Barrhead receives five blooms for the second straight year

Barrhead is an attractive community and they have the awards to prove it.

For the second year in a row, Barrhead has been awarded five out of five blooms in the annual Communities in Bloom (CiB) contest. Local members of the Communities in Bloom commitee accepted a trophy reognizing the community’s commplishment on Sept. 29 at a ceremony in Sherwood Park.

Communities in Bloom is a national community beautification program which began in 1995. Initially, it was limited to just 29 communities, but has since grown to encompass hundreds of towns and cities across the country, with most provinces, including Alberta, hosting provincial competitions.

Barrhead has entered the competition for the last five years.

For the first two years, Barrhead competed in both the provincial and local competitions. However, participation in the local competition waned, as residents were hesitant of competing against each other.

As such, for the last three years, the committee has decided to focus on the provincial competition, with Barrhead entering the Communities in Bloom “supporte”  category.

Sue Rees, chair of the local Communities in Bloom committee, said the contest is about more than “nice flowers” and well-kept yards.

“It’s much more than that. It is about the preservation of the environment and local heritage, the general landscape, floral displays, urban forestry and the overall tidiness of the community,” she said, adding the judging is very comprehensive.

As part of the evaluation, provincial judges toured the community July 26. Some of the locations they visited included the Barrhead Healthcare Centre, the Public Library, the industrial area, the Barrhead Aquatics Centre, the Community Garden, the historical Lutheran Church and the site of the Benton School, the Lac La Nonne Store, Dunstable School’s outdoor classroom and the Yuill Park and Japanese Garden.

Rees noted one of the reasons why Barrhead has scored so well in the last few years is because it truly is a community effort.

“They [at the awards ceremony and in the judging evaluation forms] specifically noted one of the reasons why we do so well is because of how well ... the town and county work together for the beautification of our entire community,” she said.

Rees added they also consistently receive high marks in is in the heritage conservation category.

In the evaluation form, judges noted the town has done a good job in preserving its natural areas such as the Beaverbrook ravine and identifying significant historical sites and events through historical markers on the Blue Heron Trail.

The judges also noted the work the committee has done in preserving the community’s history through a website (www.barrheadcommunity.ca) that was created with the help of the library.

“What we are trying to do is create a repository where people can bring their historical photographs so people can see them and help identify who is in the picture, or add information about the event or location,” she said.

Even though the gardening season has come to an end, the committee is always looking for more volunteers to either participate in the contest or sit as committee members.

Participants receive a sign to display prominently on their property saying they are a Communities in Bloom supporter.

For those wishing to sit on the committee, it meets once a month at Barrhead and District Family Community Support Services (FCSS) — usually on the third Tuesday of the month.

For more information, contact Rees at 780-674-6136 or Ros Rudd at Barrhead and Community Family Support Services at 780-674-3341.