The decline of the Canadian Christmas tree farm
Posted December 20, 2022 7:14 am.
Christmas trees won’t vanish in this country, but the people who farm trees face some tough decisions in the coming years.
As the climate changes, trees grown apart in neat little rows simply can’t take it as well as trees that make up a natural forest.
As this worsens, the cost of farmed trees will continue to rise and farmers may have to look at non-native species.
RELATED: Climate change affecting Christmas trees in B.C. and beyond, expert says
Richard Hamelin is the head of forest conservation sciences at the University of British Columbia. He joined us to explain the labour-intensive process behind that tree sitting in your living room, and how farmers may be forced to adapt their practices to a changing climate.
“This shortage of Christmas trees is not going to get better,” he said.
“It takes 10 years to grow trees, so if we’re running out of them now and if they’re dying because of the heat it’s going to be worse in the future.”
So where does your perfect little triangle tree come from and why is it so difficult to grow? In 10 years from now, will more Canadians be heading out to the woods with axes like our grandparents might have done?
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