Forester.
Born at Harrow, England on 25 April 1946, he moved to Canada when he was eight years old. After graduating from high school in Scarborough, Ontario, he received a Bachelor of Science in Forestry degree from the University of Toronto (1970). He taught sustainable tree management for two years in Nigeria before returning to Canada for a Master of Science in Forestry degree from the University of Toronto (1975). He worked for Centra Gas at Edmonton, Alberta before moving to Manitoba.
He was the City of Winnipeg’s urban forester from 1988 to 2001. Often referred to as “Dr. Tree”, he was instrumental in developing an urban forestry program recognized as one of the best in Canada, particularly for its success in maintaining healthy American Elms by implementing inoculation and disease eradication programs. After leaving the municipal government, he established an urban forestry consulting company, Viburnum Tree Experts. He shared his expertise and advocating for tree preservation through a weekly columnist in the Winnipeg Free Press, appearances on Dorothy Dobbie’s gardening program on CJOB, columns in Canadian Gardener magazines, and a book entitled Dr. Tree's Guide to the Common Diseases of Urban Prairie Trees (2014). He judged cities around North America and Europe as part of the Communities in Bloom program.
In 1973, he married Susan Edna Allen in Toronto and they subseqently had a son.
He died at Kelowna, British Columbia on 8 June 2025.
“We remember: Allen, Michael Stanley,” Springfield Funeral Home.
“In memoriam: Mike Allen,” Daniels Forestry.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 17 December 2025
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