Autumn, 2013
NOVA SCOTIA
CHRISTMAS TREE
JOURNAL
The Voice of the Christmas Tree Industry in Nova Scotia
Volume 27 No. 3
Balsam - the Aroma of Christmas !
What’s inside?
P 2 President’s report
P 3 CTCNS contacts
P 4 From the exec dir
P 5 Parade of Lights
P.6..Open farm dayr
P 7 Commercial to air
P 8 Cabinet ministers
P10 Wyllie report
P11 Ag awareness
P12 Cobequid report
P13 Donation support
P14..NeCTA is 40
P16 Cobequid meeting
P17 A day with students
P19 Stihl winner
P20 Service offered
P21 Boston Tree
P23 Exp. lot tour
P24 Advertiser index
Jim Webber, Northeastern Christmas Tree Association, chats with students during an open field day at the farm
of Henry and Elaine Van Berkel, 2013 Eastern Region Woodland Owner of the Year Award winners. See full
story on Page 17.
Promotions message has local focus
There has been a dedicated effort by Council this holiday season to put a local focus
on the varied marketing opportunities for promoting the real tree message.
Industry coordinator Colette Wyllie has been very busy in recent months working
with Exective director Angus Bonnyman and the promotions committee to get that
message in front of as many people as possible this year. For example, more than
100,000 people turned out for the Parade of Lights, in which Council had a walking
entry. Parades, TV commercials, contests and print ads were all part of the promotional campaign. Read more on the following pages.
Land and Sea to air story on NS Christmas trees
CBC’s Land and Sea is producing an episode on the Christmas tree industry in Nova
Scotia that will air Sunday, December 22 at noon. Make sure to tune in to see some
familiar faces!
2
President’s message
- Matthew Priest, CTCNS
First of all, I want to wish everyone a good
and prosperous harvest and by the time you’re
reading this it will all be over.
The trees are looking better this year than I’ve
seen for a while. There has been some rain
and a little snow in the north, but overall it’s
been a great year weather-wise for the harvest
season.
There has been some great promotional work
done this fall for our industry, and I’m sure
you will be hearing about it from Colette’s report. I know I said this last year, but I have to
say it again. I work with many people in this
industry and I am proud and appreciative of
everyone the way they work together and help
each other out.
Nowhere else can you find this in the Christmas tree industry. I apologize for not having
more to say and I know there is much more I
could update you with, but as you know we
are all extremely busy this time of year.
From my family to yours, I wish all a very
Merry Christmas and a great new year!
Matt Priest
CTCNS President Matt Priest makes a presentation during the Cobequid Christmas Tree Association’s fall meeting.
Editor’s notes
3
- Annette Bourgeois-Bent
This pre-Christmas issue of the Journal is full of
articles about how CTCNS has been taking advantage
of high-profile events to promote real Christmas trees
this holiday season.
There are other initiatives, such as the iloverealtrees
website and the colouring contest being coordinated
by Colette Wyllie that, while more low-key, contribute
to the resonance of the message.
Involvement in the Mental Health Foundation of Nova
Scotia’s Festival of Lights and the Chronicle Herald’s
Holiday Parade of Lights are two examples of how
tapping into well-established and respected events
can bolster Council’s own activities in getting out a
message about the importance of real Christmas trees.
These are two events that can become part of a foundation of relatively low-cost promotional activities
during the Christmas season.
And while this is the busiest time of the year for
Christmas tree producers, I hope that after the season,
you have the time to reflect on these efforts. ABB
You will also read about how Council has been proactive this holiday season by producing print and television advertising to get out the real tree message.
NOVA SCOTIA
CHRISTMAS TREE JOURNAL
Managing editor
Annette Bourgeois-Bent
abourgeoisbent@gmail.com
(902) 396-5947/(902) 759-2705
60 Research Drive, Bible Hill, Nova Scotia B6L 2R2
Tel: (902) 893-2293
info@ctcns.com
The Nova Scotia Christmas Tree Journal is published quarterly (February, May, August and October) by the Christmas
Tree Council of Nova Scotia. The Journal is a benefit of
membership for all the Nova Scotia Christmas Tree association members. However, you may subscribe directly.
Non-member subscriptions
$ 25.00 Canadian (within Canada)
$ 30.00 U.S. (United States or International)
Editorial policy
This Journal attempts to reflect the opinions and positions
of the Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia and its affiliated, regional-based associations. However, in presenting
articles, not all opinions expressed in this publication will
necessarily be the views or positions of the Council or associations.
Publication Mail Agreement No. 41043025
CHRISTMAS TREE COUNCIL OF
NOVA SCOTIA
60 Research Drive, Bible Hill, Nova Scotia B6L 2R2
Tel: (902) 893-2293
info@ctcns.com
http://www.ctcns.com
Executive officers
President:
Matt Priest
1st Vice-P: Duncan MacDonald
2nd Vice:
Forrest Higgins
Treasurer:
Scott MacKinnon
Past President:
Jim DeLong
(902) 641-2142
(902) 863-1208
(902) 384-2833
(902) 863-1407
(902) 644-2718
Association delegates
Lunenburg County Christmas Tree Producers’ Assoc.
- George Lake
(902) 543-5374
- Jack Wentzell
(902) 644-2375
- Bruce Turner
(902) 689-2725
Northeastern Christmas Tree Assoc.
- Dave Sweet
(902) 522-2924
- Kevin Chisholm
(902) 386-2782
Cobequid Christmas Tree Producers’ Assoc.
- Bill Smith
(902) 895-0658
Exporter delegates
Large exporters
- Norm MacIsaac
- Dwight Sanders
Medium exporters
- Forrest Higgins
- Bill Rundle
- Myles MacPherson
Small exporters
- Wayne Higgins
(902) 783-2758
(902) 689-2262
(902) 384-2833
(902) 396-4537
(902) 533-2695
(902) 568-2550
Office
Executive director: Angus Bonnyman - (902) 956-3629
Industry coordinator: Colette Wyllie - industry@ctcns.com
Administrator: Shelly MacKenzie - (902) 893-2293
4
Message from the Executive director
- Angus Bonnyman
Dear Growers,
I hope that this issue of the Journal finds you well,
though I understand that it is a very busy time of year
for all of you.
Although we haven’t really had much snow yet, last
week Colette and I attended the cutting of the Boston
Tree at the home of Mary Lou Milligan of Mill Cove
which helped to put me in the Christmas mood. It was
a great event with no shortage of excitement amongst
the children of the two local schools and adults, too.
Levy remittance
By now each of you should have received a reminder
about remitting your levy by February 1st in accordance with the Christmas Tree Levy regulations. The
Levy Compliance Committee has directed me to not
only spend more time reviewing levy remittances, but
also to perform some on-site audits. If you are selected for an audit, I will be in touch to make arrangements with you. We rely on your support to continue
the work that Council is able to do on your behalf on
border issues, research, promotions and obtain matching funds from various levels of government to name
a few.
to photocopy and distribute the sheets to anyone who
might be interested.
Promotions
Just a quick word on promotions; we have placed ads
in several local lifestyle magazines: The Coast, The
Chronicle Herald and many local newspapers. We
hope that these ads, along with our new website
www.iloverealtrees.com and a television ad on CTV
will raise the profile of real trees in Nova Scotia and
pay dividends for everyone.
In closing, I would like to wish you all a safe and successful season.
Kind regards,
Angus Bonnyman, CA
Executive Director
angus@ctcns.com
Reminder: Growers should stay tuned for details of
the NSFA health insurance program, which will be
rolled out at the NSFA annual general meeting later
this week.
Media kit and colouring contest
Just in case some of you filed away the mailout without opening it, I would like to specifically mention the
media kit and colouring contest entry form. Colette
has done a great job of pulling together key facts and
tips that should help all of us be better prepared for
any discussions with the media, so please keep it by
your phone and remember to keep the tone positive.
The colouring contest is another new initiative and we
hope that this will help educate not only the students,
but also the teachers and parents. We are trying to
work with the school boards in the province to distribute the colouring contest sheets, but please feel free
The Boston Tree gets ready to leave Halifax after a farewell ceremony.
5
100,000 spectators
Real trees shine at Parade of Lights in Halifax
Eastlink TV provided live coverage of the Parade and will rebroadcast the event every Saturday at 2:00 pm until Christmas. It is also available
OnDemand.
More than 100,000 people turned out along Halifax’s
streets to watch the 18th annual Chronicle Herald Holiday
Parade of Lights. It was an excellent public opportunity to
promote real Christmas trees to an excited and attentive
crowd!
Organized by Industry coordinator Colette Wyllie, the
CTCNS submission consisted of a walking group dressed
in traditional Canadian woodsmen garb to promote a back
to nature and real trees theme.
Volunteer participants dressed to evoke a theme of real tree traditions.
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6
Bill Smith’s farm
Family chooses open farm day to tag their tree
The Boutilier-MacNeil family of Truro Heights took
advantage of a sunny September day to pick out and
tag their Christmas tree.
“We read about farm day and decided it was a good
time to go out and pick a tree with the family,” said
mom, Tawnya.
The family spent about an hour at Bill Smith`s
choose-and-cut farm in Harmony selecting their
perfect tree. Smith`s farm was part of a larger
initiative organized by the Nova Scotia Federation of
Agriculture to promote the industry. Open farm day is
a province-wide event on September 15th that creates
the opportunity for participating Nova Scotia farmers
to open their doors to members of their community.
who said the family was looking for a bushy tree.
The family thought it was a great way to spend the
morning and were looking forward to coming back
closer to Christmas.
Bill Smith said he chose to participate in the open
farm day because it’s a good way to promote the
industry and potentially make some early sales.
There was a lot of looking and a lot of discussion
before the family finally decided on just the perfect
tree.
“It’s the right size and the right density,” said Tim,
Lots of information available to visitors.
Open farm day is a big promotional effort in the fall.
The Boutilier-MacNeil family - Tim, Tawnya, Bria, Lilah and Colby - of Truro
Heights took advantage of a beautiful day in September to make a family outing
to choose a Christmas tree at Bill Smith’s choose-and-cut.
7
Evoke childhood memories
A traditional family outing is focus of promotion
A Debert family was happy to participate in a TV commercial to promote real trees, as part of CTCNS’s seasonal
media campaign.
Josh and Alisha Johnson, along with daughter, Avery,
joined Council’s promotion committee chair, Duncan MacDonald, in a 30-second commercial which is scheduled to
air over two weeks on CTV Halifax - the week of November 25 and the week of December 2.
November.
As well as airing on tv, the commercial, which belongs to
CTCNS, has been posted to the facebook page and will be
available on Council’s website.
The commercial depicts a young family on an outing
to choose their Christmas tree at a local choose-and-cut
operation.
“The whole push this season is local promotion,” said industry coordinator, Colette Wyllie. “We’re trying to evoke
childhood memories and local traditions. This is the best
way to put that image at the front of people’s minds.”
Wyllie said that Johnson comes from a Christmas family,
is a big supporter of real trees and his family tags their tree
early each year.
The Johnson family chats with Duncan MacDonald while being filmed.
The commercial was filmed at Duncan MacDonald’s lot in
77 Graham Road
Debert, Nova Scotia B0M 1G0
Phone: (902) 641-2142
Fax: (902) 641-2147
Matt’s cell: (902) 890-8431
Email: nltreefarms@bellaliant.net
Website: nltreefarms.com
“A family run business since 1984.”
We have baling twine available. Please call
or email for pricing.
Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous
holiday season!
Alisha, holding Avery, and Josh Johnson are big supporters of the real
Christmas tree tradition. CTCNS promotions committee chair Duncan
MacDonald was also part of a tv commercial which airs this holiday
season.
Matthew and Gena Priest - owners
Donna Morrisey - office manager
8
MLAs take on Cabinet roles in new Liberal gov`t
Nova Scotia voted overwhelmingly in October for a
change in their provincial leadership by choosing the
Liberal Party of Stephen MacNeil to form the next
majority government.
The Liberals held 33 of the 51 seats in the legislature
after the Oct. 8 election.
In his post-victory speech in his hometown of Bridgetown, McNeil said he is committed to following
through on his vision for the province.
“The people of Nova Scotia have agreed with our plan
to put Nova Scotia first, and it is with a deep sense of
responsibility and purpose that I will make certain that
our plan is delivered and that our commitments are
kept,” he said.
McNeil also said that small business operators are a
vital part of the plan.
“Our Nova Scotia is a province where our economy
prospers from each and every corner of this province,
where the emphasis is placed on the true engine of
prosperity - the small business owners who create the
jobs in both urban and rural Nova Scotia.”
McNeil has chosen a number of experienced MLAs
for Cabinet positions to fulfill his commitments. He
added the focus will be on “top priorities and key
challenges” facing the province.
“The task before us will have its challenges, but I am
eager to begin work — to build strong families and
stronger businesses from one end of Nova Scotia to
the other,” McNeil said in a press release.
The following is a synopsis of newly-appointed
ministers that may be of interest to the Christmas
tree industry. Stay tuned in future issues of the
Journal for more in-depth coverage of these ministers and their plans for their respective portfolios.
The Hon. Keith Colwell
Minister Colwell is responsible for fisheries/aquaculture and agriculture.
Prior to his political career,
Colwell owned and operated a successful manufacturing company for 19
years and was one of the
founding members of the
Enterprise Forum for Nova
Scotia.
Colwell was first elected in 1993.
He is a past cabinet minister for fisheries and aquaculture and consumer services (now Service Nova
Scotia), as well as holding many other Cabinet responsibilities.
9
To contact Minister Colwell:
The Hon. Randy Delorey
E-mail: colwelkw@gov.ns.ca
Minister Delorey is responsible for the department of
environment.
Department of Agriculture
6th floor (Suite 607), WTCC
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 3N8
Phone: (902) 424-4388
Fax: (902) 424-0699
min_dag@gov.ns.ca
Constituency Office
Phone: (902) 433-1494
Fax: 435-1712
E-mail: keithcolwell@eastlink.ca
The Hon. Zach Churchill
Delorey was first elected to the Nova Scotia House of
Assembly as MLA for Antigonish in 2013.
A former professor in the faculty of business at St.
Francis Xavier University, Delorey says he understands the challenges facing communities.
“I believe education, community, entrepreneurship,
and hard work are the essential cornerstones to reversing the trend of rural decline in Nova Scotia,” Delorey
said in his caucus biography.
Continued on Page 23
Minister Churchill is responsible for natural resources.
Churchill was first elected
to the Nova Scotia House
of Assembly as MLA for
Yarmouth in a by-election
in 2010 and was re-elected
in 2013.
To contact Minister
Churchill:
E-mail: churchzj@gov.
ns.ca
Department of Natural Resources
3rd Floor, Founders Square
1701 Hollis Street
P.O. Box 698
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2T9
Phone: (902) 424-4037
Fax: (902) 424-0594
min_dnr@gov.ns.ca
Constituency Office
Phone: (902) 742-4444
Fax: (902) 742-7391
2014
Now accepting nominations
for the 2014
Woodland Owner of the Year.
Nominations are due April 15, 2014.
The provincial winner will be selected in May.
Please submit nominations to any
Department of Natural Resources office or to:
Simon Mutabazi
PO Box 698, Halifax, NS B3J 2T9
Fax: 902-424-7735
Email: woodlot@gov.ns.ca
Novascotia.ca/natr/woya-nominations
Celebrating Outstanding Stewardship and
Good Woodland Management
10
Industry coordinator report
Tapping into social media and promotions for real trees
Hello all and welcome to my first column as Industry
coordinator! I’ve been on the job since July, so it’s
about time I start contributing to the Journal. I hope
this will be an effective way to keep you updated on
Council initiatives from my standpoint.
First and foremost, I’d like to thank you all for being
so kind, patient and welcoming to me in my first few
months on the job. I have had the pleasure of meeting
many growers and industry supporters and hope to
meet many more in the weeks and months to come. I
still have a lot to learn so I appreciate your thoughts
and your time immensely.
As you may have read in the last Journal, my background is in agriculture and public relations. My
greatest skills lie mostly in promotions and communications, and so this has been my main focus since
beginning on the job. The promotions committee, Angus and I have been working hard on local promotion
this year, with the creation of a new brochure listing
choose -and-cut and retail operations in the province, a
widespread ad campaign, participation in local events,
information on the iloverealtrees.com website and a
social media presence.
the Christmas tree industry to Nova Scotia and how to
select and care for trees. CBC’s Land and Sea is also
producing an episode on the Christmas tree industry in
Nova Scotia.
Council entered a walking group in the Chronicle
Herald Holiday Parade of Lights on November 16th,
complete with trees, wagons, lights and the incredibly popular Buddy Balsam. Our entry was very well
received with the 100,000 people lining the streets of
downtown Halifax. A huge thank you to our volunteers who made it possible. If you’d like to see how
we looked, you can watch the parade on Eastlink
every Saturday at 2:00 p.m. until Christmas.
Finally, I’m happy to share that we are gaining some
momentum on Facebook and Twitter. We hope this
will increase with our colouring contest, which should
be kicking into high gear any day now. If you use
either of these platforms, for yourself or for your business, please follow us!
Merry Christmas and all the best this season.
Colette Wyllie
Industry Coordinator
industry@ctcns.com
If you operate a choose-and-cut or a retail lot and
would like to be included on the current website listing or in our brochure for next year, please contact
me. We have had great success in distributing these
brochures to the public via Christmas craft markets,
farmers’ markets and local events, and hope their
popularity will only increase in seasons to come.
As Angus mentioned in his column, we have placed
ads in five separate local lifestyle magazines, in the
Chronicle Herald and the Coast, and in 26 regional
newspapers across the province.
As I write this, CTV is producing a commercial for
us that will run province-wide for two weeks, and by
the time you read this, I will have made an appearance on CTV Morning Live talking about the benefits
of choosing a real Christmas tree, the importance of
Buddy Balsam and Colette Wyllie participated in the Parade of Lights in
Halifax December 16th.
11
Mall visitors treated to early Christmas tree
Council takes part in agriculture awareness projects
by Colette Wyllie
Industry coordinator
For the second consecutive year, the Christmas Tree
Council of Nova Scotia participated in the Meet Your
Farmer event at Mic Mac Mall in Halifax. The event
was organized by the provincial department of agriculture and brought together producers and representatives from many different industries. It was held
August 23 - 24, 2013.
Public outreach
Meet Your Farmer is a public outreach event that
invites mall visitors to get to know more about agriculture and the people involved in it. Growers who
participated enjoyed the opportunity for conversation
with visitors to the Council booth, which was located
conveniently at the end of a row. This allowed full
view of the beautifully decorated real tree, which certainly got some attention!
On Friday evening, Carolann Naugle provided a
wreath-making demonstration to visitors.
Jack Wentzell and Bruce Turner chat with visitors to the Christmas
Tree Council booth at the Meet Your Farmer at Mic Mac Mall event in
Halifax in August.
The organizers of the event were very pleased with
this demo and have plans to incorporate it again in
next year’s event. Thanks to Carolann for taking this
on.
As well, special thanks to Bruce Turner, Jack Wentzell, Murray Crouse, Richard Levy and Matthew
Reeves for volunteering at the Council booth.
Farmer for a Day
The next agricultural awareness event was Farmer for
a Day, which took place in late September.
Also organized through the provincial department of
agriculture, this event brought several hundred Grade
3 students to the Cole Harbour Heritage Farm during
the course of three days to learn about agriculture.
Carolann Naugle demonstrates her award-winning wreath making skills
during the Meet Your Farmer event at the Mic Mac Mall in Halifax in
August. It was the second year that the Christmas Tree Council of Nova
Scotia participated in the event.
Industry coordinator Colette Wyllie represented
Council at this event and talked to the students about
the life cycle and habitat of a balsam fir tree and the
environmental and economic importance of the Christmas tree industry to Nova Scotia.
12
Cobequid Christmas Tree Association report
by Darrell Sandeson, President
I would like to start by thanking Bill Smith and Robert
Gibbs for organizing the Christmas tree booth at the
Provincial Exhibition - one of the best displays of
trees and wreaths in years. Also, thank you to all the
volunteers, both locally and from Northeastern Association. Thanks to everyone.
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Distributor for Cinco and Gunnard Tree Stands
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TNI Tree Netting & Load Divider
Flagging Tape
Kirk Tree Colorant
Fertilizer Back Packs
The “Think Green” line of caps, clothing, & license plates
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Dealer/Mail Order
RR # 2, Mahone Bay, N.S. B0J 2E0
Inquiries Welcome
Gerald Keddy, MP
South Shore - St Margaret’s
Harvest is almost complete for most, but people like
me, who operate a local tree lot, have not started cutting yet, so there is lots of work ahead.
A reminder to Cobequid Christmas Tree Association
members, our dues are $30 per year.
Please send your dues
to Bill Smith by January 31, 2014.
Bill’s address is:
270 Fraser Road, Harmony, NS B6L 3K8.
I would like to wish
everyone a successful season and a very
Merry Christmas.
Darrell Sandeson
Wa-Su-Wek Ltd.
85 Hillside Road, PO Box 1859
Liverpool, Nova Scotia B0T 1K0
www.wasuwek.com
Call Toll Free: 1-888-816-4446
Bridgewater Office
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129 Aberdeen Rd, Suite 201
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Phone: (902) 527-5655
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Fax: (902) 354-7305
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13
Seedlings donated
CTCNS assists in fundraising event for mental health
by Annette Bourgeois-Bent
The CTCNS’ participation in a high-profile Halifax
event this holiday season helped promote real trees,
while assisting with a laudable fundraising initiative.
CTCNS Exective director Angus Bonnyman, who
attended the sponsors event, said balsam seedlings
were purchased by Council and donated to the Mental
Health Foundation of Nova Scotia to be used during
its Festival of Trees fundraising event. The trees were
packaged in organza bags by clients of Simpson Landing, a community living facility for Nova Scotians recovering from mental illness, and used as centrepieces
on the tables.
“This year, as we focus on the roots of the event,
we recognize the evergreen as a natural symbol of
strength and dignity: a life force that preserves Mother
Nature’s changing seasons,” noted Diane MacDougall,
senior development officer for the Foundation.
MacDougall said the seedlings were a special request
and were well received at the event.
“It was a perfect addition, as it is about the living, that
we need to nuture and support all living things, trees
and those living with illness,” she said, adding organizers were “thrilled Angus participated in this manner
with us.”
Bonnyman said Council’s participation in this highprofile event provided many opportunities to promote
real trees.
“With roughly 1600 people attending the fundraising luncheon and gala, CTCNS has received some
excellent exposure for real trees in Nova Scotia,” he
said “In addition to distributing printed materials, the
slideshow for the event included some of our messaging about real trees, and we are already talking about
how we could improve the usage of real trees in the
event next year.”
“Thank you again for your contribution,” said MacDougall. “The seedlings were an enormous success;
not one was left behind!”
The event raised approximately $230,000 over the two
days.
Sanders Tree Farm Supplies Ltd.
- we service what we sell, visit us at the store, 4923 Hwy 12, New Ross
• Howey Balers, Elevators & Shakers
• Solo Sprayer Equipment
• Maruyama Sprayers & Heavy Duty
Trimmers
• Maruyama Dual Tank Blowers with
Pronone Regulating Plates
• Guelph Tree Twine (in 3 colors)
• DuPont Vexar Tree Netting
• Husqvarna Chainsaws and
Clearing Saws & Trimmers
• Kelco Wreath Machines
& Equipment
• ARS Long Reach Pruners
& Tree Shears
• Simplicity Lawn Mowers
• Husqvarna Lawn Mowers
Shears, Shearing Knifes, Pruners, Axes, Flagging Tape and many other
items for the Christmas Tree Industry
Call, write or phone for our catalogue:
PO Box 40, New Ross, Lunenburg County, NS B0J 2M0
Phone: (902) 689-2938 (shop); 689-2262 (office); Fax: 689-2853
Pays
y
t
i
l
a
u
Q
!
14
NeCTA celebrates
Full room turns out for 40th annual meeting
About 75 people turned out for the Northeastern
Christmas Tree Association’s 40th annual meeting, to
hear reports and updates and enjoy a little reminiscing
and cake!
Several members were recognized throughout the
evening for their years of contributions to the association, whoses current membership Secretary-treasurer
Nancy Lane reported as 176 this year.
In presenting his report, president Mark MacIsaac said
the organization has undergone some changes.
“The organization structure has been streamlined...as
much as possible,” he told the group.
Manager’s report
Manager Norman MacIsaac, in his report, said the association is moving back to its earlier roots.
“We’re moving back to a more traditional market,
instead of the box stores,” he said.
Council. He said the meetings are a valuable way to
share information.
“If we want to get information out to you folks, we
shouldn’t put it on the website,” he noted.
Ramey said he’s compiled the information from previous surveys and discussions and indicated several
things that were going well, including that PPEs are
being worn, first aid kits are on work sites and owners
are setting good examples.
Ramey said things that annoyed respondents included
the ATV legislation, the liability of landowners and
dealing with legislation they are not aware of.
He added that working with enforcing agencies was
sometimes difficult for respondents because of seemingly contradictory rules.
Ramey told members there were some main outcomes
people would like to see, including:
continued on next page
Gary Ramey attended the meeting to provide some
more details on his safety and training work for the
There was lots of memorabelia on display.
David Sweet presents Greg Murphy with a plaque recognizing 25 years
of service to NeCTA.
Northeastern meeting full of history
1) simplified guidelines,
2) an understanding of what legislation applies,
3) standardized work practices in a written format, and
4) an industry mission statement.
Tom Ernst gave his final report from the National Christmas Tree
Association, after 12 years as a director.
Early documents reflect association history
A good crowd turned out for the fall meeting of the Northeastern Christmas Tree Association.
15
16
Updates and award winners
Cobequid hopes to boost participation at tree event
by Annette Bourgeois-Bent
During the fall meeting of the Cobequid Christmas
Tree Association, members discussed the limited
scope of representation of trees at the annual provincial competition.
Only Cobequid Association was represented at the
competition and there was discussion about ways to
encourage other associations to participate next year.
“We have to keep in mind what this is all about,”
said Bob Gibbs, “and that’s promoting real Christmas
trees. I’m really proud of our display.”
She told association members that in talking to the
public, the main reasons people cited for not using a
real tree at Christmas were: allergies, regulations (i.e.
no real trees in apartments), and convenience (i.e.
seniors).
During the meeting Executive director Angus Bonnyman updated Cobequid members on a number of initiatives, including the letter-writing campaign to municipalities and HomeGrown Success program funding.
Matt Priest provided an update on the SMART Tree
Co-op on behalf of Jim DeLong.
Industry coordinator Colette Wyllie said she would
contact the other associations next spring to remind
them of the summer competition.
Talking to the public
Wyllie also reported on some promotional events she
participated in, including the Meet Your Farmer event
at the Mic Mac Mall.
Bob Gibbs and President Darrell Sandeson hold the annual fall meeting
of the Cobequid Christmas Tree Association.
Bob Gibbs (right) presents Paul Spike with his trophy for garnering top
spot for the provincial sheared 6’6”-8’6” tree.
Bob Gibbs (right) presents some hardware and a new chainsaw to Bill
Smith for his winning trees during the annual Cobequid fall meeting.
Students learn about Christmas trees during field day
by Annette Bourgeois-Bent
A day in the forest for students provided an excellent opportunity for members of the Northeastern Christmas Tree
Association to talk to them about real trees and the importance of their natural growth and regeneration.
“They’re interested and have lots of energy,” said Jim Webber, who, along with David Sweet, hosted the Christmas
trees management and marketing stop of the Kids in the
Forest day at Henry and Elaine Van Berkel’s Ashdale farm
in September.
17
were particularly interested in the hands-on aspect of the
presentation.
“I love real trees because I love the smell,” said Mylen,
who was full of questions about the life cycle of the trees.
Fatima added that the trees were “beautiful” and “awesome” and that she learned things about how trees grow
and how they may be sheared.
Tim Bailey, a Nova Scotia Natural Resources forester in
Antigonish, has been involved in the Kids in the Forest
program for 15 years.
“It’s often better to teach about the natural forest in the
environment,” he said. He added that a day in the forest
for young people is not as common an activity as may
have been in years past and that some may not get into the
woods to explore at all.
“I think it’s a rare day for a lot of them,” Bailey said.
David Sweet, NeCTA, talked with students about the importance of
Christmas trees in Nova Scotia. These students were keen to get their
hands on some pine cones. Some also went home with seedlings.
David Sweet said he wanted the message of the day to
focus on the natural growth of trees, how they regenerate
and contribute to the lifecycle of the forest. He added talking with the students also provided some insight into their
preferences for the look of their preferred Christmas tree.
“It gives us an idea what future consumers would like in
terms of natural trees versus sheared,” he said.
The Van Berkel’s produce Christmas trees, harvest wood,
and conserve wildlife habitat and historical sites on their
land. Their efforts earned them the 2013 Eastern Region
Woodland Owner of the Year Award. In September, they
opened up their farm to students to explore as part of a
Nova Scotia Natural Resources initiative.
Six classes, about 150 students, attended from St. Andrew
Junior School, St. Andrew Consolidated School and St.
Mary’s Education Centre (Sherbrooke).
“They’re interacting and that brings the information in the
books to life,” said St Andrew Junior School teacher Cathy
Ryan. “I love the small group stations,” she added.
Ms Ryan said the school outing relates to the “Diversity in
living things” portion of her Grade 6 science program.
Fatima Haque and Mylen Bond, two of Ms Ryan’s students,
Jim Webber, NeCTA, amazed some students with his shearing skills
during an open field day at the farm of Henry and Elaine Van Berkel in
Ashdale on Friday, Sept. 20.
18
NORTHEASTERN CHRISTMAS TREE ASSOCIATION
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS & MANAGER 2013-2014
Mark MacIsaac - President
156 Hawthorne Street
Antigonish NS B2G 1B1
Home 863-9283
markmacisaac@bellaliant.com
Craig Cartwright - Vice President
156 Punch Road
St. Andrews, NS B0H 1X0
Home 870-1144
craigcartwright1@hotmail.com
David Sweet - Past President
3140 Ohio East Road
RR #1
Antigonish, NS B2G 2K8
Home 867-1360
david.sweet@bellaliant.net
Nancy Lane - Secretary/Treasurer
267 Narrow Lake Road
RR # 2 Goshen, NS B0H 1M0
Office 783- 2430
Fax 783-2451
necta.general@hotmail.com
Norman MacIsaac - Manager
RR #2 Goshen NS B0H 1M0
Office 783-2430
Fax 783-2451
Cell 867-7496
sales@necta.ns.ca
Brian Archibald
RR# 2 Aspen
NS B0H 1E0
Home 833-2724
archibald.brianmargaret@gmail.com
Edward Chisholm
RR #3
North Grant, NS B2G 2L1
Home 872-0009
(No e-mail)
Travis Long
RR# 2 Goshen
NS B0H 1M0
Home 783-2402
bigredbeliever@hotmail.com
Jim Webber
1850 HWY #7, Lochaber
Antigonish, NS B2G 2L3
Home 783- 2660
jimstrees@seasidehighspeed.com
Ian Gunn
50 Black Brook Road
East River, St. Mary’s
RR #5, New Glasgow, NS B2H 5C8
Home 922-2749
Office 522-2024
gunnih@gov.ns.ca
Wayne Hart
11858 Boylston
Box 25
Boylston, NS B0H 1G0
Home 533-3621
(No e-mail)
“improving Christmas trees, improving techniques”
Visit us at: http://nsac.ca/acc/
On Facebook: Christmas tree Research Centre
Mission Statement
Enhance Atlantic Canada’s knowledge-based
bioeconomy through the development of sciencedriven, innovative technologies and products for
increasing the sustainability of Atlantic Canada’s
Christmas Trees and Greenery industry.
Blair Brymer
201 Lawrence Road
Boylston, NS B0H 1G0
Home 533-3149
bbrymer@ns.sympatico.ca
Tom Brennan, Sales
Box 43
Port Hood, NS B0E 2W0
Home 787-2727 or 787-2729
Cell 631-2464
tom@necta.ns.ca
Stihl saw winner
19
Holly Ellwood’s tree received the People’s Choice
Award at the Halifax County Exhibition. Holly and
her boys, Alex (right) and James (left), received the
grand prize of a Stihl power saw from Dick Cotterill.
McGinley’s Yard and Garden Equipment donated the
saw. The tree was produced by John Stewart.”
TRURO AGROMART
Fertilizer -- Farm Chemicals -- Silage Tarps
North Eastern
Christmas Tree
Association
PHONE (902) 895 - 2857
Serving the farmers of Nova Scotia
From our Plant in Truro.
PO Box 976, Truro, Nova Scotia B2N 5G7
Industry Leadership, Outstanding People
The Association has 38 years of experience
marketing the Highest Quality Balsam Fir
Wreaths and Christmas Trees to the World
You can visit the Northeastern
Association on-line at their
address: www.necta.ns.ca
CONTACT US
Marketing
Membership
Norman MacIsaac
RR # 2, Goshen
N.S. B0H 1MO
Ph: (902) 783-2758
Fax: (902) 783-2451
Yard: (902) 783-2430
Nancy Lane
RR # 2
Goshen, N.S.
B0H 1M0
Ph: (902) 783-2430
Fax: 902) 783-2451
Farm Grown, Real Christmas Trees
Did you know?
Shoot tip die-back caused by Diplodia is more likely on pine trees
than balsam fir. It was labelled,
in Latin, Diplodia pinea. It is not
considered to be highly contagious
for fir shoots.
20
Perennia offers Ag OHS consulting services
Perennia has a new service to support large and small
farms in the development and implementation of onfarm occupational health and safety plans.
The service is focused on providing a safe and healthy
workplace and working towards compliance with the
Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations.
The services are: 1) customized coaching for producers seeking a better understanding of how their farms
are impacted by the legislation and regulations, but
who want to develop their own plan; and 2) implementation management for producers who want additional assistance to develop their plan.
Both services will be customized to go at the pace of
the producer, to work with other on-farm programs
(e.g. food safety) and can also include a review of any
orders or warnings resulting from a department of
labour inspection.
The goal is to provide a service that includes active
involvement of all those at the workplace to ensure
a plan is developed to suit the practical needs of the
operation.
The Occupational Health and Safety Act has been
in effect since 1996 and applies to all workplaces in
Nova Scotia, including farms. Recently, there has been
increasing awareness and acknowledgement that farms
fall under the act and its regulations. As awareness
grows, the department of labour continues to increase
the number of randomly-inspected farming operations.
For more information, contact:
Carolyn Van Den Heuvel
Agricultural OH&S Specialist
Phone: (902) 318-8977
Email: cvandenheuvel@perennia.ca
www.perennia.ca
Boston Tree makes another successful trip
21
Excitement was in the air as Nova Scotians prepared
to send their annual gift of thanks and remembrance to
Boston.
A large crowd gathered at the Mill Cove home of
Mary Lou Milligan on November 12 to watch the treecutting ceremony of the stately 47-foot white spruce,
which will be the 42nd tree sent to Boston. The large
evergreen is an annual remembrance gift from the
province for help provided by Boston after the 1917
Halifax explosion.
Milligan says she always thought her tree could be
selected as a Boston Tree.
“I wanted to wait until my grandson was old enough
to appreciate the tree and the ceremony;” she said.
The tree arrived at the Boston Common on November
15th via police escort.
The official tree lighting will take place on December
5th with a live broadcast on ABC Boston. The lighting
is expected to have a crowd of about 30,000 and a TV
audience of 300,000.
Trees have been sent to Boston for 42 years.
The next Boston Tree?
Do you have the next Boston Tree or know of a great
candidate? If you have or know of a white or red
spruce or balsam fir with the following characteristics
we want to hear from you:
- Twelve to fifteen meters (40-50 feet) in height
- Healthy with good colour
- Medium to heavy density
- Uniform and symmetrical
- Easy to access
Please take a photo to the nearest department of
natural resources office or send one to Tim Whynot at
whynottw@gov.ns.ca.
Colette Wyllie, industry coordinator (left), represented the CTCNS at the
Boston Tree event in Mill Cove.
Tim can also be reached at 424-3615.
22
Scientists tour experimental lot as part of conference
Ross Pentz, LCCTPA, leads a
discussion at the experimental lot
earlier this summer.
Murray Crouse, LCCTPA, led a tour of international scientists as part of
a conference hosted by the Christnas Tree Research Ctr.
Council sponsors children’s colouring contest
This year the Christmas Tree Council is sponsoring a
children’s colouring contest (ages 5-9). The contest is
one of a number of initiatives this season to get people
of all ages thinking about real Christmas trees.
Industry coordinator Colette Wyllie has been spearheading the drive to get as many contest pages into the
hands of children as possible.
23
(facebook.com/iloverealtrees)
Entrants must colour a picture of a tree (provided)
answering the question, “What does your perfect tree
look like?”
Entries (personal details withheld) will be posted to
the Council’s Facebook page starting on November 29
Overall winners will be determined by the number
of “likes” the entry has received by December 7.The
grand prize winner will receive $50 and a real Christmas tree. A winner from each county in the province
will be ramdomly selected for a prize of $25.
Continued from Page 9 ....MLAs
To contact Minister Samson
To contact Minister Delorey
E-mail: samsonmp@gov.ns.ca
E-mail: office@delorey4antigonish.ca
Department of Economic and Rural Development and
Tourism
Department of Environment
Barrington Tower
1894 Barrington Street
Suite 1800
PO Box 442
Halifax, NS B3J 2P8
Phone: (902) 424-3600
Fax: (902) 424-0501
min_env@gov.ns.ca
The Hon. Michel Samson
Minister Samson is responsible for economic and
rural development and tourism.
Suite 600, Centennial Building
1660 Hollis Street
P.O. Box 2311
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 3C8
Phone: (902) 4245790 Fax: (902)
424-0514
econmin@gov.
ns.ca
He is the government house leader.
Constituency Office
Richmond Industrial Mall 2nd
Floor
P.O. Box 57
Louisdale, NS
B0E 1V0
Phone: (902) 3450778
Fax: 345-0779
He was opposition house leader from 2012 until 2013.
E-mail: samsonmp@gov.ns.ca
Samson was first elected in 1998. In December 1998,
he was named environment minister.
He was re-elected in 1999, 2003, 2006 and 2009. He
was again elected as MLA for Cape Breton-Richmond
in 2013.
24
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