Nova Scotia Selects 2026 Tree for Boston
A 14-metre white spruce from East Amherst will be cut in a public ceremony on Nov. 18 and sent to Boston for the Dec. 3 tree lighting.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Botany
Nova Scotia has selected a 14-metre white spruce donated by Henry and Pat Knol of East Amherst as its 2026 Tree for Boston. The tree will be cut in a public ceremony on Nov. 18 and is scheduled to be lit on Boston Common on Dec. 3.
Why it matters
The gift marks the 55th year Nova Scotia has sent a tree to Boston, continuing a tradition of thanks for the medical personnel and supplies Boston sent after the 1917 Halifax Explosion. The annual exchange keeps a century-old bond between the two cities visible each holiday season.
The 14-metre white spruce is the 55th tree Nova Scotia has sent to Boston, following the first donation by Joseph Slaunwhite of Lunenburg County. The tree-cutting is set for Nov. 18 at 10:30 a.m. and the Boston lighting for Dec. 3, though transport logistics were not detailed.
The players
Tim Houston
Premier of Nova Scotia, who will attend the Boston tree-lighting ceremony.
Michelle Wu
Mayor of Boston, who will host the tree-lighting ceremony with the Nova Scotia premier.
The details
The Knol family of East Amherst will donate the tree, which will be cut at a public ceremony at 880 Highway 6. Premier Tim Houston will join Mayor Michelle Wu at the 85th annual tree-lighting ceremony on the Boston Common.
Timeline
1917: Halifax Explosion prompts Boston to send medical personnel and supplies.
Nov. 18, 2026, 10:30 a.m.: Public tree-cutting ceremony in East Amherst.
Dec. 3, 2026: 85th annual tree-lighting ceremony on Boston Common.
Seasonal Patterns
The annual Nova Scotia gift traces back to Boston's medical and supply relief after the 1917 Halifax Explosion, and the 2026 tree extends a tradition now in its 55th year. Each year's donation links a specific holiday ritual to that single historical rescue.
Boston residents and visitors can attend the Dec. 3 tree-lighting ceremony on Boston Common, which will feature the Nova Scotia premier alongside the mayor. Those interested in the cutting can attend the public ceremony in East Amherst on Nov. 18.
The takeaway
The Boston–Nova Scotia tree exchange is a living reminder of how a 1917 disaster response still shapes holiday traditions a century later. It shows how civic gifts can carry gratitude across generations.
What happens next
The tree will be cut on Nov. 18, 2026 in East Amherst and lit at the Boston Common ceremony on Dec. 3, 2026.
Further reading
For more on the trees that shape urban landscapes, explore Botany coverage.
