insidetoronto.com
ETOBICOKE GUARDIAN | Thursday, December 1, 2016 |
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Holiday SPECial
Trimming Toronto’s holiday tree is an epic undertaking Massive tree from Bancroft now decked out in lights david NiCklE dnickle@insidetoronto.com One of the most special traditions of the holiday season for many is to go find a tree, haul it home and decorate it with lights, tinsel and baubles in a place of honour by the hearth. For 50 years, the tree-trimming has also been a tradition with the City of Toronto. Beginning in 1967 as a way to showcase the then-new Toronto City Hall, Toronto workers have set aside weeks in November to erect a very special tree in Nathan Phillips Square. That is special, as in huge. According to Kristine Germann of Toronto’s Economic Development Department, the tree has always between 60 and 65 feet tall, brought down from Bancroft, north of Peterborough, by the Weller Tree Service, which has been providing the service since the beginning. “They always pick a tree that’s at the end of its life cycle,” said Germann. “This year the tree is approximately 60 feet. And yes, it’s pretty epic-it comes down in a big truck.” It takes a crew of eight city workers to put the tree in place, secured with guy wires and fenced off. “Once the tree’s in place, we let it settle,” said Germann. “When we get a tree at our own house, they always advise to let it settle for a couple of days, and with a bigger tree it’s a larger consideration. We need it to look good for really a month. And then it requires a cherry picker and three pieces of large machinery to decorate the tree.” The tree-trimming takes between one and two weeks, which might seem leisurely. A 60 foot white spruce tree, however, takes a lot of decorations. There are 700 ornaments in total, and 12,500 feet of lights, which for several years now have been brighter, energy-efficient LEDs. “My favourite decoration is the beautiful star that goes on top of the tree,” says Germann. “It’s made of metal. I always like to see that. I guess I know when it goes up, our job is done.” Well, not entirely done. The tree must eventually come down: two weeks after New Year’s Day, at which point, the tree is mulched “and returned to the land.”
Andrew Lahodynskyj/Photo
(Top, clockwise) After the fireworks display on Saturday, crowds gather to take photos with the city’s holiday tree at Nathan Phillips Square. The celebration included live entertainment and Mayor John Tory flipping the switch on lighting the tree. Getting the 60-foot tree ready involved bringing it in from Bancroft, lifting and securing it in place, as well as pruning and decorating.
Submitted photos above and left
Dan Pearce/Metroland