A decorated tree that had become something of a local landmark is taking a temporary break from the limelight.

For the past three years, Sheila Arnett has been adding a yellow ribbon to a giant tree each time a Canadian soldier is killed in the line of duty.

Over the months as the number of ribbons increased — finally passing the 100th casualty mark last year — the ribbons covering the tree outside her Riverview home have become an ever more recognizable feature of the community.

Arnett’s son serves with the Second Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. He’s a communications expert who last fall returned to the base at CFB Shilo, Man., after a tour of duty in Afghanistan. So Arnett has always been keen to keep the sacrifices made by the young men and women of the Canadian armed forces at the front of people’s minds.

But recently she said she felt obliged to take down the ribbons.

“The reason we did that was they were getting so ragged,” she said. “They were torn, ripped and discoloured and we felt it didn’t do justice to the people we are trying to honour.”

But Arnett said she and her husband are trying to think of some other way.

“I have some wooden bows, which I thought about painting yellow,” she said. “And we have seen a chap who makes individual flags, but we’d still like to have the names of each soldier on the tree. I think that’s real important.”

Arnett’s son and his wife are currently preparing to help with the security at the Vancouver Olympics.

“But they could wind up going overseas again,” she said. “It’s always a possibility.”

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