Annual Christmas Tree Fundraiser | Ecology Action Centre

EAC's Christmas Tree Fundraiser is cancelled again for 2023

If your holiday celebrations include a Christmas tree, the way you choose your tree can also have an impact. Since 1992, the Ecology Action Centre (EAC) held our annual Christmas Tree Fundraiser in partnership with local tree farmer Kevin Veinotte, providing Haligonians with a source for organically grown, spray-free trees during the holiday season.

For the past several years, there have been many challenges that have threatened the tree campaign – labour shortages, tree shortages, climactic shocks, export market pressures, logistical difficulties and a pandemic to boot.

While we managed to pull through all of this, we are sad to announce that we will not be holding our Christmas Tree Fundraiser again in 2023.

Due to labour pressures and the realities of the rural economy, Kevin is not able to supply us with our usual order of 500+ spray-free trees this year. We looked for another supplier, and while there are other tree farms in the province who don't use pesticides or herbicides, most of them are smaller operations that cannot accommodate a large wholesale order like ours. Most of the larger tree producers still use herbicides, even if they have mostly moved away from pesticides.

This is a big change for us. We’ll miss seeing your faces at pick-up day, and all the awesome volunteers who always help make the fundraiser a success. We’re so grateful for your support of the EAC Christmas Tree campaign over the years.

Here are a few options for other places where you may be able to source a tree this year:

Kevin’s U-Cut will still be open, so if you are able to travel to the Bridgewater area, you can find yourself a sustainably grown tree on his beautiful tree lot in West Northfield. Book a time online at kevinsucut.com.
You can find other local Christmas tree farmers listed at the Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia's website, iloverealtrees.com.
Maybe you want to make the switch to a live potted tree. You can buy a Norfolk Island Pine from Halifax Seed Company here: halifaxseed.ca/norfolk-island-pine.

red wagon in front of green christmas trees

Meet Kevin, our tree farmer!

Christmas tree farmer Kevin Veinotte with his horses Our trees came from the farm of Kevin Veinotte, a 7th generation farmer who lives in West Northfield, NS, with his family.

“We still grow, shear, and harvest the trees in much the same way [as my father did],” says Kevin, who uses horses to harvest his trees. “Our farm has 22 acres with native Balsam Fir. Balsams grow so well here that we choose not to fertilize or spray with chemicals. The bushes and undergrowth are cut by hand, and the aphids are kept in check with ladybugs.”

Kevin’s woodlot is FSC Certified, and has twice been the recipient of the Nova Scotia Woodlot of the Year designation - once in 2007, and again in 2018.