The ultimate place to experience old-world charm during the holiday season is at Toronto’s Distillery District Winter Village. You can stroll back in time among the Victorian buildings that have stood watch over the cobblestone streets for more than 150 years.
The centrepiece of the event is the magnificent real tree that not only lights up the entire square but also the faces of more than 800 thousand people who visit the village each year. But where does the tree come from, and how did it get there? To fully understand the journey of the tree, you have to go back more than five decades.
This year’s silver fir tree was first planted at Drysdale’s Tree Farm in Egbert, Ont., 50 years ago. All of this time the tree has been growing and waiting for its turn to be the most prized on the lot. That call finally came this year when organizers selected the 55-foot-tall, 25-foot-wide giant to serve as this year’s centrepiece. The tree was carefully cut down and transported more than an hour to Toronto.
Michael Vann: Distillery Winter Village Christmas Tree
The tree’s branches are tied up during transport. From delivery to decoration, the entire process takes a total of two weeks. (The Weather Network)
RELATED: Do you have a real Christmas tree? Be sure to inspect it for these brown lumps
In the early morning hours of November 1st, a flatbed truck rolled down Trinity Street with a giant tree laid along the back. Crews worked for hours to prep the tree by shaving down the trunk and hoisting it high into the air before it was finally placed in a vice that would hold it upright for the next two months. The branches are tied up during transport, so they need some time to fall back down naturally before decorating can begin. From delivery to decoration, the entire process takes a total of two weeks.
This is part of the story where many find themselves thinking how sad it is for such a fantastic fir to be chopped down in its prime. But there’s a world of wonder that awaits this specially selected tree that certainly makes it all worthwhile.
A team of designers from Dior, yes, THAT Dior, oversees the design and creation of over a thousand custom ornaments that adorn the tree. More than 70,000 lights are used to light up its branches, and Santa himself makes his way down from the North Pole to attend a special lighting ceremony and flick the switch on the season.
The Weather Network: The Distillery Winter Village centerpiece Christmas Tree was designed by Christian Dior Parfums this year
The Distillery Winter Village centrepiece Christmas Tree was designed by Parfums Christian Dior this year. (The Weather Network)
SEE ALSO: Canada’s magic number – What exactly makes for a ‘white Christmas’?
For six weeks, the tree represents the best of what Christmas has to offer. Friends, families, and even those on first dates will stare up in marvel at its magnificence. It’s easy to get caught up in the rush of the season, but these moments of big magic force us to stop and see what’s right in front of us. It’s not what’s under the tree that matters most; it’s the people who are around it.
As the season comes to a close, the tree will come down on January 6th. But the journey doesn’t stop there. The tree will be chopped up, mulched, and used around newly planted trees in parks, landscape projects, or even donated to local conservation authorities to be used in streamside restoration projects. Drysdale’s Tree Farm plants up to 20,000 new trees every spring, setting the stage to make certain this beloved tradition continues for many Christmases to come.