A core of volunteers who last year worked to bring Sundre back into the Communities in Bloom program remain committed to their efforts with plans to compete on the provincial stage this summer.
“The program is about taking pride in your community,” said Cindy Orr, who has helped lead the effort since last summer, adding there is more to Communities in Bloom than “just flowers and trees and tidy lawns — it all boils down to building the community together.”
Although Sundre had many years ago been an active participant in the program on the provincial and national levels, the initiative eventually ended up in limbo until some volunteers decided to revive it, she said.
They were encouraged following last year’s successful return in the informal non-competitive portion of the program in which two judges toured some of the sites around Sundre and offered feedback, she said.
“They had great things to say about the community and the amount of volunteerism,” she said. “It was very positive.”
So the decision was made to pursue the competitive program at the provincial level, which breaks down into six categories: tidiness, environmental action, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscape as well as floral displays.
Leading up to a visit from some judges on Aug. 3, volunteers are planning community blitzes to recognize homeowners who invest time and effort in beautifying their properties, as well as take photographs to share with the community, she said.
The idea is to keep a focus on sharing positive features throughout the community as opposed to singling out properties that perhaps are not as well maintained, she said.
There are also plans for a public campaign to help make people more aware of best watering and mowing practices, as well as offering tips on the types of plants that deer do not find particularly appetizing, she said.
Additionally, Communities in Bloom places great value in urban forestry, and Orr said she hopes to start a pilot project to use GPS data to log and create an inventory of some trees to maintain an active history of their health and growth.
That initiative will first require finding a suitable location to start — such as boulevard trees near the hospital — as well as an app or compatible technology that the municipality could, if ever needed, eventually take over to help with planning, she said.
Although not a society or non-profit organization, Sundre Communities in Bloom is an extension of the Town of Sundre’s Downtown Area Revitalization Committee, and previously received council’s approval to proceed, she said.
Looking to the future, Orr hopes to one day help bring Sundre back to the national stage. But she added that Sundre Communities in Bloom must for now first succeed in the provincial competition.
Visit sundreinbloom.weebly.com for more information as well as to follow the volunteers’ efforts.
