New Tree For Opera House
By John Swartz
The demise of the tree outside the Opera House may have made the news all over North America in November 2023, which lead to the City of Orillia cutting it down in May this year (it was old and dying).
Planted in the 1970s after Fred Noakes convinced council it was needed, it was the end point of the annual Candlelight Parade where hundreds of children, the youngest especially, gasped when the switch was thrown to light it up.
Those gasps were more groans and laughter when the 2023 event happened. The lights were wound around the trunk because it was determined the branches couldn’t take the weight of the light strings.
What happens in 2024 was the question since the tree is no longer there?
Enter councillor Ralph Cipolla.
“We were looking for a tree (with) Roger Young from the City’s environmental infrastructure (department). I talked to him that I wanted to put the tree back up sooner than later because our kids look forward to that tree with Santa Claus when we take picture with Santa. We thought it might be two or three years down the road before we could find the right tree, but we found one. Without him this wouldn’t have happened. He’s a fantastic guy to work with. He found the tree,” Cipolla said.
Monday Cipolla announced a tree had been found. It doesn’t have far to travel to its new home.
“(It’s from) the Orillia Fish and Game (Conservation Club’s George Langman Sanctuary). It’s a mature tree. It’s over 25 feet and it’s going at the Opera House and we’re raising some funds to plant it and put the lights on it.”
The new tree is a Balsam Fir and Cipolla is stickhandling the fundraising of $9,000 needed to transplant the tree. Anyone wishing to donate can contact Cipolla at cipolla@orilliapronet.com or by phone at 705-323-2466.
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia and Images Supplied)
