It is likely a tradition was born here on Jan. 9.
The Arthur Legion held a Christmas tree burning ceremony and party behind the community centre on the Saturday afternoon, and the event attracted between 80 and 100 people. That reception prompted organizers to consider expanding it for next year, and definitely to hold it again.
Legion President Don Tremble said in an interview prior to starting the fire to burn the trees, “This is our first one; we’ll see how it goes. Maybe next year, we’ll add snow sculpture and maybe a dance.”
After the event was completed, Tremble knew the event was a hit with residents.
“Yes, we are,” he said in a telephone interview. “We might add a bit more to it. Some people who weren’t involved want to get involved.”
Tremble added with a chuckle, “The only ones that were tired were the horses.
Part of the afternoon included old fashioned rides in one-horse open sleighs. The horses were provided by Brenda Abate and Paul and Christine McDougall, with Gerald Townsend lending the group his large sleigh. Others took a ride around the grounds on a cutter, so both horses laboured through the afternoon during the three-hour event.
Given the cold, everyone was snuggled in warm blankets for those rides, and many of the organizers had only red noses poking through scarf-covered faces.
Abate and the McDougalls were all enthusiastic about the event. They noted there had been some opposition and a number of hurdles to overcome to stage the event, but they felt it was worth it.
Other organizers worked in the nearby shelter to cook free hotdogs and to keep everyone warm with hot chocolate.
Organizers were taking no chances with the brisk wind. Firefighters Scott O’Donnell and Dan Tasker rolled up with a fire truck and had a hose ready to attack the fire if it got out of hand.
The Legion had a large supply of kindling on hand as well as a pile of pallets beside a 12 foot high stack of Christmas trees.
Tremble said it would be a mistake to burn those trees all at once because that would create a huge, climbing flame. Instead, the organizers added the trees one at a time to the burning kindling.
Adding pallets from time to time ensured the fire kept burning as the trees were being added.
Tremble was taking no chances, either, with matches or a lighter. He and Zone Commander John Dalley used a propane torch and the fire was soon underway.
The pile of trees actually continued to grow as residents, many of them with their families, came onto the grounds, dragging their Christmas trees.
