The Town of Qualicum Beach picked up the Home Hardware Outstanding Achievement Award for Community Involvement at the Communities in Bloom Award ceremonies held in Ottawa on Saturday.
Coun. Mary Brouilette and Parks Foreman Toni Botelho were in the nation’s capital to accept the award on behalf of the town.
“This award is another big win for our whole community and I wish to take this opportunity to thank town staff, the members of this year’s Community in Bloom committee, the participating businesses and all of the residents who dedicate their time to making Qualicum Beach such a thriving community,” said Brouilette.
Communities in Bloom is a Canadian non-profit organization which says it is committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community involvement and the challenge of a national program, with focus on the enhancement of green spaces in communities.
“Within the context of climate change and environmental concerns, (participating communities) can all be proud of their efforts, which provide real and meaningful environmental solutions that benefit all of society,” said Communities in Bloom national chair Bob Lewis.
Brouilette said she brought home much more than the award from her trip to Ottawa.
“The national Communities in Bloom award ceremony and symposium instills a great sense of Canadian pride: communities large and small from across the country come together to share their successes and challenges with one another,” said Brouilette.
“You come away with the knowledge that Qualicum Beach has much to be proud of and thankful for.”
The award given to Qualicum Beach on Saturday night was presented by Mark Cullen on behalf of national competition sponsor, Home Hardware. Cullen will attend a community event of the town’s choice next year, according to a news release from the town.
Doreen Patterson of Dolly’s Home Hardware in Qualicum Beach was a member of the town’s select committee for Communities in Bloom, which also included Brouilette, Geoff Ball (Milner Gardens), Roger Griffith, Corinne James (TOSH), David James and Wendy Shaw.
Kamloops was the only other B.C. community to win an award on Saturday night. The Town of Qualicum Beach also won in the Circle of Excellence category in recognition of its respect for water and marine life.
The Town was a finalist for three other different national awards in the Communities in Bloom competition:
• Natural Tidiness Outstanding Achievement Award
• Canadian Nursery and Landscape Association Environmental Action Outstanding Achievement Award
• Community of Gardeners Outstanding Achievement Award
Here are some facts about the town’s involvement in the Communities in Bloom competition, as provided by the town:
• When the town first entered the competition in 1999, it envisioned that Communities in Bloom would not only raise local ‘pride of place’, but also provide an opportunity to pay tribute to those in the community who volunteer their time and energy to enhance the town’s quality of life.
• The Communities in Bloom 2013 Select Committee was created to provide input and advice on the creation and development of a comprehensive community-wide engagement for residents.
• The Committee achieved its goal of facilitating and promoting partnership, through the Best Blooming Business Award and through a joint project between volunteer artists from the Old School House Arts Centre and school students involved the design and painting of eighteen 4′ x 4′ plywood murals for display at various locations in Town.
For more information about the awards, visit: www.communitiesinbloom.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/2013-National-Results.pdf
