This is a 20' tree that I thought was a wild cherry tree until I took a closer look;

Yes, I had to taste them and they are the most bitter tasting berries ever.  (birds like them)
 

Another odd thing I saw today was this stick thing.  I thought they didn't live this far north.  Maybe it is a good sign for the coming winter.

 

Wild cherry found in Canada is all I could find, but I think there are several different ones.

Pino it looks like a prunus serotina or black cherry or it could be a chokecherry. How big are the fruit and what does the bark look like? Waynea that looks like a picture of a pin cherry.

The bark is dark not the black cherry tree bark but a similar. 

The berries are 1/2 the size of a baco noir grape.  So pretty small 1/4" diameter.

I have quite a few black cherries and it is mixed in with them but it is definitely not black cherry they were ripe end of June these are ripe now. 

Thanks I believe you got it! 
They do look like choke cherry and boy are they bitter I had to go eat a peach to get the bitterness out of my mouth from tasting 1 berry. 

Here is a link that could help you identify your tree. After reading the entire article it sounds like this is what you have.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chokecherry

Thanks Swizzle!

They are a nice looking tree and the birds enjoy the berries:)

I agree that it's a chokecherry. The deer also love it.

The wood is good for making neutral buoyancy fish lures and smells good. 

They also make good recurve bows and arrow shafts.

When I was a kid the country side where we lived was filled with them. Mom use to make chokecherry syrup and jelly. When you cook it down and add sugar it's actually pretty good. You can put the syrup on whatever, just like any other fruit syrup.  We mostly used it in a way that was a family tradition. You pour some good cream in a small bowl and add about half that amount of chokecherry syrup to it. Stir and then dab it up with some nice fresh bread.

We used to make syrup as well. It takes a bit of sugar added to make it sweet. It is deliciuos on pancackes, waffles or ice cream.

Looks a lot like black chokecherry, I really like the red chokecherries, more acidic than bitter but takes some work to pick them.

chokecherry jelly or even wine?

Thanks to everyone for confirming the chokecherry!  I think it would be a challenge to keep the birds away from them for some of the delicious recipes.

No one commented on the 16" "stick insect/Phasmatodea" I ran into. 
Are they known to live in this climatic zone or did the neighbour lose his pet insect?

 

Pino, I have seen smaller versions of your insect here, we called them 'Walking Sticks' when I was a kid, not sure of the official name. Don't think I ever saw one bigger than about 6-7 inches.

Thanks for letting me know Ed, This one is twice as big. 
They start tiny and keep growing.  This one is hanging on my soffit. 
Apparently they hang like that to shed their skin.  They get to be 24" and can live up to 3 years.

Be careful....the kernel inside the boney pits, and, the  leaves, are toxic.  All parts of the plant EXCEPT THE FRUITY PULP, contain Cyanogenic Glycocides.  So....spit the pits out.  Keep your eye on dogs, live-stock, horses, etc.


Frank

Thanks Frank maybe that is why it has choke in its name..LOL

As a general rule, I think that eating unknown wild berries is a recipe for disaster. 

Thanks Rob!

Hi Pino,
You killed me ! You tasted without knowing what it was before ! Ho well ... I would never do .
That's the first thing I taught to my daughter : Never eat if I don't allow you to !
Ho well, I once ,some years ago, saw her try to taste the blue-bullets from the fertilizer that were over the dirt in the garden!
I just don't remember how I managed not to kill her for that !
Here we have laurels that people use to make fences - those produce olive-shaped berries that are poisonous ... but birds love them and eat them with no problem!
Pino, if you can get and try "Tayberry", just do !