Hugh and Liz Ryan from Antigonish County says it feels great to have the 45-foot, white spruce tree that sits tall on their Mattie Settlement property, be chosen to head to Boston in a matter of weeks.
It has been growing for 30 years and has been selected as this years ‘Tree for Boston’ – the annual gift sent to the city from Nova Scotia as a thank you for helping out during the Halifax Explosion in 1917.
Liz tells our newsroom it was a couple of years ago when they knew they would have to do something with the tree as it was getting a little too close to the power line.
The solution was as simple as a search on online.
“So, I contacted Christmas Tree for Boston, and they came and looked at it and it was a little bit too short. In the meantime, Nova Scotia Power came and said, ‘yeah, that tree has to come down.'”
If it didn’t come down, she says, they would be responsible for any cost of repairs if it should come down unexpectedly.
“That was early in the spring. Then, Christmas Tree for Boston came back and they looked at the tree again, and they measured it and decided they want to keep it for this year.”
A little sad to see it go
The tree is huge and sits right on the edge of their property and is a focal point for those driving by.
Liz says they wanted to keep it but knew it couldn’t stay.
“So, I started thinking about, ‘okay, what else can we do with that tree besides stick it down and mulch it’. I remembered about Christmas Tree for Boston, and it just went from there.”
Coming down soon
Having the tree selected to be shipped to Boston, Liz says, has been quite a process with all of the recent attention, but also a blast.
“I’m glad that we can contribute a little bit to the historical value.”
The tree is set to come down November 20 and the public is invited to attend.
It will be lit in the Boston Common on December 5.
