Memorial Christmas tree honours P.E.I. survivor of N.S. residential school
A nine-foot Christmas tree sits outside Marlene Thomas's house on Lennox Island, hung with sparkly balls, candy canes made of jingle bells, and other ornaments.
It may look like an ordinary holiday decoration, but it's much more. Thomas has invited the community to help her decorate the tree in honour of her friend Charlotte Morris, who died one year ago.
"Everybody loved Charlotte and she was always involved in everything," said Thomas.
"I wanted to share [the tree] because she meant a lot to everybody … it was fitting to just offer it to my community," Thomas told Island Morning host Mitch Cormier.
The artificial Christmas tree belonged to Morris, and a couple of months ago, her husband called to say Morris had wanted Thomas to have the tree, she said.
"It took me by surprise, but I was so happy. I was so happy to have it," she said.
Morris and Thomas both attended the Shubenacadie Residential School in Nova Scotia as children and became outspoken advocates for residential school survivors.
"I could be here all day telling you the story about Charlotte and I. We're both survivors," said Thomas.
Morris was vocal about her experiences at residential school and the loss of her Mi'kmaw culture that she experienced there. It's something Thomas is also passionate about.
She's probably smiling down on the whole community really, because it's not just me, it's everybody. — Marlene Thomas
"It's important to us to educate," she said.
Thomas visits university classes to speak about her residential school experience.
She was also part of the Canadian delegation to Rome last spring to witness Pope Francis's apology to Canada's Indigenous people for the conduct of some members of the Roman Catholic Church in Canada's residential school system.
'Hey, Charlotte, your tree is up'
When Morris died on Dec. 17, 2021, COVID-19 restrictions prevented Thomas from attending the wake or the funeral.
"That hurt me a lot. And so this is my way of saying, 'Hey, Charlotte, your tree is up,'" said Morris.
Christmas was a special holiday for Morris, said Thomas.
"She loved Christmas. And so when she found this tree, this was what she had to have," she said.
"[This tree] was everything to her, I think, as far as Christmas goes."
Many community members have come by so far to hang an ornament on the tree and visit with Thomas over a cup of hot chocolate or tea, she said.
"I think [Charlotte] is smiling down at me … because finally I'm giving her the tribute that she deserves," said Thomas.
"She's probably smiling down on the whole community really, because it's not just me, it's everybody."
Thomas has plans to keep the tree up past the holiday season, continuing to honour her friend through days such as Valentine's Day, Easter, and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Thomas is saving her own ornament to hang on the tree last.
It's a wooden circle painted orange, inscribed with the words "Every child matters" — the message used to honour residential school survivors and the children who died in those schools.
It's Thomas's way of paying tribute to Morris and to their advocacy work on behalf of survivors.
"[The tree] helps a lot, and it helps for me to heal," said Thomas.
