With many eager to get into the holiday spirit, a crowd turned out on November 16th in Collingwood, Ont., for the annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony. But when the big moment came, there were gasps of confusion rather than awe as the lights flicked on to reveal more of a power grid than a festive arrangement.
Spectators took to social media to express their disappointment, with one person saying the tree should have been tested beforehand, and another saying it looked as if it might have been decorated by a child.
The Collingwood Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA) addressed the blunder via Facebook. “If you attended the tree-lighting ceremony on Saturday, you might have been a bit confused when the tree was lit up. It was not the result we all hoped for,” says a post from November 18.
The BIA went on to explain that a new type of light had been donated and installed on the downtown tree. “Unfortunately, the installation did not go as planned, and in the effort to add more lights, it turned out more Charlie Brown Christmas than the festive celebration we’d intended.”
In the same Facebook post, the BIA announced that the issue is being fixed, and the tree will be relit “to create a festive atmosphere that the whole community can be proud of.” Susan Nicholson, the BIA’s general manager, confirmed that testing will be done before a second official unveiling. There’s no word yet when, exactly, the do-over event will take place.
Video footage of the event was shared online, and many Collingwood residents responded with support and a good sense of humour on social media. “The BIA has just set the bar so high from previous years that we’ve come to expect better,” Ron Gagnier wrote on Facebook. “Your commitment to delighting us and humbleness in fixing/addressing the matter is to be commended,” he continued. “A little Charlie Brown is perfect!” commented Rob Johnston.
The tree lighting happened after Collingwood’s annual Santa Claus Parade, and many celebrated the success of that event. “The parade was amazing,” wrote Kelly Doner. “There’s no way a tree error should ever overshadow that.”
Some commenters also referenced a similar incident in Orillia last year, where a tree was decorated with lights only on the trunk, resulting in an odd look that surprised residents. It ended up being featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and some wondered if Collingwood’s tree might be in for the same five minues of fame. “I hear there’s over 1,000 people that have already submitted it to the The Tonight Show” wrote Facebook user Ryan Harvey-MacIntyre.
We’re lookin’ at you, Jimmy!
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