geneviève spent 10 years among the legions of quebecers who make the annual pilgrimage to new york city for christmas. not to shop or watch the ball drop, but to live on a street corner for a month, selling christmas trees.
“it’s all quebecers,” she said of the vendors. “there’s a folklore around the idea of the canadian tree-seller, selling christmas trees. and with the exchange rate, (the pay) can be quite advantageous.”
geneviève hasn’t made the annual trek since 2008; but in her time, tree vendors could make between us$5,000 and $15,000 from american thanksgiving to dec. 23.
although it’s gruelling work, she also found it rewarding in terms of the people she would meet each year.
“it opens the door to encounters you wouldn’t make otherwise,” she said. “i made all kinds of friends there. when i stopped, i missed it. the whole social aspect … made me who i am.”
her favourite part was the tree deliveries, during which sellers enter people’s homes and often get invited to have a drink or dinner.
“you meet all kinds of different people,” she said. “new york is a funky city. sometimes i would come back from deliveries transformed, saying ‘i can’t believe that happened.’”
residents would sometimes offer her a shower at their place, or even leave her their keys while they were away.