Summer may still be in full swing across Waterloo Region, but a regional committee is already looking toward winter and the holiday season, deciding the future of those discarded Christmas trees.
The region’s Sustainability, Infrastructure, and Development Committee has voted 13-1 in favour of scrapping its curbside Christmas tree collection program, citing a decreased demand and heightened costs as key contributors.
It comes as staff stated that roughly three per cent of households across Waterloo Region participated in the program, accounting for roughly 3,900 trees being collected each year, but it came at a cost of approximately $540,000 every holiday season.
While councillors expressed concerns around the high cost, members also pushed back against the idea and voiced their own issues with scrapping the program in its entirety.
“We’re also saying to the public, ‘We’re taking this service away from you; you’re going to have to figure it out or pay for it, and we’re also raising your taxes next year.’ I mean, the optics aren’t great in how we’re dealing with this,” said Councillor Doug Craig.
“If, in fact, the approach is low participation, (then) there are a number of programs in place that I’m certain that a number of people around this table wouldn’t get rid of if that’s the criteria, so we need to be careful here.”
Other councillors, including Natasha Salonen, questioned why the prices were so high, while others pointed to deeper-stemming concerns around the loss of valued traditions across the community, as more and more homes shift to artificial trees.
“Families stopping to go get their tree altogether in the snow, the Christmas tree: Kids are going to grow up without that part of Christmas as being their tradition,” said Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett.
“We keep taking things away from families and kids. We tell them, ‘It’s okay, just use your cell phones, you don’t have to go outside.’ Here we are, we’re a culprit of taking away a great family activity, and at what cost?”
While discussions centred around the cancellation of the program, there were also talks on what steps could be taken to replace it for families that would be impacted.
That came in the form of a potential partnership between the region and the Family and Children’s Services Foundation in a charity donation-based collection system, where families would donate a required minimum amount in order for volunteers to visit and collect the discarded trees.
“There have been some legitimate concerns about more detail, but I would have to tell you, it works really well in Guelph,” said Regional Chair Karen Redman.
“We didn’t just throw a dart at a blank sheet of paper to come up with this. There is an actual model that works.”
While the donation-based approach would be the primary option, regional staff stated that there would also be other alternatives available that would have no cost, including putting the trees out on the bulk item days for waste collection or directly discarding the trees at the landfill.
“It’s part of that circular economy,” stated Councillor Colleen James.
“At a time when we know non-profits and charities are struggling, how we can partner is critical for their future sustainability as well.”
While the committee ultimately voted in favour of removing the program 13-1, the final decision will be made by council at a future meeting, which is currently scheduled for Sept. 23.
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