Decking the halls got a little bit browner this year and not just in the Great White North.That’s because few — even in Canada — realize this country is the world’s largest exporter of festive fir saplings that have been devastated by this summer’s wildfires compounded by surging demand for live trees worldwide since the pandemic.According to Export Development Canada, exports of fresh cut Christmas trees have more than doubled since 2015 to branch out into a $100 million industry in 2021, reaching as far as Australia and Thailand.By comparison, Canadians imported about $60 million of artificial trees from China..That said, demand for fresh trees across North America has rebounded since the pandemic, putting strain on what was already a short supply.About 95% of all tree exports are bound for the US, which is experiencing shortages of the blithe balsams in such locales as Florida. Orlando television station WFTV 9 — where the temperature was a balmy 28 C on Tuesday — warned merrymakers to stock up early or face limited selection and soaring prices..In Christian lore, the Christmas tree or Yule is symbolic of the biblical Tree of Life and the Cross, which has grown into a worldwide symbol of hope and faith..According to the Canadian Christmas Trees Association, Canada lost about 10,000 hectares of tree farms due to a variety of factors including drought, wildfires and a lack of irrigation in drier areas.It takes about 10 years to grow a decent sized, saleable tree and weather conditions have been described as difficult for at least the past decade even as demand surges.In addition, many farms have closed solely due to farmers retiring or even dying without a younger generation willing to take on the family business. Unlike grain farming, tree plantations tend to be smaller individually run operations. Even with higher prices — premium trees can start at $15 to $20 per foot — the smaller farm sizes and long production times make it marginal economic proposition. A typical farm might harvest fewer than 1,000 per year not withstanding higher prices for heavily taxed items such as fuel and fertilizer — and land, particularly in the Lower Fraser Valley where most of the Western Canada supply comes from.Consequently, most of the country saw a 10% jump in prices last year and could be looking at another similar increase this year..That’s why timing is critical. According to financial services company Square, the most expensive time to buy a tree is on the first Tuesday of December when the average selling price is about $84, before dropping to $34 four days before Christmas Day.According to EDC, Quebec is by far the biggest producer of ‘sapins de Noël’ followed by Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and BC.Canada’s most symbolic export is Boston’s official tree, a 50-footer that’s trucked from Nova Scotia to Massachusetts every year to commemorate the latter’s assistance following the Halifax Explosion of 1917..In Christian lore, the Christmas tree or Yule is symbolic of the biblical Tree of Life and the Cross, which has grown into a worldwide symbol of hope and faith.North Americans buy about 40 million trees a year, along with another 50 million in Europe.That’s not stopping the Grinches at earth.org from discouraging people from buying real trees in favour of ‘second-hand’ artificial ones.“A significant portion of Christmas trees are actually not used for home decorations. Instead, increasingly in recent years, they are used as shopping mall displays due to their shimmering lights and ‘Instagrammable’ decorations to attract more shoppers and visitors,” it says. “In other words, the original meaning of Christmas trees as a symbol of families coming together is hardly applicable anymore.”Bah.
Decking the halls got a little bit browner this year and not just in the Great White North.That’s because few — even in Canada — realize this country is the world’s largest exporter of festive fir saplings that have been devastated by this summer’s wildfires compounded by surging demand for live trees worldwide since the pandemic.According to Export Development Canada, exports of fresh cut Christmas trees have more than doubled since 2015 to branch out into a $100 million industry in 2021, reaching as far as Australia and Thailand.By comparison, Canadians imported about $60 million of artificial trees from China..That said, demand for fresh trees across North America has rebounded since the pandemic, putting strain on what was already a short supply.About 95% of all tree exports are bound for the US, which is experiencing shortages of the blithe balsams in such locales as Florida. Orlando television station WFTV 9 — where the temperature was a balmy 28 C on Tuesday — warned merrymakers to stock up early or face limited selection and soaring prices..In Christian lore, the Christmas tree or Yule is symbolic of the biblical Tree of Life and the Cross, which has grown into a worldwide symbol of hope and faith..According to the Canadian Christmas Trees Association, Canada lost about 10,000 hectares of tree farms due to a variety of factors including drought, wildfires and a lack of irrigation in drier areas.It takes about 10 years to grow a decent sized, saleable tree and weather conditions have been described as difficult for at least the past decade even as demand surges.In addition, many farms have closed solely due to farmers retiring or even dying without a younger generation willing to take on the family business. Unlike grain farming, tree plantations tend to be smaller individually run operations. Even with higher prices — premium trees can start at $15 to $20 per foot — the smaller farm sizes and long production times make it marginal economic proposition. A typical farm might harvest fewer than 1,000 per year not withstanding higher prices for heavily taxed items such as fuel and fertilizer — and land, particularly in the Lower Fraser Valley where most of the Western Canada supply comes from.Consequently, most of the country saw a 10% jump in prices last year and could be looking at another similar increase this year..That’s why timing is critical. According to financial services company Square, the most expensive time to buy a tree is on the first Tuesday of December when the average selling price is about $84, before dropping to $34 four days before Christmas Day.According to EDC, Quebec is by far the biggest producer of ‘sapins de Noël’ followed by Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and BC.Canada’s most symbolic export is Boston’s official tree, a 50-footer that’s trucked from Nova Scotia to Massachusetts every year to commemorate the latter’s assistance following the Halifax Explosion of 1917..In Christian lore, the Christmas tree or Yule is symbolic of the biblical Tree of Life and the Cross, which has grown into a worldwide symbol of hope and faith.North Americans buy about 40 million trees a year, along with another 50 million in Europe.That’s not stopping the Grinches at earth.org from discouraging people from buying real trees in favour of ‘second-hand’ artificial ones.“A significant portion of Christmas trees are actually not used for home decorations. Instead, increasingly in recent years, they are used as shopping mall displays due to their shimmering lights and ‘Instagrammable’ decorations to attract more shoppers and visitors,” it says. “In other words, the original meaning of Christmas trees as a symbol of families coming together is hardly applicable anymore.”Bah.
