Christmas Tree Ready for Boston

It's a 34-year-old tradition rooted in Nova Scotia's appreciation to its neighbours. Each Christmas since 1971, Nova Scotia has presented a giant evergreen tree to the people of Boston in appreciation for the emergency assistance they provided to our region following the Halifax Explosion in 1917.

This year, the tree is a 14.6-metre (48-foot) white spruce provided by Donald and Annette Hatt of Beech Hill, Lunenburg Co.

At an event that will be attended by about 100 children from Gold River Elementary and Chester Middle schools, the tree is being felled today, Nov. 15, by Nova Scotia Power, and secured to a truck by forestry students of the Nova Scotia Community College (Bridgewater campus).

Staff from the Department of Transportation and Public Works will move the tree from the Hatt property, with the assistance of Aliant and Nova Scotia Power, and will see that it gets to Boston, where it will serve as the focal point for the annual tree-lighting ceremony at the Boston Common on Thurs. Dec, 1.

The Department of Natural Resources co-ordinates all activities relating to the selection, acquisition, wrapping and loading of the tree.

The tree that heads to Boston each year usually comes from a private land owner and is selected by the Department of Natural Resources. It must be balsam fir, white spruce or red spruce, 14 to 16 metres (45-50 feet) in height, healthy with good colour, uniform, symmetrical and easy to access.