Trawl tubs can be added to one of the building materials used to construct community Christmas trees from fishing industry gear in Southwestern Nova Scotia.
The Shelburne Barrel Factory built its first trawl tub Christmas tree last year and has plans to build another one this year to stand on historic Dock Street along the Shelburne waterfront during the holiday season.
“All you fishers out there with old tubs — paint them up, personalize them, or dedicate them and drop them off here at the shop and we will put up an even bigger and more colourful tree this year. Even broken tubs can be used, just drop them off and we’ll make them into narrower ones or wider ones. We need all shapes to make it work. And of course, more colour is good too,” wrote George Van der Meer, owner of the Shelburne Barrel Factory, in a social media post.
In nearby Sandy Point, this will be the fifth year for a lobster pot Christmas tree at the Sandy Point wharf.
“We’re starting to build it Sunday (Oct. 19). We’re going a little bit bigger with the tree this year. We’re going with 90 more traps this year,” said Sandy Point fisherman Ted Belong, who started the tradition of building a lobster pot tree at the wharf for the season with his grandson Greg Sutcliffe. “Every year we notched it up a little bit, like last year we did presents for the kids which was a big time hit. This year we’re going to do the same thing, collect donations for presents for the kids.”
Belong estimates they will use between 450 to 475 traps this year. “We’ve got mega buoys and a little surprise that’s going to take it over the top this year,” said Belong.
The tree lighting in mid-November in advance of the commercial lobster season start will be the first of two community celebrations at the Sandy Point tree. In mid-December, Belong will bring Santa Claus and the Grinch to the Sandy Point wharf in his boat to deliver the presents to the kids.
“Last year was unbelievable, the atmosphere. Everybody loved it,” said Belong.
Belong said he gets help from other volunteers in the community with organizing things and building the tree, including Richard Stuart.
In the Municipality of Barrington, this will be the 16th year for a lobster pot Christmas tree. Built from about 200 lobster traps on the North East Point waterfront adjacent to the Cape Sable Island Causeway, it will be lit for the season on Nov. 20 with music and fireworks rounding out the celebration.
The tree is decorated with several hundred buoys, most in memory of people lost at sea and some in honour of those who make their living from the sea.
“People keep bringing them. People add them every year. Once the tree is up, people will add them themselves or bring them to me — always have more people adding buoys to the tree,” said Suzy Atwood, director of marketing and tourism for the Municipality of Barrington.
“It serves two if not three purposes. It’s a reminder of those fishermen and women who have passed, the industry itself and all the dangers within the industry, and a symbol of Christmas, of hope, strength and resilience of our community as it pertains to the industry. Speaking with families who have buoys on the tree, I think there’s a sense of comfort and the fact that people can read those names and remember those people as well. I think the lighthouse on the top, the symbol of a lighthouse is a beacon of hope and hopefully allowing people to always find their way home,” said Atwood.
At the Dennis Point wharf in Lower West Pubnico, the 27-foot buoy tree will be lit for the season on Nov 21. This is the fifth season for the cone shaped tree, constructed on a three-piece frame that can be disassembled for storage. Approximately 837 buoys fill the tree, which is topped with a radar reflector.
In Wedgeport, for the second year, a lobster trap/buoy Christmas tree will be lit for the season at the Breakwater Wharf on Nov. 19.
In Port Mouton, the lobster pot Christmas tree tradition continues with the community lighting celebration scheduled for Nov. 15.
