BARRHEAD - Barrhead is looking for a three-peat and earn a perfect five out of five blooms in the Communities in Bloom (CiB) contest, but to do so, they need the community’s help to impress the judges.
CiB is a national community beautification initiative that started in 1995 with 29 communities. Since then, the program has grown to encompass hundreds of jurisdictions across the country, with most provinces, including Alberta, hosting provincial competitions.
Barrhead, as part of a joint town and county entry, has participated in some fashion since 2016.
Initially, Barrhead competed in the provincial and local categories. However, in 2018, partly due to a lack of resident participation, the CiB committee opted to restrict its participation to strictly the provincial competition where they compete against other communities of similar size.
Town of Barrhead recreation coordinator Linda Prokott said that because of COVID, for the last two years, the local CiB committee has opted out of both the local and provincial competition, taking part in the evaluation process.
But with the easing of the pandemic public health restrictions, Prokott said Barrhead will once again compete in the provincial category, where they hope to earn their third straight five bloom performance (not counting the two years they opted out), after winning the moniker in 2018 and 2019.
In Alberta, the CiB program is overseen by the Alberta Parks and Recreation Association, which trains the panel of volunteer judges who visit participating communities in July and August. Barrhead is one of 18 communities participating in the provincial competition. Judging criteria include community appearance, environmental action, heritage conservation, tree management, landscape, and plant and floral displays. The judges will evaluate Barrhead on Aug. 12.
The judges will start the day at the town municipal office before going on a town heritage walk.
Prokott said the heritage walk is something that Teresa Kristel and CiB committee has been working on for about two years.
She noted that the heritage walk, a self-guided historical walking tour, is patterned after a similar initiative where the town posts historical information signs about the community along its walking path.
In this case, the signs include historical information about the building, including a photo of its original construction or sometimes an explanation of the original site. Currently, 16 businesses and the Bethel Pentecostal Church have participated in the program, although not all the signs are in place yet.
The judges will then go on a driving tour of the town, visiting and showcasing locations such as the community garden, the museum, Cecil Martin Park (ensuring that they see the municipality's new message board), Reflection Park and its new Zen garden, and Charles Yuill Park with its Japanese Garden and bat and bee interpretive area, along with various well-kept residential properties.
After a short break for lunch at the Barrhead Golf Club, the judges will tour various county properties including Klondike Park, Meadowview Church and Peanut Lake.
As for how residents can help Barrhead secure another five bloom rating, Prokott said the public can do their part by ensuring that their yards are neat and orderly and by keeping the community tidy by collecting any trash and litter they see on the streets.
Those who want more information about the Communities in Bloom program and Barrhead's CiB contest submission are available at the town and county municipal offices and swimming pool.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
