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Why isn't the Moody Park tree lit up in New West this year?

Ask City Hall
Moody Park tree
A tree adorned with lights each December is in the dark this year. Steve Vanden-Eykel, who took this photo in a previous year, wondered why it's not lit up this year.

Inquiring minds want to know: what happened to the “Christmas tree” in Moody Park?

For some residents, the lights on trees at Herbert Spencer Elementary School and Moody Park, near the lacrosse box and tennis courts, signal the start of the holiday season. Some residents, including Steve Vanden-Eykel, have wondered why the Moody Park tree that city employees normally decorate with lights is in the dark this year.

Dean Gibson, the city’s director of parks and recreation, has been responding to inquiries about the tree in Moody Park.

Question: I notice that the tree in Moody Park is not being lit this year, for the first time I can remember. I haven't heard anything about it, I was wondering if the Record knew the reason?

Answer: This year the Moody Park tree lights have been installed in a new location on a park tree that is located at the corner of Eighth Street and Seventh Avenue.  We are trying out this alternate spot because the in past years we have been finding that the grounds and tree roots around the former tree are being damaged by the large truck used to install the lights.  We are trying this new location because it is close to an electrical power supply and can be accessed without any damage to the surrounding area.

Your feedback, and that of others in the neighbourhood, is helpful and will help when it comes time to make the decision where to locate the tree lights in future years.