6 questions for Christmas tree merchants

November 11 2024

Marchés publics de Montréal

Market life

The natural fir merchants have arrived at Montreal’s public markets! We chatted with them and they shared the secrets of natural fir production, the best tips for a healthy Christmas tree and the ins and outs of the merchant’s life.

Our Christmas tree merchants :

Christian Marois, who has been selling fir trees, cranberries and maple products at the Atwater Market since 1958;

Patrick Roy, present at the Atwater and Maisonneuve Markets. His father started the Christmas tree business in 1945, and Patrick makes a point of carrying on the tradition every winter;

Richard Marois, who has been selling Christmas trees since he was a boy at the kiosk in the Atwater Market, started by his father in 1956;

Alain Lefebvre, at Jean-Talon Market day and night until December 24. His family has been on the market for two generations;

Éric Fillion and his father, who started selling at the Jean-Talon market in 1979 and still helps out at the kiosk;

Colleen Clearly, from the Atwater Market, where her family has been selling natural fir trees since 1960;

Giancarlo Bono, who, along with his brothers Antonino and Luigi, is present at the Jean-Talon Market for 3 seasons. His family has been selling flowers, vegetables and fir trees at Jean-Talon Market since 1968.

How to choose the right natural tree?

“It always depends on what you want! I’ll start by asking customers if they want an indoor or outdoor tree. If the person prefers the tree to smell a lot, but not to last as long, we’ll go for a Baumier tree. If they prefer the tree to last longer, but smell less, we’ll go for a Fraser. In my opinion, the best of both worlds is the hybrid fir! In the hybrid, there’s a certain percentage of Baumier and Fraser.
Christian Marois

“In my opinion, whoever chooses takes the worst! Most customers go in with a crush and anyway, all trees are beautiful once decorated.”
Patrick Roy

“The important thing is to buy from us! Unlike supermarkets, which also sell natural fir trees, ours are fresh and not cut too early. That makes a big difference.”
Richard Marois

How long does it take to grow a Christmas tree?

“Once planted, it’s about one plant a year, so on average 8 to 10 years. It also depends on other factors such as the quality of the soil.”
Alain Lefebvre

How do you prepare before going to the market to buy your tree?

“Everything is included in the purchase of a Christmas tree: we take care of tying it to the roof of the car and wrapping it if necessary. However, it’s very important not to overestimate the height of the ceiling in your home! If you’re not familiar with it, measure before you buy. That way, there’s no risk of the tree touching the ceiling once it’s installed.”
Patrick Roy

“It’s always better to give your tree pure water, so the night before, you can run tap water in a container overnight. That way, the chlorine will evaporate and the water will be better for the tree.”
Richard Marois

How do you keep your tree looking good for as long as possible?

“The watchword is to have a good foot and not let the tree run out of water. Even if it’s only for a couple of hours. Without water, the tree will dry out very quickly. Before letting the customer take the tree to market, we always make a fresh cut. A fresh cut means cutting back the trunk with a chainsaw to ensure that the tree drinks the water. Customers aren’t equipped to do this at home, so we take care of it! You also have to get it into the water quickly at home, otherwise the cut will scar and the tree won’t be able to drink properly.”
Patrick Roy

“If you keep it inside the house, it’s best not to leave it near a window or a calorifier, but especially a calorifier.”
Éric Filion

Why do you think a natural tree is better than an artificial one?

“For me, it’s the smell of tradition that makes a home warm for the holidays. It’s a tradition that follows us all our lives and takes us back to childhood at Christmas time. From an environmental standpoint, we grow a tree that purifies the air throughout its growth, and when we cut it down, we replace it with another. If the tree is not sold, it is composted and given a second life.”
Colleen Clearly

“It’s a question that doesn’t even arise! From an ecological point of view, even if it’s buried, a plastic tree will take at least 10 years to decompose, and it’s not recyclable at all. After Christmas, natural trees are recovered and used to make wood chips or compost. At the farm, we bring back the fir trees that won’t be sold to make essential oil! What’s more, we always have to plant 10% more trees than we can cut and sell. It’s a way of compensating for the trees that won’t grow, and of protecting nature. So if we want a total of 5,000 trees to sell at the market, we’ll plant 5,500.”
Christian Marois

What do you like best about working at the market?

“For customers, it’s a celebration to come and choose their tree. It’s a once-a-year event that means a lot to them. On our side, we strive to make their experience as pleasant and easy as possible. It’s really important to me, it’s my job.”
Giancarlo Bono

“Every winter at the market is very family-oriented for me and my children. I have two teenagers, Maxime who is 16 and Josiane who is 19. We’re from the country, so coming to sell at the market when they’re not at school opens my children up to the world. They can meet all sorts of people from different cultures who will explain their traditions, while strolling through the trees and getting some fresh air. It’s a great opportunity for them. They’re proud to be taking over the family farm. We’ll be in our eighth generation on the same land my Irish ancestors bought.”
Colleen Clearly

Here are all the tree merchants in our various markets: