Woman struck by tree branch in Trinity Bellwoods dies from injuries, family friend says

A woman who was struck by a tree branch in Trinity Bellwoods Park last week has died of her injuries, a close family friend confirmed to CityNews.

Madeline Donahue, who is speaking on behalf of her family, tells CityNews that Pari Nadimi, an art gallery owner, was the victim of a falling tree branch in the west end park last Tuesday. She passed away on July 27.

Toronto police were called to the popular park around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday for reports that someone had been injured.

Authorities said a woman was located with serious injuries after a falling tree branch hit her. She was taken to a local hospital via emergency run. Donahue said Nadimi suffered a devastating brain injury in the incident.

“The doctors at the hospital said she was in extremely bad shape when emergency services brought her in on Tuesday night. The doctor said it was a massive brain injury, and there was really nothing they could do other than support her.”

The 71-year-old had owned Pari Nadimi Gallery for several decades, just around the corner from the park. Nadimi, who was originally born in Iran before immigrating to Canada, was a giant supporter of the arts in Toronto.

“Her big interest and passion over the years, starting from an early age, was in contemporary art. [She] was a supporter of artists, contemporary art, and had a reputation in terms of assisting them and representing national and international artists,” shared Donahue.

“She’s well known in the art community. She was a very astute businesswoman… was always on the lookout for spotting young, innovative talent. She was a very kind, thoughtful person, always willing to listen to us and for others, a very loyal and faithful friend.”

Donahue added Nadimi often went on walks through Trinity Bellwoods Park and was an avid runner. She had a brother and sister who lived in the city who are both devastated by her passing.

“They’re having a very hard time coping with this …. And she has a nephew who’s in Ottawa, a young man, and so he’s equally devastated. They’re having a very hard time dealing with it, but they’re doing the best they can.”

Donahue said the family wanted to public to be aware of what happened to Nadimi.

“We think the public is entitled to know … a lot of people have, or several people, have posted on Twitter or other places,” shared Donahue. “We think it’s fair that the public should know that this isn’t just a critical injury anymore.”

Toronto police would not confirm the condition of the woman, saying it was not a criminal investigation.

An arborist told CityNews the tree was a Siberian Elm and said the branch was narrow, long, and weakly attached, most likely leading to the breakage. The tree has since been removed by the City of Toronto for further analysis.

It’s the same type of tree involved in a fatal incident back in 2016 when a man in his 20s was struck by a falling branch in Bellwoods.