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christmas trees 'going to be gone quick' amid shortage, high demand

christmas tree stores in town are hit by the double whammy of increased demand and a falling supply

by hiren mansukhani

nov 28 2023
read time 2 minute read
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sellers report supply shortage, higher demand for christmas trees
lorne webber a volunteer with the 31st scout christmas tree lot on 19str and 28 ave. n.w. heads home after his day with a tree of his own in calgary on monday, november 27, 2023. darren makowichuk/postmedia darren makowichuk / darren makowichuk/postmedia
tricia katelnikoff, the owner of cobblestone garden centre, has had a chaotic week.
the store recently filled its inventory for christmas trees following a supply shortage for more than two months, and its sales emptied half of the stock only a few days ago.
“they’re going to be gone quick this year,” katelnikoff said.
christmas tree stores in town are hit by the double whammy of increased demand and falling supply, the latter of which has been strained for several reasons.
one of them is a fungus called butternut canker that has plagued the trees of blue grass nursery’s biggest supplier in ontario, said jennifer cordingley, marketing manager of the store.
the disease forced the retailer to look for suppliers elsewhere, including in b.c., which mainly sells douglas firs, but that province’s worst recorded spell of forest fires this year had gobbled up a chunk of available christmas trees.
tricia katelnikoff from cobblestone garden centre shows betty and bob peloquin some christmas trees on tuesday, november 28, 2023. katelnikoff says they have seen a shortage for a variety of reasons and also an increased demands for christmas trees.
tricia katelnikoff from cobblestone garden centre shows betty and bob peloquin some christmas trees on tuesday, november 28, 2023. katelnikoff says they have seen a shortage for a variety of reasons and also an increased demands for christmas trees. jim wells/postmedia
however, bruce wilkins, owner of mountain view christmas trees, said his supply of douglas firs hasn’t taken a huge hit.
“the forest fires and the b.c. side didn’t seem to affect our growers this year,” wilkins said. “so our douglas fir numbers and stock have been good.”
he said other factors, such as retiring growers and the sale of farms to bigger buyers for clear-cutting, have pinched the available stock for retailers.

prolonged drought in the province and across canada has further limited the supply of christmas trees.

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canadian trees ‘the premium christmas tree’

what doesn’t help is that canadian vendors find the u.s. market more desirable, said katelnikoff, since sellers can reap almost double the amount of what they get in canada.
“the canadian christmas tree has always been venerated as the premium christmas tree, all the way from the western through to the eastern seaboard,” she added.
“the christmas trees that were grown in quebec have traditionally been the major suppliers to the christmas tree market in the united states — as a matter of fact, times square in new york often had for many, many decades a canadian-grown christmas tree.”
katelnikoff said higher demand spurred by newcomers in the province has also strained supply. however, the demand for blue grass nursery and mountain view christmas trees has been relatively stable with earlier setbacks in supply.
“if you can get your hands on a beautiful tree, scoop it up,” katelnikoff said.
keith young from the plantation garden centre organizes christmas trees in calgary on tuesday, november 28, 2023.
keith young from the plantation garden centre organizes christmas trees in calgary on tuesday, november 28, 2023. darren makowichuk/postmedia
she also suggested a few tips for those shopping for a christmas tree.
  • if you’re buying one now but aren’t yet ready to put it up in your house, keep the tree in a shady part of your backyard. when you’re ready, slice the bottom inch of the trunk, then set it up inside your home by placing it in water.
  • the distance between your tree and the ceiling shouldn’t be less than a foot because the tree stand adds six inches, and any further decorations would need more room.
  • choose the location of your tree wisely. measure the width of the area and match it with that of the tree. trees seem shorter in the tree lot than they really are.
  • trees with shorter needles hold their needles better. douglas firs, fraser firs and balsam firs are considered premium.
  • if you don’t have a place to compost your tree, look for scheduled drop-off dates at recycling depots in calgary.

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