This year’s Tree for Boston was cut down during a special ceremony in Nova Scotia’s Lunenburg County Wednesday morning. It was announced last month that former property owners Ronald and Claire Feener would donate the tree, which is a white spruce that stands at 13.7 metres. The Feeners lived at the location for 46 years and say the tree came from a seedling they got from a neighbour. “The tree was planted when it was probably about a foot big … probably 42 years ago that we planted it, decorated it for Christmas when it got big enough with lights and bows, and then when it got a little bit bigger it was like, ‘Well, maybe we can grow this for Boston.’ And so, it’s a dream come true that it’s finally going," Claire said at the event. The current property owners in Martins Brook are supportive of the initiative. “At the time that we sold the house I left them a little note that this is what may happen and they just wanted to stay out of the limelight and said, ‘Yes, you do it for us,’” Claire added. The tree is an annual tradition and is Nova Scotia’s way of showing thanks to Boston for sending medical assistance following the Halifax Explosion on Dec. 5, 1917. About 2,000 people died and thousands were injured and left homeless after French munitions ship SS Mont-Blanc and Norwegian relief ship SS Imo collided in the narrows of Halifax Harbour. For the first time, a Boston mayor came to Nova Scotia to see the tree cutting in person. “I am so proud and so honoured to bring greetings from the people of Boston and tremendous gratitude for this very special gift. This is a long-standing tradition that we hold dear to our hearts in Boston, and I couldn’t be happier to be here with my family to see Nova Scotia for the first time and to witness this very important tradition,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu at the ceremony. “I’m just as proud, maybe even prouder to be here and join you to affirm how important it is that we continue to celebrate our special bond of neighbourly care between Boston and Nova Scotia.” Wu spoke about how, throughout the city’s 400-year history, Boston has “refused to sit back in the choice between tyranny and freedom,” and started the founding ideals of the United States of America. “That also meant, over a century ago, when we heard that our neighbours up north needed help when two ships collided in Halifax Harbour and the tragedy shook the shores of Nova Scotia, Boston sprang into action – because it was the right thing to do and because we hold very special this important friendship between our two coastal port cities,” she said. “That also means, that to this day, Boston refuses to bow down to chaos and cruelty, even when it is coming from our own federal government. So, I wanted to be here to say thank you for continuing this special tradition and I want to affirm how important this friendship is to the people of Boston, no matter what is happening at other levels of government.” Boston’s 84th annual tree-lighting ceremony will take place at the Boston Common on Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
