Millar Western provides Christmas tree for City of Edmonton celebration.
pdf/xmastree2006-1.JPEG Millar Western forester Max Matthews has once again arranged to have a magnificent Christmas tree cut from the forest near Whitecourt and delivered to downtown Edmonton, in time for the city’s Winter Carnival and Holiday Light Up. This is the second year Millar Western has provided the tree, donating the time and costs involved as a contribution to the annual civic celebration and United Way fundraiser event.
Selecting, felling, delivering and erecting the tree, which stands 63 feet tall and weighs in at 7800 pounds, was a massive undertaking, and one requiring some help from Max’s friends. On Saturday, November 18, Max, his wife Rita, Environmental and Safety Coordinator Shelley MacLean, Maintenance Planner Elliott MacLean and trucking contractors Shawn Prokipchuk and Tanner Rowswell took on the challenging work involved in safely cutting, wrapping and loading the big tree, ready for delivery. To maximize safety on the roads, the driving had to wait until the wee small hours. Max, Rita, Shawn and Tanner left Whitecourt at midnight, and rolled into downtown Edmonton at 2 am, November 19. Then, Max helped the a team from Epcor get the Great White Spruce into its stand, ready for decorating. The results of their shared efforts will be on display in Edmonton’s Churchill Square, November 26 -January 8.