Collingwood’s tree lighting ceremony has sparked chatter on-line for all of the unsuitable causes, with many evaluating it to final 12 months’s notorious Orillia tree mishap that earned a spot on The Tonight Present Starring Jimmy Fallon.
This 12 months, Collingwood’s Christmas tree debuted Saturday with what some described as an underwhelming show, prompting each criticism and sympathy for the organizers.
“It is up there with last year’s Orillia fiasco,” wrote one commenter, Valerie Anne Prigg, echoing the sentiment of a number of residents who took to social media to specific their disappointment.
What Occurred
In response to the Enterprise Enchancment Space (BIA), the situation began with the fast turnaround from Remembrance Day ceremonies to the tree lighting.
“The Collingwood Downtown BIA and its member businesses invest time and energy throughout the year in making our downtown beautiful, especially during the holiday season with the lights and décor installations. However, if you attended the tree lighting ceremony on Saturday, you might have been a bit confused when the tree was lit up. It was not the result we all hoped for,” the BIA famous in an e-mail to Ontario Chronicle.
The BIA stated a brand new sort of sunshine was donated for the occasion, however the set up did not fairly go as deliberate.
“Within the effort so as to add extra lights, it turned out extra Charlie Brown Christmas than the festive celebration we might meant,” the BIA defined.
The newly put in further lights had been positioned vertically, clashing with the unique setup, making a grid-like show.
“We had no opportunity to test before the tree lighting,” the BIA added.
Whereas some residents voiced frustration over the planning, others had been fast to defend the BIA, praising the efforts regardless of challenges.
“To the BIA’s credit, the Santa Claus Parade was great,” posted Erika Pothe on social media. “Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Everyone should just stop and think about how many hours and the effort the short-staffed BIA put into the parade and everything that followed.”
Residents React
Nonetheless, not everybody was so forgiving.
“Whoever hired the contractor should have been checking and making sure it was good to go,” stated Mary Weldon, including that the dearth of a correct inspection “dropped the ball.”
Movies of the occasion circulated on-line, exhibiting an anticlimactic lighting that left spectators underwhelmed.
“There were no cheers of joy… no ooing and awwwwing,” Weldon famous.
“I feel Collingwood pulled an Orillia,” posted Marlene Davidson.
“This jogs my memory of when my kids had been toddlers and so they embellished the tree… Oh my gracious,” commented Teresa Jolley McKinley.
Classes from Orillia
Collingwood’s vacation hiccup has inevitably drawn comparisons to Orillia’s tree lighting blunder final 12 months, the place solely the tree trunk was lit, leading to an ungainly show that went viral.
Orillia’s occasion caught the eye of American late-night speak present host Jimmy Fallon, who playfully mocked the festivities.
Thus far, Collingwood’s misstep hasn’t reached Fallon-level fame.
For now, the city’s vacation tree sits unlit with enhancements coming.
“The tree has been unplugged and will be fixed this week,” the BIA confirmed. “We deeply admire your continued assist of our downtown and your persistence as we work to make this proper.”
Regardless of the rocky begin, the BIA stays optimistic, hoping its future efforts will maintain the concentrate on vacation cheer.
Within the meantime, residents are reminded of the spirit of the season. As Pothe aptly put it, “Everyone is human, and everyone makes mistakes.”
