A Christmas tree will go up where the Alder Inn used to stand in Aldergrove.

On Monday, councillors Bob Long and Petrina Arnason convinced a majority of 91原创 Township council to fund the tree, which will go up behind the protective fencing that surrounds the site where the hotel was demolished in November.

Arnason, who Long credits with having the idea for the tree in the first place, said she hoped it would 鈥渓ighten it [the demolition site] up and make it look festive.鈥�

Township plans call for using the land for 鈥渃ommunity use,鈥� Arnason noted.

Long said the goal was 鈥渟hining a light in these somewhat dark times.鈥�

Before they came to council, the pair had already lined up a 27-foot Norwegian Spruce from an Abbotsford tree farm at the bargain price of $200.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Ultimate Christmas light display returns to 91原创 street

Council voted to approve spending no more than $5,000 from the municipal contingency fund to purchase a tree and set it up with lights.

鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping staff can do it as soon as possible,鈥� Long said.

Coun. Margaret Kunst voted against the proposal, saying other Township communities like Fort 91原创 and Brookswood put up Christmas trees without requiring Township funding.

Kunst stressed she wasn鈥檛 鈥渁nti-Christmas.鈥�

鈥淲e have five communities [in the Township],鈥� she noted.

鈥淪ome think Murrayville should have a tree.鈥�

READ MORE: PHOTO & VIDEO: Alder Inn brought to the ground

The fire-damaged inn located at the southeast corner of Fraser Highway and 272nd Street was torn down on Monday, Nov. 16.

Cost of demolition was estimated at around $250,000.

The Inn, which housed a bar, a liquor store, hotel rooms, and 91原创鈥檚 last strip club, had been in operation since 1948 and shut it鈥檚 doors in June of 2019.

The municipality spent $5.4-million to purchase the hotel as well as two neighbouring lots.

No decision has been made on what will be built on the site.

dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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