News release

Premier Visits Boston for Tree Lighting, Trade Talks

Premier's Office
Intergovernmental Affairs

Nova Scotians and Bostonians will celebrate the annual tree lighting on the Boston Common tonight, December 5, at 7 p.m. AST.

“Nova Scotia will always be grateful to Boston for their support after the Halifax Explosion. This annual gift of a beautiful tree is our way of saying: thank you, we remember,” said Premier Tim Houston. “We have a great relationship with the United States as a vital trade partner to Nova Scotia. We will continue to highlight our great products and strong service providers during our visit with our American friends and work together on our shared interests including a secure border and mutually beneficial cross-border trade.”

While in Boston, Premier Houston met with Bernadette Jordan, Consul General of Canada in Boston, on how to leverage and strengthen partnerships in the U.S. Nova Scotia will also host a reception prior to the tree lighting to promote and showcase the province and its exporters, including those from the agri-food and beverage sectors, to key stakeholders.

The Canada-U.S. trade relationship is an area of focus for provinces, territories and the federal government, and premiers discussed this with the Prime Minister on November 27.

The tree-lighting ceremony is broadcast to an audience of more than 200,000 viewers and attracts 20,000 people to the Boston Common. The Premier will be joined by Nova Scotia performers, including singer-songwriter Ria Mae and Mi’kmaq folk artist and fiddler Morgan Toney.

This year’s historic tree for Boston came from Mattie Settlement, Municipality of the County of Antigonish. The tree is a 13.7-metre (45-foot) white spruce donated by landowners Hugh and Liz Ryan.

This year marks the 107th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion. It occurred on December 6, 1917, when the Norwegian vessel SS Imo collided with the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship laden with explosives, in Halifax Harbour.

Quick Facts:

  • more than 29,000 Nova Scotian jobs depend on exports to the U.S., roughly 1 in every 16 jobs
  • in 2023, Nova Scotia exports to the U.S. were worth $4.4 billion, and imports were $682.7 million
  • Nova Scotia exports to the New England states reached $1.2 billion and imports from this region were $29.1 million that year
  • the goods with the largest volume shipped to the U.S. were tires, fish and prepared seafood, forest products and plastics
  • mission delegates are Premier Houston; Nicole LaFosse Parker, Chief of Staff and General Counsel; Guysborough-Tracadie MLA Greg Morrow; Executive Deputy Minister Tracey Taweel; as well as staff from the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage

Additional Resources:

News release – Christmas Tree for Boston From Antigonish County: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/11/06/christmas-tree-boston-antigonish-county

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