Boston's Official Holiday Tree Arrival 2022

This is the 51st year that a tree has been donated and commemorates 105 years of friendship with Nova Scotia after the people of Boston provided emergency assistance when Halifax, Nova Scotia’s capital, was devastated by a maritime munitions explosion in the harbor in 1917. The first Tree for Boston was donated in 1971 by Joseph Slauenwhite from Lunenburg County.

Boston’s official 2022  tree is a 45-foot white spruce donated by landowner Roddy Townsend of Christmas Island, along with his children Angela, Carmen, and Andrew.

"How appropriate that this year’s tree comes from Christmas Island," said Boston Parks and Recreation Commissioner Ryan Woods. "For 51 years the province of Nova Scotia has provided this festive gift, a symbol that our bond endures and testimony to the resilience of their citizens in the face of disaster and the generosity of our own city in a time of need.”

A public tree-cutting ceremony will be held November 16 on the Townsend family’s property on Christmas Island, Cape Breton. Carmen Townsend, an award-winning musician, will perform a song she has written about the Tree for Boston, and a local Mi’Kmaq elder will conduct a smudging ceremony before the tree is cut. The tree will leave Halifax for Boston on November 21.

“The holidays are a time of reflection and gratitude,” said Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables. “The Tree for Boston continues to be a sign of our deep appreciation for the aid Boston provided after the Halifax Explosion.”

Parks Commissioner Woods, Santa Claus, and local school children will greet the tree at its final destination near the Boston Visitors Center at 139 Tremont Street. The tree will be lit at approximately 7:55 p.m. on Thursday, December 1, as the City of Boston’s Official Tree Lighting is celebrated on Boston Common from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The ceremony will be broadcast live on WCVB Channel 5 starting at 7 p.m.

The annual Tree Lighting on Boston Common is co-sponsored by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and the title sponsor, The Province of Nova Scotia. Amazon serves as our presenting sponsor, JetBlue is the Community Sponsor, Related Beal serves as Pyrotechnic Sponsor while Bank of America, Constellation, and the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau are supporting the event as key sponsors. Additional support provided by WCVB Channel 5 and the Boston Globe. 

Visit the Nova Scotia Tree page and Boston's Parks page for more information on the Tree for Boston, and follow our social channels to stay up to date with all the holiday lighting events: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.