45-foot Christmas tree arrives from Nova Scotia

By Globe Staff

A 45-foot white spruce completed its 750-mile trip from Nova Scotia today and arrived at Boston Common, where the towering evergreen will serve as the city's official Christmas tree.

The spruce comes as a gift from Christopher and Lisa Hamilton in Granville Center, a rural town on the bank of the Annapolis River, in the western end of the province. Nova Scotia donates a tree to Boston every Christmas as thanks for the doctors and supplies the city sent after an explosion killed almost 2,000 in Halifax in 1917.

"Each year, we search long and hard to find a tree deserving of this honor," David Morse, Nova Scotia’s natural resources minister, said in a statement. "With great pride, we present this tree to our friends in Boston, whose outpouring of kindness in 1917 will never be forgotten."

The tree received a police escort when it reached Billerica as it was driven down Route 3 to Route 128 and onto Interstate 93. It passed through Sullivan Square and crossed the Charlestown Bridge, weaving through downtown Boston. When it arrived on Tremont Street at the edge of Boston Common, the spruce was greeted by city officials, a Nova Scotian bagpiper, and a special appearance by Santa Claus.

The official tree lighting will take place at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 29.

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