NEW GLASGOW, N.S.
Twenty years ago when Jim Sweet first moved into his home on Chelsea Court in New Glasgow, there was a straggly looking blue spruce in the yard.
He suspects it was planted when the house was built in 1969.
“It was ugly looking,” he says and recalls how he contemplated cutting it down.
But before he could, a neighbour suggested he instead try cutting the top off the tree to see what would happen.
“Within a year it filled out,” Sweet said. “It was a beautiful shape when it filled it in.”
Content, he left it to grow and thrive.
But as the tree reached in excess of 30 feet, he became concerned about the possibility it could fall during an ice storm. It was also blocking the view of their sunroom. He decided it should go, but rather than just cut it down, he thought perhaps, given its shape, it might make a nice Christmas tree.
It was just under the required height to qualify for a Boston Christmas tree so he decided to check with the Aberdeen Hospital to see if they might like it. Each year a tree is put in front of the hospital and decorated by NS Power. NS Power gladly accepted his offer and the tree was cut from Sweet’s yard recently by NSP employees.
Problems arose a day before it was supposed to be lit on Friday, Nov. 30, however, in the form of last Thursday’s storm, which not only kept NS Power crews too busy to allow time for decorating the tree, but also blew the tree on to its side.
Sweet said unfortunately a few branches broke during the mishap and it doesn’t look as good as it once did. Still, he hopes that once it’s decorated, the tree will offer a pleasant sight for those at the Aberdeen Hospital and for people travelling down East River Road in New Glasgow.
The tree is now scheduled to be lit on Friday, Dec. 7 in front of the hospital.
