Mike Kalnay and Joe Jensen say they’re desperate to get rid of their Christmas trees.
Last year, the Yellowknife Scouts had sold all but one of their trees before they had even arrived in town. This year, they have between 100 and 150 trees left — one third of their stock — just three days before Christmas.
Yellowknifers came out in droves for the first day of the sale: “Some people waited for two hours to get in,” says Kalnay, the Scouts’ tree yard coordinator. He says he isn’t sure why the trees aren’t selling anymore, although he speculates the shipment being delayed by several weeks, plus more families making plans to travel abroad, might have something to do with it.
To keep the trees from becoming mulch, the Scouts are giving them away to the Salvation Army, local churches, and other charities. Although Wednesday is the last day of their sale, Kalnay says Yellowknifers can still reach out on social media after Wednesday night for a last-minute tree. “We wouldn’t want the Kranks to go without a tree if their daughter calls from the airport on Friday morning,” he says.