Grinch to blame? Stolen lights dim Halifax's Christmas tree

People in Halifax are hoping to see the Christmas tree in Grand Parade get a sprucing up after this year's "sham of a light job."

But the city says a Grinch is to blame for its appearance. 

Heather Green, who lives in Halifax's south end, was walking home on Thursday night when she took notice.

"It looks like someone sneezed the lights on and then kind of forgot about the bottom half of it," Green said.

"They tried to do the draping method, which I can appreciate, but it's not done well at all. Then they just tried to reach over to a huge empty spot with just one strand."

Green said she felt sad and disappointed by the tree and shared a photo on Twitter, where others shared their chagrin.

"They always have a tree in that area and I think it always looked kind of normal, which is probably what you should go for — people not noticing the lights."

It's in stark contrast to Nova Scotia's tree for Boston, which is sparkling with hundreds of glittering lights and decorations.

Brynn Budden, a city spokesperson, said on Thursday that lights from the bottom of the tree were stolen.

Budden said the missing lights may be why the tree looks unfinished, adding that the city doesn't put ornaments on the lower half of the tree to prevent theft.

Budden said staff should have more lights on the tree by Saturday afternoon. She said there have been no complaints to the city's 311 service.

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