N.B. fishing community pays tribute to loved ones through Christmas tree hung with buoys

Residents in a rural New Brunswick fishing community on the Bay of Fundy have installed a Christmas tree decorated with buoys in honour of their loved ones.

The nearly 12-foot-high wooden A-frame by the Back Bay wharf has been hung with hundreds of colourful buoys.

Kimberly Cooke, who came up with the idea, said the tree aims to pay tribute to loved ones and ensure they aren't forgotten.

"We are all sad at Christmas because we wish our loved ones could be here," she said. "It's very, very special and we're very proud of this.”

Some buoys have unique decorations — a snowman, a cardinal, a baseball bat and ball, Cooke said.

"You've got all different colours, you've got names,” she said.” Someone's put Bible scriptures, we've got hand prints from the students at school .. just so many.”

Cooke said the tree is meant to be a permanent commemorative structure that her family will maintain year-round.

Beverly Mitchell drew a fishing vessel and snowshoes on buoys in honour of her father and father-in-law. Both now hang on the Back Bay tree.

"It's a tradition that each fisherman has a certain colour buoy," she said. "So if you've seen a picture of the buoy tree, you will see it's multi-coloured because those buoys were actually used by fishermen.”

The Bay of Fundy lobster fishery dates back to the mid-1800s, but Mitchell said the community is slowly losing its fishermen as younger generations choose different careers. She hopes the tree will also act as a symbol of Back Bay’s fishing heritage and tradition.

"It'll just give visitors and even those who have moved in the community that aren't used to our culture ... an insight of what things used to be," she said.

Paul Legere, a pastor at the local church, said the tree shows how "close-knit" his community is.

"It was really crazy how quick it went up,” he said. "Everybody was thinking of ways, how can we decorate this buoy [tree] and get other people involved, so that's what I thought was cool about it.”