Branch falls in Dovercourt Park, narrowly missing women

A tree branch came crashing down in the city's Dovercourt Park yesterday,narrowly missing a woman and her sister, just weeks after a man was killed by a falling branch at Trinity Bellwoods Park.

• Man killed trying to protect wife from falling tree branch in Trinity Bellwoods Park

The sisters were doing yoga underneath a tree in the parklocated at Salem Avenue between BloorStreet West and Dupont Street when they heard a noise.

"First it was little sounds,and that's when we were like what?" says Anne Trinh.

The soundquickly becamemuch louder.

"Andthen it just fell down right away but we ran out of the way."

The pair escaped without injury, just as the tree branch fell to the ground.

"I feel pretty lucky," says Trinh. "It might be the night to get a lottery ticket."

A man was killed in a similar incident on June 17. He wascrushed by a tree branch in Trinity Bellwoods Park.

The victim, in his 30s, was originally from Franceand was sitting with his wife under the tree when the branch suddenly fell.

He jumped to protect his wife but he was struck and killed.

City workers were called to the park to assess the health of the trees in that incident.

Coun.Ana Bailowhose ward includes Dovercourt Parksays the city should do more to determine the safety of the tree canopy in Toronto's parks.

"It's very concerning and I think that we need to do a better job to ensure that people feel safe," she said.

Bailosays the city's tree canopy inspection budget is $22 million,nearly six times what it was 10 years ago.