Volunteer shortage thwarts beloved tradition of rooftop Christmas tree in Prince George

Lorna Bihori was gutted to have to alter a time-honoured tradition in Prince George, B.C., this holiday season.

As resource development officer for United Way B.C. in the northern part of the province, Bihori spearheads the annual Tree of Lights charity campaign in the city to raise money for community programming.

For more than three decades, that campaign has included hoisting a 15-metre live tree on top of the nine-storey Coast Prince George Hotel by APA. It would start out dark and, as donations roll in, the tree would gradually light up.

"It touches so many hearts and it was our way of lighting up and bringing hope to downtown Prince George," said Bihori.

"It didn't matter what your situation was, you could look up and see a tree and feel that Christmas spirit."

But this year, there will be no tree atop the hotel due to a lack of available volunteers. In an attempt to retain some of the festive magic, a tree will be lit up in the hotel lobby instead.

The live tree is seen here in all its glory during a past Christmas season. (Andrew Kurjata/CBC)

"It was a very difficult, disappointing decision to make," said Bihori.

She said the outdoor tree required six volunteers for 10 days to string 300 strands of lights, and 20 shifts of three volunteers are needed during the campaign.

The United Way could only find enough people to support four shifts this year.

The campaign, originally led by the Salvation Army, was discontinued in 2017. In 2019, the United Way stepped in to resurrect the campaign.

More in need of services, fewer making donations

It has been a tough year for charitable organizations. According to the CanadaHelps 2023 Giving Report, rising living costs and prolonged impact from the pandemic has more Canadians in need of charitable services and fewer people making charitable donations.

A critical lack of volunteers since the pandemic has also impacted non-profits, according to Volunteer Canada.

This year's tree is ready for viewing in the lobby of the Coast Prince George Hotel. (Andrew Kurjata/CBC News)

Bihori didn't want to lose the tree tradition altogether despite the local volunteer shortage, although the reality of having no rooftop visual was hard to stomach at first.

She recalled a recent Christmas when a relative of hers was in hospital and the sight brought him joy.

"He said he was so lucky that he had a window [so] that he could see the tree every night," said Bihori.

But now that the decision has been made, Bihori is trying to stay positive. There are some silver linings to an indoor tree, she said — including the opportunity for people to photograph it.

Santa doesn't discriminate against indoor or outdoor trees either, and will be at the hotel on Saturday along with a professional photographer.

This week, available volunteers have been working hard to string lights, and the tree will still be gradually lit to reflect donations. Bihori hopes it brings joy to people regardless of its location.

"It's beautiful and it's accessible," she said. "We want it to be very inclusive and enjoyed by all."