Dozens of Christmas trees bound for Yellowknife, already severely delayed, have been further held up after the truck carrying them slid off the highway outside the city.
The Yellowknife Scouts, who sell the trees as their largest annual fundraiser, shared a photo of the accident to Facebook with the caption: “Here’s the trees in the trees.”
This year, the trees have made almost a 5,000-km journey from Ontario after the scouts’ regular supplier was unable to deliver. However, that journey by rail and road has been beset by delays.
“Someone, some time soon, will write an exciting book about the trip of the Christmas trees,” said Yellowknife Scouts’ Mike Kalnay, the tree sale organizer, by phone on Sunday morning.
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Kalnay said Yellowknife logistics firm Weatherby Trucking had been dispatched to assist the stricken truck and safely bring the trees the remaining 40 km into the city.
He hopes the trees will arrive by Sunday afternoon, allowing the scouts’ fundraiser to finally open on Monday evening. (The scouts will need help unloading the trees on Sunday. If you can assist, let them know via their Facebook page.)
While the sight of a truckload of Christmas trees ditched among their brethren may bring a smile to some faces, Kalnay said the latest delay was a stressful one for a group who cannot afford to see the fundraiser fail.
Bringing the trees to Yellowknife costs more than $30,000. The smallest trees retail for $90, many sell for $120 to $140, and the largest go for $1,000 or more.
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Buffalo Airways is standing by to ferry some trees by air to Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, whose residents – some 600 km north of the treeline – have placed an order.
“It’s a good thing I have heart medication,” said Kalnay.
“We have to sell the trees. Hopefully, Yellowknifers still want real trees and come out and buy them.”
