Region to end Christmas tree collection program by January

Christmas Tree collection will look a little different this holiday season.

Regional Council voted to bring an end to the program which has seen a significant drop in use over the last five years.

In a presentation to councillors, regional staff explained the curbside collection of trees in January, has dropped to only 2.6 per cent of households using the program.

From 2017-2021, 4.2 per cent of households were using the service, with 3,900 trees collected in the past two years. Axing the service would save the region up to $540,000.

The region is now looking to partner with Family and Children’s Services Foundation (FACS), with a hope of saving taxpayer dollars and helping a charitable organization at the same time.

The details of what that new program would look like have yet to be worked out, but staff are looking to have the collection changes in place by January 2027.

There were some concerns around the horseshoe on how communication to residents would work, especially only a few months out from Christmas.

Staff had said those changes would be sent out through an education initiative starting as soon as they had council approval, and could begin this fall.

When the item was discussed at the committee level, Councillor and Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett was the only one to vote against the change.

She argued putting the onus of collection on the taxpayer would only lead to fewer people buying real Christmas trees.

“It’s just the access. It’s the ease of Christmas and the whole spirit of it,” said Liggett.

“Kids are going to grow up with the artificial trees and they’re going think that that is the best way to go, that that’s the best thing for Christmas. We just keep losing our traditions and I’m very uncomfortable with that.”

Those concerns were followed by a comment from Councillor Chantal Huinink who questioned how helping a local charity could be against the spirit of Christmas.

Regional staff noted the end of the program wouldn’t mean fewer options for residents. Those looking to get rid of their tree could drop it off the Region’s Waste Management Sites for free for a two-week period in January.

Trees could also be put on the curb for regular bulky item collection once a month.

A similar program is already in place in Guelph. Trees for Tots allows residents in Guelph, Guelph/Eramosa, Puslinch, and Rockwood to register their trees to be collected by volunteers for a minimum donation of $15.

This past holiday season, over 3,500 trees were collected and $90,000 raised by the program for the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington.

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