“People are really craving some happy times and an opportunity to feel festive,” Administrator with the Haliburton BIA Angelica Ingram says about the tree they have put up in downtown Haliburton.
The Haliburton BIA teamed up with the local Lion’s Club to get the tree up in front of the Village Barn. Ingram says members of the Dysart Fire Department volunteered some time to help get it up.
“We’re inviting anyone that’s interested in helping to bring ornaments, homemade decorations, tinsel, whatever you like,” she says. The tree stands around 20 feet tall and was donated by Kim Emmerson.
Right now, Ingram says there’s no way to decorate the very top of the tree. “We don’t have a ladder beside the tree,” she says. “But we have been thinking about getting some sort of stick or something else that could reach the top of the tree.”
The BIA and Lion’s Club are doing this in place of the normal festivities they hold during the holidays, but can’t because of COVID-19. “People want a way to connect with their community,” Ingram says. “The Lion’s Club and BIA thought this was a great way to do that.” It’s Ingram’s hope that this helps people get into the holiday spirit and feel a little bit jollier as well.
Ingram hopes they beyond this year, this becomes a tradition. “COVID or not COVID, I don’t see why we couldn’t make this an annual tradition,” she says.
The tree will be up until the second week of January. Ingram says you can put your decoration up any time from now until then.