This year’s Tree for Boston has been cut down from family-owned land on Christmas Island and will soon be en route to celebrate a decades-long tradition between Halifax and the U.S. city.
The 40-foot-tall white spruce has been growing on the Nova Scotia island for 37 years. It stood in the backyard of a local family, the Townsends, who say they’re happy to donate it.
“It’s amazing. It’s a great opportunity and I hope the folks in Boston will get a kick out of it,” Roddy Townsend told Global News.
“It’s quite an honour too.”
The Tree for Boston is the province’s annual thank you to the Massachusettes city for sending medical personnel and supplies to Nova Scotia within hours of the Halifax Explosion in 1917. The explosion devastated north-end Halifax, killed nearly 2,000 people and left thousands more injured and homeless.
Every tree that is given to Boston is carefully selected. It must be between 40 and 50 feet tall, with good colour and medium to heavy density. It also must be symmetrical and easy to access.
Daughter Carmen Townsend said growing up on Christmas Island, the family spent a lot of time outdoors.
“We’re quite connected to this property and the land,” said Carmen Townsend.
“We’ve had to say goodbye to some trees before and we shed a lot of tears over that. But this is a different kind of event. We’re pretty happy about it.”
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The chosen white spruce holds a special meaning to the Townsends, reminding them of their mother who passed away in 2006.
Daughter Angela MacNeil said this event brings up memories.
“She grew up here, and she always said… the Christmas trees around here, and everything would be beautiful, they’d make beautiful Christmas trees,” MacNeil said.
“It’s kind of like mom got her wish.”
Her sister Carmen agreed. “She would love it, she saw it happening years and years ago,” Townsend said. “It was meant to be.”
Along with the tree, Townsend is sending an original song she wrote, dedicated to her family and the community.
“I wanted to include the community as well, so there’s a little bit of Gaelic in there, a little bit of Mi’kmaw language. It really came together quite well, so I’m pretty excited about it.
The giant tree will be making its way to Boston this week, in preparation for that city’s annual tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 1.
“As soon as I see the tree light up from Boston, that’s when it’s gonna really hit me,” Roddy Townsend said.
It’s set to arrive to Boston at 11 a.m. on Nov. 22.
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