I’m very pleased today to rise on behalf of the people of Hastings–Lennox and Addington.

As we move closer to the holidays, many of us will be participating in the time-honoured family tradition of hunting for the perfect Christmas tree. As Christmas tree farming is a significant part of the forestry industry in Ontario, I’m so very pleased to encourage people to get out to these farms and enjoy their time collecting the perfect tree.

The Christmas tree industry in Ontario employs thousands of workers in the farming, transportation and retail sectors. Each year, more than one million fresh, farm-grown Christmas trees are purchased here in Ontario, and the same number of seedlings are planted for future harvests.

Ontario Christmas trees are all-natural and biodegradable, and many municipalities mulch them after Christmas.

Our tree farms are carbon sponges and oxygen creators. Each acre of Christmas tree farm produces enough oxygen for 18 people every day. It takes six to eight years for trees to come to maturity. So the math tells us, with over 8,000 acres of Christmas tree farms in this province, Christmas trees provide more than 420 million person-days of oxygen. That’s quite an awesome Christmas gift these trees give us.

In my riding, there’s Skootamatta Tree Farm near Flinton and Carole’s Christmas Tree Farm in Napanee, and across Ontario there are over 400 Christmas tree farms. So I hope everyone gets out and enjoys finding just that right tree for their family.

Please always remember to keep your tree watered and safe from any fire risk.

And while I’m at it, I would like to wish all the members of this House, the legislative and political staff, and everyone watching this broadcast a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.