It’s that time of year again. The massive Christmas tree that brings holiday spirit to Churchill Square was lit up Thursday night for the holiday season.
The Downtown Business Association flipped the switch to turn on the lights at 6 p.m. The light-up event included a celebratory countdown, carollers, free hot beverages, cookies, roasted chestnuts, bannock and maple taffy on snow.
“Downtown Edmonton’s city lights are always bright and welcoming throughout the year, but never as much as during the holidays,” said Ian O’Donnell, executive director of the Downtown Business Association.
“This annual event is always a memorable holiday experience for everyone to share.”
This year’s tree is a 23-metre (75-foot) white spruce. It weighs about 2,800 kilograms (6,200 pounds) and is decorated with more than 8,000 LED lights.
The tree came from a forest management area near Whitecourt, Alta. The Millar Western Forest Management Agreement follows sustainable forest management practices, which include:
- The harvest rate does not exceed the forest’s rate of regrowth
- The forest is renewed using a combination of tree planting (for spruce, pine and fir stands) and natural regeneration (for aspen stands)
- Millar Western plants 2-3 seedlings to replace each conifer tree cut down
The DBA is also collecting items for 630 CHED Santas Anonymous this year. New toys can be dropped off in one of the large donation boxes located at the square’s entrances.
The tree will be lit up through the holiday season until Jan. 8. After the tree comes down, it will be recycled and used for mulching, landscaping and pathways.