Boston Mayor Michelle Wu to Visit Nova Scotia, Strengthening Historic Partnership
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is visiting Nova Scotia this week to highlight a continuing partnership with the Canadian province that began after a devastating explosion in Halifax Harbor in 1917. The explosion killed roughly 2,000 people and prompted Boston to send medical aid and relief supplies. As a token of gratitude, Nova Scotia has provided Boston with its Boston Common Christmas tree each year since.
This year, Mayor Wu will become the first Boston mayor to attend and participate in the Boston tree-cutting ceremony in Nova Scotia, according to the mayor’s office. Fresh off her reelection last week, Wu will visit Nova Scotia from Sunday to Wednesday accompanied by her family and will return to Boston on Wednesday.
During her trip, Mayor Wu’s itinerary includes a visit to the Port Innovation, Engagement and Research center alongside leadership from the Halifax Port Authority, a tour of the Health Innovation Hub, and a meeting with Halifax Mayor Andy Filmore to exchange gifts.
“For well over a century, Boston and Nova Scotia have shared a special bond of neighborly care and friendship,” Wu said in a statement. “I’m honored this year to visit our neighbors to the north for the first time and deliver a personal thank you on behalf of the people of Boston for continuing this partnership and connection that transcends boundaries and generations.”
The city’s official 2025 Christmas tree—a 45-foot-tall white spruce from Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia—is scheduled to arrive at Boston Common by flatbed truck at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.
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Frank Baker’s City Council Bid Remains Possible Amid Political Shifts
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s potential challenge for Ed Markey’s Senate seat could open a path for former Councilor Frank Baker to return to the Boston City Council. Baker finished fifth in the most recent election, positioning him as a potential replacement if a current councilor-at-large vacates their seat mid-term.
City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, who topped the ticket for a second straight election last week, has sparked political speculation about whether she might run for Congress should Pressley’s House seat become available due to a Senate bid. Louijeune, a popular progressive Democrat like Pressley, delivered a lengthy speech on election night at a party co-hosted with Mayor Wu in the Seaport, which resembled more of a campaign pitch than celebratory remarks.
The next mid-term election is scheduled for November.
When asked about a potential congressional run, Louijeune, an at-large councilor, did not respond to inquiries from the Herald.
According to the city charter, if a councilor-at-large seat becomes vacant, the fifth-place finisher from the election—provided they are eligible and willing—can be elevated to the Council. Wu had worked for months to secure the reelection of Councilor-at-Large Henry Santana, a former employee and ally, to block Baker’s comeback bid. Baker, a conservative critic of Wu supported by former Mayor Marty Walsh, narrowly missed securing a seat.
Despite Wu’s efforts to prevent Baker from finishing in a position to immediately fill a vacancy, he secured fifth place, maintaining that pathway.
Along with Louijeune and Santana, Wu supported Alexandra Valdez, a City Hall employee who finished sixth in last week’s election.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/11/09/pols-politics-wu-to-chop-bostons-christmas-tree-in-canada-bakers-council-bid-not-entirely-dead/
