Canada’s biggest Christmas tree lights up Montréal

Montréal’s holiday season is about to get even brighter as the country’s biggest Christmas tree rolls into downtown’s Place des Festivals, adding its magnitude of seasonal magic to an already festive scene.

Inspired by New York’s iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree – a tradition since 1933 – and Montréal’s 375th anniversary, the team behind the “grand sapin” simply figured now was the right time to go big and go sparkly. The four co-founders of classy Christmas tree delivery company Sapin MTL, who together have years of experience in music festival and special event production, knew they could make their Christmas dreams come true – they teamed up with La Tribu and Just For Laughs to source and install the massive tree, with none other than Canadian Tire supplying the tree’s thousands of lights.

To say that Sapin MTL aims high is an understatement. For the tree itself, they’re aiming for  over 75 feet. To put that in perspective, the average Christmas tree is around five or six feet, running up to 10 feet for those of us who can’t get enough of the Christmas spirit. And the Rockefeller Centre’s annual Norway Spruce usually measures anywhere from 61 to 100 feet. As with their entire business, Sapin MTL’s plan is ecologically-minded: they’ve got eyes on countryside trees that pose a danger, that is, trees that homeowners have already decided to fell, and will ensure that the tree has a second life as wood for community-minded projects, says Philippe Pelletier, one of Sapin MTL’s co-founders.

On November 30, the tree will be installed at Place des Festivals alongside festive outdoor market Le grand Marché de Noël, followed on December 1 by an illumination ceremony of heartwarming speeches, jubilant choirs and general joy to the world. “Simply put, Christmas trees bring people together, whether with your family in your living room or out in the middle of the city,” says Pelletier, adding with a laugh, “And it smells great too.”

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