Christmas is less than a month away, but it didn’t really hit me until I saw the trees on York Street waiting to be chosen and decorated. There are tall ones, short ones, skinny ones and fat ones, all lined up and waiting to have presents placed beneath them. Vendors are still out, and now there’s more green and red to be seen in the Byward Market.
While the weekend was chilly, temperatures have been pretty mild so far this year. For vendors like Mario Cleroux, the weather doesn’t exactly help with selling Christmas trees.
Cleroux says that it’s usually busier by this time of year, but things have changed in the 20 years that he’s been bringing his trees from Navan, ON to the Byward Market.
“This time last year it was freezing,” Cleroux says. “The weather has not been helping at all..we want snow!”
Despite the lack of flurries, Cleroux is hopeful that people will be getting into the Christmas spirit soon enough.
“Another two weeks and they’ll get in the mood,” he says with a smile.
Until then, the trees will have to wait for more snow to arrive before they can settle into their homes this Christmas season.
The Beat in Byward Market 