From www.theobserver.ca The Observer
Sarnia Coun. Anne Marie Gillis already has her eye on next year’s Communities in Bloom competition.
Sarnia came away with five blooms, as well as special recognition for its Return the Landscape and One Tomato projects, but not the national prize in its population category at the 18th annual edition of the program’s national awards announced on the weekend in Edmonton.
That honour went to Granby Quebec.
But Sarnia still had a strong showing, said Gillis, who attended the ceremonies as the city’s Communities in Bloom chairperson. “We increased the value of our marks by four percentage point,” she said. “I was really, really glad to see that.”
This was Sarnia’s sixth year participating in Communities in Bloom, and third year competing at the national level. The non-profit organization works to foster civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification in communities. It sends judges to participating communities that award it a score and a number of “blooms,” as well as selecting top communities in several population categories.
Sarnia competes in the over 50,001 population category.
Lambton Shores won this year’s national award for communities with populations between 10,001 and 20,000. It also received an outstanding achievement award for community involvement.
Gillis said she hasn’t given up on seeing Sarnia bring home a national award some day, adding she’s returning “loaded with ideas” gathered from other cities at the event. “The judges said we are so close to winning.”
Gillis said she has heard positive comments, from both residents and visitors, about the city since it became involved in Communities in Bloom.
The most recent program judges were also encouraging, she said. “They said there was a new energy to the city.”
Gillis said she was also able to use the trip to “showcase” Sarnia by passing along information from the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership to officials from Edmonton-area communities, including many with industries in the oil patch. “That’s the area we’re trying to make inroads in,” she said.
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