The national Communities in Bloom judges like what they see in North Bay.
Colleen Stockford, from Sussex, New Brunswick and Leduc, Alberta’s Christine Isaac are evaluating the city in six categories.
They include:
- Community Appearance
- Environmental Action
- Heritage Conservation
- Tree Management
- Plant and floral displays
- Landscape
“It’s such a beautiful community,” Isaac says. “The tree canopy absolutely blew me away. Access to so much water. This is truly a gem in Ontario.”
Along with North Bay, she says they’re evaluating Capreol and two communities in Alberta.
“We do make recommendations to the community in all six of the categories,” she says. “We try to make that as useful as possible for community so they can take something home as well, not just this experience.”
Jamie Lowery is the Communities in Bloom lead for North Bay.
He says everyone has whole-heartedly jumped on board with the initiative.
“That journey of engaging people and people wanting to do something to make where they live better,’ he says. “Even if it’s in a small way of picking up garbage, planting flowers or cutting the grass. If it makes you feel good about your community, I think that’s really the value of Communities in Bloom.”
Along with a visit to the community gardens at Northern Pines, the judges took part in a helicopter tour and visited the Chippewa Creek EcoPath.
Another stop includes the mini-train and carousel, and an evening cruise aboard the Chief Commanda II.
The results of the national competition will be announced in October.
