The Communities in Bloom (CIB) judges toured Castlegar last week including stops at Zuckerberg Island, Millennium Park, City Hall, Spirit Square, Sculpture Walk, the Doukhobour Discovery Centre and the Garden of Hope along with drive-bys of the numerous floral displays around town.
The judges got to meet many local Communities in Bloom supporters and volunteers at a BBQ at Millennium Park. A highlight of the BBQ was a floral planter chop-box competition featuring some of Castlegar’s public figures including city staff, councillors and Chamber of Commerce members.
Judge Evelyn Alemanni is a writer and photographer whose garden was named by Good Morning America as one of the top five gardens in the United States, it has also been featured in Better Homes and Gardens magazine. She has been an international judge with CIB for 12 years and served with America in Bloom for 15 years. Alemanni has already judged 162 towns in 11 countries.
Judge Jim Baird retired from the position of commissioner of planning and development for the City of Saint John in 2008. He has a degree in environmental science and a background in community planning. He worked on a steering committee that developed a plan for the use of the city’s inner harbour that won an award of excellence from the Canadian Institute of Planners. He is currently chair of the Heritage Development Board in Rothesay, NB.
