First Christmas Tree in Canada

The first recorded Christmas tree in Canada was in Sorel, Quebec in 1781 by Baron Friederick von Riedesel and his wife Frederika. The couple, who were born in Germany, selected a handsome balsam fir from the forests that surrounded their home and decorated it with white candles and fruit. 

Frederika was a courageous woman who followed her husband when he was appointed general of the Brunswick army when it was sent to aid the British against the Americans in 1776. She kept a detailed diary of her experiences. She describes the Battle of Bemis Heights beginning on Oct 7th. Frederika spent the night tending to the wounded soldiers and frightened women and children. In the afternoon, the house caught fire, and they were forced to evacuate. After marching north through torrential rains the Baroness took refuge near Saratoga,

“We were at last obliged to resort to the cellar, and in one corner of this I remained the whole day, my children sleeping on the earth with their heads in my lap; and in the same situation I passed a sleepless night. Eleven [cannon balls] passed through the house, and we could distinctly hear them roll away. One poor soldier who was lying on a table for the purpose of having his leg amputated, was struck buy a shot, which carried away his other."

A German soldier described her as an "angel of comfort" who "restored order in the chaos" over the next 6 days. Ultimately they were captured and spent four years under house arrest in New York. Returning to Canada in 1781 I can just see the gutsy woman demanding she have a tree with its memories of home, comfort and joy.

The original painting is in the Governor's Museum in Sorel, Quebec.

The next recorded use of a Christmas tree appears in Halifax in 1846, when William Pryor, a local merchant, cut down an evergreen and decorated it with glass ornaments imported from Germany to please his German wife. After that, the custom spread quickly as German and British pioneers settled throughout the growing nation.      

The balsam fir is still a popular choice as a Christmas tree in Eastern Canada. Did you know its resin is one of the ingredients in Buckley's Cough Syrup. No wonder it tastes awful.

The Christmas tree industry in Canada now is worth 125 million dollars.

Information from wiki, Tree Canada and Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario