First Haney Scout group is ready for its eighth annual Christmas tree sale, and is just waiting for the trees to arrive Friday.
However, this year, they will have to follow new pandemic protocols.
Only two customers will be allowed on the lot at one time explained group commissioner Phil Goncalves.
And they are not allowed to open up any trees for customers to see.
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“The trees are all beautiful trees,” said Goncalves. And, he noted, when you have the right person looking at the trees, you can tell what they are going to look like when they are unwrapped.
“Being that it’s our eighth year now doing it, we are getting used to how they look wrapped and can pretty much tell a customer what it’s going to look like open,” he added.
This year their suppliers are from Mission and Cultus Lake in Chilliwack. They will be selling Douglas firs, Grand firs, Fraser firs, and Subalpine firs. The trees range from $29 for a tree about 1.5 metres-tall to $110 for a tree about 3.5 metres high.
“And we only have four of those this year,” said Goncalves of the tallest ones.
Traditionally money from the Christmas tree sales would go towards equipment, camping excursions, and activities for the youth in the club.
But, since they are not allowed to camp this year, the money will be used to replace camping equipment they lost in a flood a couple of years back.
Goncalves also noted that they are going to be short trees this year. Their supplier of Noble trees backed out. So they will only have about 600 trees to sell, as opposed to 800 to 900 as in previous years.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for the group, Goncalves admitted. They were not allowed to hold any indoor meetings, everything had to be outdoors. Then, in September, they were only allowed to hold their meetings online.
They only started holding outdoor meetings again, but with more than 900 new coronavirus cases announced on Tuesday by the provincial health officer, they don’t know where the next meeting will be.
Scouts are not even allowed on the Christmas tree lot this year.
The 1st Haney Scout group Christmas tree lot opens this Saturday, Nov. 28, in the parking lot of Trek Bicycles, at 21626 Lougheed Hwy.
Hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays to Sundays.
They will be open until Dec. 23 or until they sell out.
cflanagan@mapleridgenews.com
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