"I can’t think of a better way to begin the holiday season than celebrating Ontario’s second annual Christmas Tree Day,” Ontario Minister of Agriculture Jeff Leal said in a release. “This holiday season, I encourage you to enjoy all of the great things Ontario has to offer, from our locally-grown Christmas trees to our tasty food and beverages.”
A brief look at Christmas trees in Ontario:
- Ontario passed the Christmas Tree Day Act in 2015, making the first Saturday in December Christmas Tree Day.
- The Christmas tree industry generates $11.3 million in sales annually.
- Last year, 22,000 Christmas trees were exported, valued at $472,760.
- It can take up to 10 years to grow a Christmas tree, depending on the species.
- Christmas tree farms cover 14,715 acres of land in Ontario.
When a tree is purchased from a local farm, it can have a domino effect on other industries and the environment.
“Christmas trees turn carbon dioxide into oxygen, provide jobs for people in our province and are a central part of many family homes during the Christmas season,” said Kathryn McGarry, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, in the release.