50th anniversary 'Tree for Boston' cut down in Cape Breton

ORANGEDALE, N.S. -

It's an area best known for the Orangedale Whistle, as sung in the song by The Rankin Family.

But on Wednesday, more than 100 people gathered in the small Cape Breton community to hear a different sound – a big tree going "timber."

"(We're here) with our hearts full of love," said Ann Yamartino, a Boston resident and Cape Breton native, who travelled from the Massachusetts capital for the tree-cutting ceremony. "I was a MacAskill, so we're Cape Bretoners at heart. We grew up right here, next door."

Wednesday's tree-cutting ceremony marked the 50th anniversary of the "Tree for Boston" tradition. The seed was planted more than a century ago when the Massachusetts city sent relief after the 1917 Halifax Explosion. Nova Scotia thanked Boston that year by sending a Christmas tree. It started doing it again in 1971 and every year since.

"It certainly shows the camaraderie between Boston and Nova Scotia," said Nova Scotia Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton, who was on hand for the event.

The tree chosen this year is a white spruce that grew on the grounds of L'Arche Cape Breton -- a community for people with disabilities. The crowd and excitement made for a memorable day for those who live there.

"We've been following the tree for Boston for years now. So you can imagine how excited we are," said Mukthar Limpao, executive director of L'Arche Cape Breton.

Event organizers say it's the third time in four years the tree chosen to be given to Boston has come from Cape Breton soil. When the moment the crowd was waiting for finally came, and the tree was toppled with a chainsaw, it didn't take long before it was loaded onto a flatbed truck bound for Boston.

"What a tremendous, honourable thing ... opportunity, really," said Waddie Long, a Nova Scotia Community College instructor who, along with another instructor and college students, helped cut the tree. "When you step up and help us out, we'll never forget. Look, 104 years ago. And we're still thanking Boston," Long added.

In the end, the truck – and tree – hit the highway. It heads to Halifax for an official send-off to Boston on Friday. The annual tree-lighting ceremony in Boston is in December.