city.

Matthew Harrison of Hidden Mountain Maple Farms in Southampton, Cumberland County, said they started tapping their trees on Feb. 5 and finished on Feb. 17.