It’s one of the magical sights of the holiday season in Edmonton.
The giant Christmas tree that stands in the middle of Churchill Square makes anyone who sees it smile.
Now the company responsible for finding the tree, Millar Western Forest Products, has put together a video entitled “The Gift” describing the process of how it goes from the forest to Churchill Square.
“Ever wonder how that big, beautiful Christmas tree ends up in Edmonton’s Churchill Square each year? We’re proud to deliver it!” the video explains.
“It’s very special for me because a lot of people in downtown Edmonton don’t get to experience a real Christmas tree so this is Millar Western’s gift to the City of Edmonton,” Max Matthews, a forester with Millar Western, said.
Matthews goes on to describe the process in the video, which has garnered over 17,000 views.
The company has been behind the Churchill Square Christmas tree for over 12 years now.
In the three-minute video, Matthews describes the process involved in cutting down the tree so it isn’t damaged. He then goes on to describe what’s involved when “you very gingerly pick it up and place it onto the bed of the truck.”
The 2016 Christmas tree was over 21 metres tall and weighed 4,300 kilograms.
WATCH: Santa Arrives in Churchill Square for the annual Holiday Light Up
Ron Prokipchuk Trucking hauls the tree into the city and Epcor puts 14,000 lights on it.
“It’s amazing to me each year, how smoothly this goes,” Deb Millar-Choma, with Millar Western, said.
“We can’t get into downtown Edmonton until after midnight, we have a special route, there’s power lines, sharp corners,” Matthews goes on to explain.
The forester has been part of the Christmas tree crew for over 12 years.
“There’s a multitude of people in Churchill Square,” he said. “You hear, ‘wow,’ ‘nice,’ and when you hear that – it just makes me feel good.”