The first Christmas tree in Canada takes its origins from the American Revolutionary War.

During that conflict, Major-General Friedrich Adolphus Riedesel commanded troops from the German state of Brunswick. Britain hired these troops to help quell the American rebellion, and Riedesel spent time in Canada. In December 1781, he and his wife Friederike introduced to the Canadian scene the German tradition of the Christmas tree.

That year marked a turning point for the Riedesels. They had arrived in Canada four years earlier, in the spring of 1777. At that time, the Major-General immediately joined a British offensive led by John Burgoyne. Its objective was to drive south from Canada to Albany, New York, in an attempt to cut the Thirteen Colonies in two. Friederike joined him on this campaign. After some initial success, Burgoyne’s army surrendered on October 17, 1777 after a series of battles near Saratoga, 40 kilometres short of Albany.

Riedesel and his wife became prisoners of war. For two years they were detained in Massachusetts, and later Virginia, before being paroled in British-held New York City in 1779. They were finally released in 1780.

The family arrived back in Canada in 1781. Friederike was eager to normalize her family’s life after so many years to hardship. They became housed in what is now known as the Maison des Gouverneurs in Sorel, Quebec (pictured below). That Christmas, she procured a balsam fir tree, erected it in a prominent spot in the home, and decorated it with fruit. As a final touch, she added white candles, which she lit to make the tree illuminated. It was the first Christmas tree in Canada.

On the 200^th anniversary of the Riedesel tree in 1981, Canada Post issued a commemorative 15-cent stamp. Designed by German-Canadian Anita Kunz, it depicts the likely appearance of the decorated tree. Approximately 66 million examples of the stamp were produced.

The St. Lawrence Branch of the United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada offers wishes, to you and yours, a very Merry Christmas!

Please may we present our first Loyalist crossword puzzle, “Settlement of SD&G.”

Put on your thinking caps, and give it a try. If you’re stumped, peruse the pages of this website, as most of the answers are there!

We plan to create more of these Loyalist crossword puzzles, on specific themes and always with a local flair. Future puzzles will appear in our quarterly newsletter, The Royal Yorker, which is a benefit of membership. Renew your membership today!

Click the image below, save it, and print it onto a letter-size page

Please see our newest website page, Loyalist Cemeteries, for information on our plaque project!

We operate the Loyalist Resource Center, a Loyalist and genealogical treasure trove. Originally located in Morrisburg, we’re in the midst of moving westward, to Iroquois.

Our branch president, Lorraine Reoch,  made the announcement in the latest issue of our newsletter, The Royal Yorker, and the subject was also a topic of discussion at our May 2018 branch meeting. Lorraine wrote this in the newsletter:

“Our Loyalist Resource Center will be moving in the next few weeks or months. Our new location will be at the Dundas County Archives, 5 College Street, Iroquois, which is being set up now. We will be a large part of this operation. We are cataloguing all the books, family histories, records and wonderful finds. The packing has begun and the days are full. “

Please also see our Loyalist Resource Center page for additional details and updates.

September 22, 2018 (6:00 PM):

Annual Banquet, St. Matthew’s Church, 15 Memorial Square, Ingleside. Please make a reservation before Sept. 15: Lorraine Reoch at (613) 821-2327 or (613) 294-4550, or fancylass@hotmail.ca. Speaker is to-be-announced.

October 21, 2018 (1:30 PM):

Show & Tell, Hulbert Valley United Church, 11064 Hulbert Road, Brinston. Our very popular “Show & Tell” meeting returns! Bring an item of interest, with a story to tell about it. This a fun meeting with lots of discussion.

The UELAC 2021 annual conference will take place in Cornwall, Ontario, within the catchment area of the St. Lawrence Branch. For more information, please visit the conference page on the website of the UE Loyalists Bridge Annex, the UELAC branch that is taking the lead on hosting the conference, or on the UELAC main site’s conference page.

In 1934 the Historical Sites and Monuments Board of Canada erected a plaque in Cornwall to commemorate the Loyalists. The plaque had many homes over the years; it is now carefully preserved and displayed in the Cornwall Community Museum. It’s an appropriate spot, as the museum is the former residence of Loyalist William Wood.

On August 12, 2018, the UELAC and the museum will re-dedicate the plaque in a special ceremony. Information on the event is provided below.

During the UELAC St. Lawrence Branch Annual General Meeting, held on May 20, 2018 at St. Clare’s Anglican Church in Winchester, the membership chose its new executive. It’s a mix of previously-serving members and new ones, who will serve until 2020.

From the left to right: Director Sandra Shouldice, Director Gord Reoch, Social Convenor Ashley Harper, Newsletter Editor and Webmaster Stuart Manson, President Lorraine Reoch, Treasurer Mike Eamer and Secretary Darlene Fawcett. Former Secretary Carol Goddard (not pictured because she’s behind the camera) will also serve as a Director. Also not pictured are Directors Murray Barkley and Michelle Walczak. (Photo: Thompson Goddard)

May 20, 2018 (1:00 pm):

St. Claire’s Anglican Church, Winchester, ON. Come join us for our first branch meeting of the year! The church is located at 2530 Falcone Lane, which is just south of Winchester proper. Falcone Lane is off St. Lawrence Street, near the intersection with Highway 31. Speaker is to be determined.

June 24, 2018 (12:00 noon):

McIntosh Memorial Park, Berwick, ON. Our annual summer picnic takes place at this pretty spot located on Crysler Road just south of the great metropolis of Berwick. The park has a gazebo and plenty of shade trees to shelter us from the sun.

We labour on, but we’ve almost completed the overhaul of the UELAC St. Lawrence Branch website. Take a look around, and you’ll find some interesting new pages to explore.