Hoping for five blooms — CIB judges visit Barrhead

A crowd of fifty turned out to enjoy hamburgers and refreshments at Bethel Pentecostal Church on Aug. 3.

Members of the Communities In Bloom judging committee mingled with town and county councillors, member of parliament Arnold Viersen, local MLA Glenn van Dijken and residents. Former County of Barrhead agricultural fieldman Marilyn Flock says it was a wonderful example of the partnership that exists between both municipalities.

“This program is not just about the beautification of our homes, there are a number of aspects including conservation and history that play a part and it couldn’t be done without the support of both the town and the county,” Flock said.

Viersen agreed.

“As the son of a lady who spends too much time in her yard, I know how much work it takes to keep your yards and businesses looking great and I think this is a wonderful initiative that the town and the county have taken on to spur people to make our community such a wonderful place to live in,” he said.

Construction in town is a source of pride, not a distraction, said Town of Barrhead mayor Gerry St. Pierre.

“I had the pleasure of meeting with the judges beforehand and I had asked them to overlook all of the construction but then I thought better of it. I hope they take it all into consideration when making their decision because I believe it reflects our community’s ongoing growth and development,” he said.

van Dijken and County of Barrhead reeve Doug Drozd agreed.

“On behalf of the province of Alberta I want to thank the town and the county for the work that they do to support this program and to encourage people to continue to beautify our region, our homes and our businesses. Programs like this help to encourage others to participate and is a worthwhile endeavour that benefits all of us,” van Dijken said.

“The county recognizes beautiful homes and yards within the seven divisions on a yearly basis,” Drozd noted.

“Rural beautification awards are presented at our agricultural services board awards dinner and the board itself has a practice of not allowing repeat winners. You’d think that would present a problem as time goes on but that is not the case. We have an abundance of nominees to choose from and that speaks to the private ownership that residents of the county have. It is always an honour to reward those who do their part to ensure our community is worth a visit.”