We have luxuriated in the lovely pine scent of our Christmas tree for the last month, but the time has come to lift the ornaments from its weary branches and pack it off to the annual firefighters’ tree-chipping fundraiser.

When the first fluffy flakes fell before Christmas, New Westminster was postcard-pretty and everywhere I went I could hear people humming to themselves “… where the treetops glisten and children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snow … ”
Once Snowmageddon hit in full force, it wasn’t so cute anymore.
A local blogger, Daniel from CityCaucus.com, was one of many of us who felt frustrated by the two-foot snowdrifts that remained on side streets in the days following Snowmageddon 2008:
Admittedly, even by Canadian standards we did receive a lot of snow. …

Shiloh Sixth Avenue church offered a special “Blue Christmas” service yesterday for people coping with loss and grief. Aside from a minor flood in our basement this season due to a burst pipe (eek!) and the occasional family tiff we have not yet been faced with adversity at Christmastime. We have been lucky. I imagine for those who do experience tragedy at this time of year, it must be especially hard because everyone around you seems so happy. Songs of joy and peace, and all that.
Writes the Burnaby Now :
For those …

Here’s a lovely hint of a story to think about as we approach Christmas: when soldiers were posted to B.C. in 1943 to guard against a feared attack by the Japanese, New Westminster opened its doors and made sure every last one had a home to go to for Christmas:
Despite omnipresent danger, tasteless bully beef and hardtack rations in the field, and nearly dying of pneumonia one year, Christmas in the army was the only place Charles Goodman wanted to be in his youth.
Having left home in Saint John any …

This is a guest post by Brad Howard of Clever Mink’s, a great little gift shop at 711 Carnarvon St. If you’ve got an idea for a guest post, go ahead and drop us a line. 
Having never blogged before I found the idea daunting so I sought out some friends’ opinions. Some said you’ve got to open big to grab the reader. You’ve only got 4.3 seconds of their attention (that might be last year’s figure, this year’s is doubtlessly shorter) or they’ll move on to something splashier. Make …

Those seeking ideas for sustainable decorations this Christmas, should cast their eye to the keepers of the past. New Westminster’s Irving House museum is profiled on Gardenwise for their unusual twist on a traditional garland that uses real apples for a beautiful and memorable look.
At Irving House in New Westminster the halls really are decked with boughs of holly — and lots of other traditional accents that transform the home into a celebration of a Victorian Christmas.
There are probably not many better places to evoke the spirit of the season …

Followup on our favourite Arbologger’s post about the Coca-Cola Santa, here’s another ‘Beta’ Santa, perhaps soooo proto that it’s ‘Alpha!’
Prepare for a New Westminster Holiday Tradition, the arrival of Sinter Klaas to open the holiday season. Children will wait in anticipation on the Quay boardwalk for Sinterklaas and the Black Peters to arrive – you can help your 2 year old to chant like the Dutch kids do, ‘Zie ginds komt de stoomboot uit Spanje weer aan…’ (See there the steamship from Spain is coming again…) to welcome Sinterklaas on …

Jen at the Arbolog shares her misgivings about buying into the Coca-Cola Santa in a recent post, and reminds us of a great alternative for those who prefer to hearken back to Yule logs and mistletoe rather than deadly Wal-Mart shopper stampedes and Christmas With The Chipmunks (Vol. 1). Says Jen: 
I did some research and found Father Christmas at the Burnaby Village Museum, who is willing to listen to children’s wishes and you can take your own photos. Huzzah.

Father Christmas is the pre-Santa, the Beta-Santa, if you will. He’s a kindly old thin dude, with a …

Driving along 7th St in the West End two nights ago, we were drawn towards the festive glow coming from one end of the street. We meandered over and there it was, a Christmas light display that just had to make it on to the Blog!
I took some pictures with my trusty cellular phone and as you can see, the effect is less than crystal clear but this is only a beginning. I sense a series coming on, highlighting some of the best and brightest Christmas light displays in the …

Here at Tenth To the Fraser, our editorial team has been kicking around ideas for localizing our Christmas celebrations this year. Our family will attempt to source most of our food locally, and I had in mind to explore local shopping opportunities as well. One of our readers is taking it one better, and plans this year to do all her family Christmas shopping locally.

Hey there.  I just checked out your blog for the first time today at the suggestion of my husband, Blair Fryer [ed. note: Blair …