Maritimers search for Christmas trees as supplies dwindle

Many Maritimers are still in search of the perfect Christmas tree but they may be out of luck as the several lots are nearly sold out or empty.

"Pretty bummed out and we will probably see if we can find anywhere else for a tree but if not it is what it is, they have gone a lot quicker than we thought,” says Matthew Gray, a Halifax resident.

Christmas tree farmer Lloyd Smith says he likes to keep his Christmas tree stand in Halifax open until Dec. 23, but he sold out on Thursday and decided to close Friday morning.

"I could see a trend last year that has moved into the area and are out buying trees earlier and this year seemed to be worse, more people around and selling more trees,” says Smith.

Smith says this year has been a successful one for him.

"I sold more trees this year than previous years because of the demand and population of people,” says Smith.

Wright, who is both a Christmas tree grower and works with Christmas Tree Atlantic, says people are shopping trees earlier, which adds pressure to growers and sellers.

"Since the late teens, this has been one of the strongest periods in this business I have ever witnessed,” says Wright. “Because demand has been so high and people are so much under pressure to supply.”

Walkers Feed is one lot competing with commercial buyers, including those from the United States. After Walkers Feed’s supplier retired, owner Craig Walker was forced to look into other suppliers, and they all seemed to have the same responses when he wanted to do business.

"Their attitudes were, ‘We would love to help you but we are seeing all ours commercially and don't have the manpower or trees to sell you,’” says Walker.

Walker says they received a smaller supply this year compared to last and it went quite quick.

“We went from selling almost a thousand trees in our best years to this year I sold 600,” he says. "My load came in on Dec. 1 and we sold out yesterday morning."

Many Christmas tree lots across the Halifax municipality have either wrapped up for the season due to high sales or because of the impending storm this weekend.