Collingwood’s tree lighting miss: Holiday blunder lights up social media

Collingwood’s tree lighting ceremony has sparked chatter online for all the wrong reasons, with many comparing it to last year’s infamous Orillia tree mishap that earned a spot on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

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This year, Collingwood’s Christmas tree debuted Saturday with what some described as an underwhelming display, prompting both criticism and sympathy for the organizers.

“It is up there with last year’s Orillia fiasco,” wrote one commenter, Valerie Anne Prigg, echoing the sentiment of several residents who took to social media to express their disappointment.

What Happened

According to the Business Improvement Area (BIA), the  issue started with the quick turnaround from Remembrance Day ceremonies to the tree lighting.

“The Collingwood Downtown BIA and its member businesses invest time and energy throughout the year in making our downtown beautiful, especially during the holiday season with the lights and décor installations. However, if you attended the tree lighting ceremony on Saturday, you might have been a bit confused when the tree was lit up. It was not the result we all hoped for,” the BIA noted in an email to CTV News.

The BIA said a new type of light was donated for the event, but the installation didn't quite go as planned.

"In the effort to add more lights, it turned out more Charlie Brown Christmas than the festive celebration we'd intended," the BIA explained.

The newly installed additional lights were placed vertically, clashing with the original setup, creating a grid-like display.

“We had no opportunity to test before the tree lighting,” the BIA added.

While some residents voiced frustration over the planning, others were quick to defend the BIA, praising the efforts despite challenges.

“To the BIA’s credit, the Santa Claus Parade was great,” posted Erika Pothe on social media. “Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Everyone should just stop and think about how many hours and the effort the short-staffed BIA put into the parade and everything that followed.”

Residents React

However, not everyone was so forgiving.

“Whoever hired the contractor should have been checking and making sure it was good to go,” said Mary Weldon, adding that the lack of a proper inspection "dropped the ball."

Videos of the event circulated online, showing an anticlimactic lighting that left spectators underwhelmed.

“There were no cheers of joy... no ooing and awwwwing,” Weldon noted.

"I think Collingwood pulled an Orillia," posted Marlene Davidson.

"This reminds me of when my children were toddlers and they decorated the tree... Oh my gracious," commented Teresa Jolley McKinley.

Lessons from Orillia

Collingwood’s holiday hiccup has inevitably drawn comparisons to Orillia’s tree lighting blunder last year, where only the tree trunk was lit, resulting in an awkward display that went viral.

Orillia’s event caught the attention of American late-night talk show host Jimmy Fallon, who playfully mocked the festivities.

So far, Collingwood’s misstep hasn’t reached Fallon-level fame.

For now, the town’s holiday tree sits unlit with improvements coming.

“The tree has been unplugged and will be fixed this week,” the BIA confirmed. "We deeply appreciate your continued support of our downtown and your patience as we work to make this right."

Despite the rocky start, the BIA remains optimistic, hoping its future efforts will keep the focus on holiday cheer.

In the meantime, residents are reminded of the spirit of the season. As Pothe aptly put it, “Everyone is human, and everyone makes mistakes.”