The seaside town of Saint Andrews, N.B., has come together to create a very special Christmas tree this holiday season in support of the local food bank.
The popular tourist town is known for its fishing and whale watching expeditions, so what better way to showcase that than with a tree made entirely of lobster traps?
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The eye-catching decoration is made up of 96 traps and decorated with colourful buoys.
“These traps would have actually been somewhat hand built by my husband’s late grandfather, so its really nostalgic to have these traps in this tree because he’s no longer with us and they are actually being used for something good,” said resident Alison Spear.
It’s a fitting tribute since the town of 1,800 thrives on the fishing industry and is known for its delicious lobster dinners.
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“They’re proud people. They work hard to sustain a fishery for generations to come,” Kevin Simmonds said.
All the buoys on the tree were hand painted by community members, who purchased them for $30. The money raised will be going to the town’s food bank, Open Door Program, which has been up and running for nearly three years.
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“It’s just like a Hallmark movie how this community has come together. I can’t emphasize enough, when people give, they donate to a program, they’re really helping their friends, their neighbours, their coworkers, the children they go to school with,” said Holly Johnson with Open Door Program.
The tree was able to raise just over $3,000, which will be used to purchase gift cards for clients. The food bank is run solely by volunteers and has a budget of about $50,000 a year, which means fundraisers like the tree are instrumental in the organization’s success in helping 100 families in the town.
With files from Morganne Campbell
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