Canada has nearly 30,000 hectares—the equivalent of about three Vancouvers—dedicated to Christmas tree farming. But, after last year’s shortage—caused by a one-two punch from the supply chain and climate change—many are wondering if we could soon be forced to retire this festive staple. To find out what the future of the Christmas tree industry might look like, we spoke with Kellen Wood, an arborist who works as the grounds supervisor at the University of Guelph’s arboretum.
Statistics Canada data suggests that as of 2021, there were 20 million fewer Christmas trees in the country than a decade ago. What are growers up against?
