Photos courtesy of Town of Tignish
Ruby Arsenault is very proud of the Tignish, Prince Edward Island lobster trap tree.
“When you drive by it’s like the tree of hope,” she said in an interview.
The first lobster trap Christmas tree was erected in 2018. “We lost two individuals in the fall fishing (season) so it went up that Christmas in memory of them and all other fishermen lost at sea,” said Arsenault.
Another tree was built last Christmas in memory of another fisherman lost at sea. Two of the traps from the first tree were put inside it and tiny buoys with names were added to the tree.
Usually, the Town of Tignish takes the tree down in the spring, but didn’t this year because of COVID-19. Instead, the tree has been lit throughout the year for various reasons, said Arsenault.
In the spring, “the tree was lit for the essential workers which was a huge support to them,” said Arsenault.
“When it was lit for the essential workers, I thought it was beautiful. Many nurses and healthcare staff would drive by at night after their shift and it meant a lot to them. Then it was Canada Day celebrations and again because of COVID-19, we didn’t have any outdoor events” so the tree was decorated with a Canadian flag with a lit maple leaf as a topper, said Arsenault.
It remained that way for the summer.
“We had another tragedy this fall when two young boys were lost at sea. They were hockey players, so the tree was lit up again and they put hockey sticks on it,” said Arsenault.
“The youth brought their sticks and wrote notes to the boys. It’s quite the tree. It’s caught a lot of hearts and a lot of attention.”
Located in front of a church, people have gathered there year-round, said Arsenault, praying, reminiscing and remembering lost fishermen and praying for the ones we have.
“It’s a very tough industry,” said Arsenault, who has been a career coach for 19 years. “When I started, fishing was the seventh most dangerous job in Canada. Now it’s listed as the second.”
Besides being personally attached to the tree, Arsenault is one of the organizers for the annual Tignish Fishermen’s Awards Banquet, which started several years ago as a way to not only celebrate and recognize local fishermen, but to raise funds for local children and seniors programming.
Fishermen nominate each other for various awards, such as captain of the year, first mate of the year, second mate of the year and vessel of the year. Fishermen pay for attending, said Arsenault.
“They get a three-course meal, we have a skit, a show, a dance,” with the award winners receiving “beautiful trophies” as well as prints of their boats.
“We just want to thank them for all that they do for us and the community,” said Arsenault. “They are our number one entrepreneurs. They want to put pride in their fisheries and are willing to pay for their dinners. That money goes towards helping youth, seniors and children in our community so it’s a win-win situation. They are very proud of their contribution.”
The Tignish lobster trap tree “goes further,” said Arsenault. “It bonds everyone. It means something to everybody. COVID-19, I think some good came out of it too. It made communities stronger supporting each other.”
