By Raven Nyman
The 2018 BC Communities in Bloom (CiB) Provincial Conference and Awards took place in the Village of Clinton on Sept. 14-15.
The Communities in Bloom program is a Canadian non-profit organization focused on environmental stewardship through the enhancement of community green spaces.
As small communities, participants are judged in several categories: Tidiness, Environmental Action, Heritage Conservation, Urban Forestry, Landscape, and Floral Displays, with judges focusing on how each group makes their community “bloom” into a better place.
This year, the Clinton CiB committee hoped to tell a story of regeneration for the thousands of British Columbians who were personally impacted by the 2017 wildfires. Telling that story in Clinton was significant, considering the extent to which the area was impacted by the Elephant Hill wildfire.
Hosting the conference, Clinton offered a display of resilience on behalf of the community, while also providing the Village with an economic boost and reminding others that small communities have survived the fires and are once again open for business.
The 15th Annual BC CiB Provincial Conference and Awards kicked off on Sept. 14 with a Welcome Reception in Clinton’s Memorial Hall. Mayor Jim Rivett offered introductions, while Chris Linton provided entertainment.
On Sept. 15, a full day of events took place at the hall, starting with an 8 a.m. continental breakfast. Shortly after, TNRD Area E Director Sally Watson delivered the morning’s keynote address on community spirit.
The morning conference sessions began with Councillor Wendy Coomber of the Cache Creek Beautification Society who spoke about the development of the McAbee Fossil Beds Heritage Site.
Kat Chatten of the Gold Country Communities Society then talked about the Geocaching program, followed by a presentation from registered professional forester and Clinton and District Community Forest general manager Steve Law.
Daniela Dyck, Clinton’s Wildfire Recovery Manager and Community Development co-ordinator, presented on Clinton’s CiB journey and the impressive way the community rallied together after the wildfires of 2017.
Following a break for lunch, participants left for an afternoon bus tour to Cache Creek and area, returning to Clinton Saturday evening.
That night, the Provincial Awards began with Charlette Edwards of the Pavilion Indian Band welcoming attendees with a song. Dinner was followed, by the presentation of certificates, evaluation reports, 5-Bloom banners, and outstanding criteria trophies.
Darlene Kalawsky and Bruce Hobin shared the duty of masters of ceremonies.
Each group of participants was awarded certification by the specific CiB judging pair that visited their communities in July to evaluate their participation.
CiB’s Gold Sponsors, Teck and Urban Systems, are both long-standing supporters of Communities in Bloom. Teck has been a national and provincial sponsor of CiB since 2011, while Urban Systems has been a gold sponsor to the organization since 2006. Additional sponsors include Home Hardware, GardensBC, and BCLNA.
First up came the presentation of Awards and Certificates, followed by the CiB Criteria Trophies and the evening’s Community Champion Award.
The Recognition and Awards Program conducted evaluations in mid-July when CiB judges travelled in pairs to visit and evaluate participating communities across the province.
Those communities have been working tirelessly in hopes of achieving the ultimate honours: a 5-Bloom rating.
A community’s bloom rating is promoted as a symbol of excellence nationwide.
CiB evaluations are conducted in three levels: novice, evaluated, and non-evaluated.
Novice participants are in their first year audit and are non-evaluated. Non-evaluated participants include friends, showcases, and community memberships.
The evaluated category is the only eligible category for Criteria Awards and 5-Bloom winners.
Communities participate and compete against other communities within their population category.
The Village of Cache Creek was congratulated for winning this year’s BCAA Play Here contest, which included a prize of $100,000 of playground improvements.
Last year, Cache Creek had to withdraw their participation in the CiB evaluations because the community was on evacuation alert in the midst of the 2017 summer wildfires.
On Saturday night, Cache Creek proved its resilience when it was were awarded a 4-Bloom rating.
In the smallest community judged within BC’s Communities in Bloom: the Village of Clinton was commended for its attention and commitment to cultural heritage.
CiB judge Vania Bowman noted the variety of unique “nooks and crannies” worth exploring in the Village, and recommended the Clinton tour to all in attendance.
Clinton was awarded a 4-Bloom rating!
The Criteria Trophies recognize outstanding achievement under a specific criteria. Two Criteria Awards were awarded this year on behalf of CiB’s Gold Sponsors.
The Tidiness Award and plaque was presented to the Village of Cache Creek, and the Heritage Conservation Award and plaque was presented to the Village of Clinton.
Congratulations to both of these small communities on their remarkable achievements at the CiB awards this year.
Despite facing wildfires, mudslides, and more, these small communities have rallied together to support each other and prove their resilience to all.
Other awards
• Yvette May presented the District of Mission with a certificate for a community member, non-evaluated, and shared Mission’s great success with school participation during the past year, while also noting the success of their “street scape” program.
• The District of Kent received recognition in the non-evaluated category, along with the cities of Burnaby and Coquitlam.
• The District of Hope was evaluated and awarded a 5-Bloom rating. Hope members described a few of their unique CiB traditions, including the “Weed n Feed,” an event that combines an hour of weed-pulling with a well-deserved pizza feast.
• Floortje Molenaar awarded member certification to the City of Armstrong in the non-evaluated category. The District of Sicamous awarded 4-Blooms.
• The Village of Lumby was praised for its Proactive Strategic Action Plan and approach to sustainable growth. It won its first 5-Bloom rating.
• The District of Chetwynd, which participated in the non-evaluated “friend” category, was recognized. The City of WhiteHorse was evaluated and awarded 4-Blooms.!
• CiB judge Theresa Williams presented the District of Sooke with 5-Blooms in the evaluated category.
• The City of Castlegar was presented with member certification in the non-evaluated category. It was commended for its Highway Garden of Hope in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society and shared the success of their CiB journey from 1,700 bulbs planted to more than 20,000.
• The Village of Salmo was evaluated in the “friends” category.
• The City of Abbotsford scored a 5-Bloom rating this year. Abbotsford was recognized for their Co-op Community Viewing Platform at Willband Creek.
The Community Champion Award was presented to Sicamous resident Deb Heap. Heap was recognized for her outstanding example of dedication to her CiB committee.
Her peers described her win as “well-deserved” and noted her remarkable “tenacity” when it comes to all things CiB. Heap was described as having a “passion for highlighting beauty within the community” and striving to bring change.
After a successful evening, the board of directors thanked the Village of Clinton for hosting this year’s Provincial Conference and Awards, and presented the Village with its own special award for hosting. Susan Swan was on hand to accept the award along with other Village CiB committee members, and expressed her thanks to all in attendance.
Clinton resident Brenda Slade and Bubbles’ Blossom Design provided the beautiful flowers displayed at the event.
Tami Dunlop was the winner of Saturday evening’s door prize—a bottle of Roping Cowgirl wine.
