SUNDRE — After last year receiving five blooms in the annual Communities in Bloom (CiB) competition, the committee leading the local beautification initiative has this year opted out with plans for a comeback in 2023.
“With the construction associated with fibre optics happening, the committee was concerned that the town wouldn’t be at its prettiest,” said Jon Allan, economic development officer and the municipality’s liaison with the committee.
“It’s also going to give a decent amount of time for the committee to work together to plan on implementing the recommendations made by judges in previous evaluation reports. Although we received five full blooms that last couple of times that we competed, we can always do more.”
Due to the pandemic, there was no competition in 2020, but the Town of Sundre in 2021 as well as 2019 earned the equivalent of a five-star rating by Communities in Bloom within the provincial competitive category for communities between 2,001 to 6,000 people.
“The Town of Sundre has done an excellent job of creating floral displays in public areas and at most town buildings,” reads a portion of the judges’ 2021 evaluation report, which also made mention of Knott’s Glen Memorial Park as well as the Sundre hospital’s palliative care garden.
“They are both volunteer-driven and a very special meditative atmosphere has been created,” the report reads.
Also praised by the judges were the Sundre & District Museum’s historical village and the Sundre Community Garden located adjacent the hospital’s parking lot near the palliative care garden.
One of the recommendations included in the report was for elements of the business sector to enhance efforts to beautify properties with plant material.
“Perhaps the (Sundre & District) Chamber of Commerce could offer a workshop or webinar to clearly illustrate the many benefits of green space and/or floral displays including more profitability,” the judges wrote.
“They could learn from many testimonials about how floral displays can replace advertising. Even a modest floral display says, ‘We care, we are clean, we are welcoming.’”
But while the Sundre CiB Committee isn’t preparing to host judges this year, the organization has intently set its sights on next year.
“Sundre will once again be competing in 2023,” reads a portion of a statement on the municipality’s website, extending an invitation to anyone who is interested in getting involved to contact the committee by email at [email protected].
The ad hoc committee is run by volunteers with the municipality’s financial support and administrative assistance.
The focus of CiB initiatives extends beyond simply beautification through landscaping as well as flowers, and also includes a consideration on factors such as environmental sustainability, community amenities, culture and history.
The Sundre CiB committee is comprised of municipal staff from the economic development and community services departments, with representatives from the chamber of commerce, the Sundre & District Historical Society, and the Sundre Garden Club. But anyone in the community who is so inclined is welcome to join.
“Place-making is integral to quality of living, which is the most important factor relevant to inward direct investment,” Allan said in response to a question about the economic development department’s involvement in the initiative.
“In our small town, economic development touches on most areas in some way, including some things that would normally be associated with community services. Our teams work well together.”
