Sundre scored a full five blooms in the annual provincial Communities in Bloom competition.
That is the highest possible ranking, and although there were no other towns running in the same category for populations between 2,001 and 6,000 people, the result was already an improvement over last year, when Sundre placed second with four blooms. St. Paul won last year with five blooms.
Two judges toured some local landscape highlights in August. The awards ceremony was held at the Lacombe Memorial Centre on Saturday, Sept. 21.
“It’s a great honour and privilege to be recognized for the efforts our community has made to beautify the town,” said Jon Allan, Sundre’s economic development officer who also joined the local Communities in Bloom committee this year.
“The judges made special note of the new community gazebo and the new free downtown parking lot, which were both stand-alone projects that are highly visible and highly impactful. This resonated with the judges,” said Allan.
“Sundre blooms all year round with seasonal banners, Christmas lighting, a Christmas tree on top of the fire hall, the Tree of Hope, an outdoor skating rink and much more,” reads a portion of the report, written by judges Bob Côté and Lorna McIlroy.
“We appreciated meeting so many people from the town administration and staff, the museum, Bearberry Garden Condos and more. We look forward to seeing you again as you continue your journey with CiB.”
Communities in Bloom, Allan said, is an important initiative “because not only does participation in their annual competition help create the impetus to look our best, but as an organization, they are constantly challenging us to do more, and be better.”
An aesthetically appealing community is crucial to not only foster more tourism and attract new residents, but also to enhance life satisfaction, he said.
The town receives more than just an award for participating in the provincial competition. The judges also compiled a report outlining numerous recommendations to help further make improvements.
“The key take-away,” Allan said when asked about highlights from the report, “is to try and be as sustainable as possible with our public areas. They recommended planting more perennials, which are more sustainable, or using rain barrels to cut back on water consumption.”
Additional suggestions outlined in the judges’ evaluation include: improving trail and way-finding signage; a greater acceptance of dandelions, which attract bees; placing additional litter containers near benches as well as bear-proof garbage bins in more isolated areas such as Snake Hill; and more naturalization and less mowing wherever possible.
“Personally, I love all of their ideas,” Allan said.
“Not only because they make sense, but because they’re not expensive, they add beauty, and they take into account the sustainability of our natural environment and climate change.”
All of the ideas outlined in the evaluation are actionable, but some depend more than others on whether the municipality has the resources, staff or volunteers to implement them all, he said.
“I’m sure we’ll be examining their recommendations in the coming month during budget deliberations.”
Allan also praised the efforts of everyone who contributed to making possible Sundre’s participation in this year’s provincial competition.
“The Communities in Bloom committee is just amazing. The group of volunteers who help steer its direction, together with the dedicated staff in the community services department that work tirelessly to keep the community clean, all helped make leading this campaign an absolute joy,” he said, anticipating another crack at the bat next year.
“As long as our amazing volunteers continue to be inspired to lead the campaign, I'm confident the town will continue to support participation in the annual competition."
