The countdown is on until Trail finds out how the city stacks up next to its Communities in Bloom (CiB) competitors.
“Community in Bloom judges, Cliff Lacey and Dr. Cynthia Boyd visited Trail in July and seemed impressed with what they saw, ” says Trail in Bloom volunteer Lana Rodlie.
She shared an email from Lacey where he wrote, “You have a lovely community that has left me with a very good first impression.”
Trail is competing in the Communities in Bloom Class of Champions competition, meaning the city has already taken top honours (provincial, national and International awards) and is up against Castlegar, Ashcroft and Kinistino, Sask. in the small city category.
The winner will be announced on Sept. 29 at a conference in Strathcona, AB.
“Judges toured the city and asked lots of questions,” Rodlie said. “Particularly about Teck, but were also intrigued with the White Garden and the new Riverfront Centre.”
Lacey added in his email, “I would encourage you to submit an entry for the Outstanding Achievement Award (OAA) for Floral Display. Certainly the White Garden and the Rainbow bed stand out.”
Rodlie says Dr. Boyd was impressed with the number “guerilla” gardens – gardening in public areas or places not being cared for by the city or by owners.
During one of the tours, the judge suggested that the city enter the Community of Gardeners category.
“Everywhere I look I see gardens or plantings,” Rodlie recalled her saying.
She explained the judges were referring to the special awards that all communities across Canada go after: Tidiness, Environmental Action, Heritage Conservation, Urban Forestry, Landscape, Floral Displays, Community Involvement, Youth Involvement, Community of Gardeners, Butchart Gardens Reclamation Award, Pollinator Friendly Community Award, and WinterLife Award.
“Besides competing nationally or internationally, communities go after these special awards that reflect the best of the best of all cities, despite the size,” Rodlie said.
“Trail has already won five of them: the Butchart Gardens Reclamation award for the Colombo Piazza, the Floral Award, the Landscape Award, the Community Involvement Award (for the development of the White Garden) and this past year, the Youth Award.”
CiB chair Dan Rodlie says the goal is to collect all of the awards.
“We have a lot of work to do in some of these categories but there is no reason we couldn’t win them all.”
For more information contact Dan Rodlie 368-7399 or Lana Rodlie 368-9227.