Legend has it that a long time ago, in the forests of Canada, certain trees courted men, while others were left behind. When spring came, the valiant maple tree let its sweet sap flow, which soon became syrup to delight young and old. In the fall, its flaming leaves filled the entire forest with sunshine. Swollen with pride, the maple tree reigned as king over the entire forest. The fir tree, growing back with its prickly needles, remained green and useless. However, on a beautiful starry night in December, an angel passed by. He saw the lonely and unhappy fir tree. The angel then took down twinkling stars from the sky to place them on its branches, near its heart. The fir tree lit up and its finery became a delight to the eyes. The news spread throughout the world and since that day, it has been the king of Christmas.

A little girl who wanted to bring back the magic of Christmas

“I have always loved the holiday season!” Patricia Corriveau dreams out loud, with a big smile on her face. Nostalgia seizes her: the memory of the warmth of the crackling fireplace, the scents of resin, cinnamon, gingerbread, the carols… The preparations especially, and decorating the tree with her family are for her delicious moments, suspended in time, which thrill her so much that she has decided to make it her business .

Patricia is Mother Christmas. She offers a turnkey Christmas tree decoration service in offices. “I arrive in costume, with music and one or two elves to help me with the assembly of the decoration on the ladder. I go to see the employees, I distribute small cookies and chocolates. It’s an all-in experience!” She is the one who brings the conifers, the desired size and decorated according to the chosen theme. “There is the Gourmand tree, the Lumberjack or even the Lance and Count. Yes, my trees have names! I even saw myself arriving with my little milk truck painted red, sparkling with lights, playing Christmas music on loudspeakers.”

A dream come true

“It happened to me five years ago, one evening while chatting with my husband around the kitchen counter! I had just spent two years hosting entrepreneurship workshops, three times a week: how to inspire young people to surpass themselves and not be afraid to undertake something they love… That evening, I went online, took out a $2,500 loan and called two friends, one who worked in a decoration store and one who had been a costume designer for Cirque du Soleil. I found someone to do a photo shoot for me, I bought three trees, and off we went!” A gathering of entrepreneurs and a few references later, the Trois-Rivières media picked up on her inspiring project and the Auberge des Gouverneurs proudly displayed its trees… Mother Christmas’s business was off to a flying start!

Peter Pan is in demand

Today, Patricia is a bit of a victim of her success. Indeed, her order book is still full, no pun intended. The pretty little truck is more of a rental cube to load dozens of trees. "I'm thinking about the future. The ideal would be to have a small, trusted team to set up the structure before I arrive to decorate. But I don't want any financial pressure or stress: it's important for me to keep the magic, that's what I offer."

Patricia had already been an entrepreneur and she keeps a full-time job. She is aware of the needs of her business, which is only seemingly seasonal. “In the summer, I get into it! I watch Christmas movies in my basement for inspiration, I order fabrics, I make loops in my workshop, I create themes, from popcorn pots to big balls of feathers! I love all this excess, I never get tired of it. Then, I take two weeks off in November to go put up the trees. There is no way I am going to arrive burned out at my Christmas either! It is very physical, these are twelve-hour days. A twelve-foot-high tree may not seem like much! But it is a joy for me every day, and I want to keep it that way. I love this business with a passion!”

If there is an expiration date to carefree living, may it be delayed as long as possible so that we can remain amazed, like Patricia. From the walnut shells placed on the branches of the first fir trees in the seventeenth century, filled with oil to light a wick, to the candles that burned dangerously and the fragile glass balls, to our crazy ideas to brighten our jaded minds, fir trees have remained emblematic of the holiday season and bearers of hope.