Castlegar wins four blooms
By Kyra Hoggan
Castlegar outdid itself in this year’s Communities in Bloom (CiB) competition, according to organizer Darlene Kalawsky, who returned Sunday from this year’s annual CiB conference.
“We did well – increased our score over last year,” she said. “We got four blooms, like last year – but we were just 1.5 points off getting five blooms. The report (CiB judges generated) about our city is very glowing.
“I’m very proud of our community and our committee.”
She said suggestions proferred by the judges including increasing partnerships with the business community and organizations like Selkirk College.
“I think we were judged on a more technical level this year than we have been in the past,” Kalawsky said, adding the near-miss of five-bloom designation is added incentive for the committee to redouble its efforts this year.
She also said Castlegar’s CiB efforts are not seasonal – they work year-round and, in fact, are meeting tonight to discuss the judging report and decide what’s next.
“We need to look at the report recommendations and determine our areas of focus for the coming year,” she said. “I really see this program as a driver for the city – a driver for the economy; for tourism; for quality of life and; for community pride and involvement.”
She said Castlegar, this year, received special recognition for its Sculpture Walk program, with the judges lauding the program so far and expressng excitement over the program’s enormous potential as it grows and evolves.
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