Kamsack has once again received four blooms in the annual Communities in Bloom provincial competition.
Entered in the category for communities with populations from 1,001 to 2,000, Kamsack had received four booms last year when it placed second to Eston which had received five blooms.
This year, Kamsack is again in second place, after Eston, which also received four blooms. Wynyard was in third place with three blooms. Although 10 communities of this size participated in the event, only the top three had entered the competitive side of the exercise.
“It was a close second,” said Andrey Exelby, a Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association (SPRA) consultant for parks and open spaces. The percentages each of the communities received will be released along with detailed reports later in the month.
In the results, Kamsack was recognized for the appearance of Riverview Cemetery.
Announcing the winners of this year’s Saskatchewan Communities in Bloom program, the SPRA said it recognizes all 33 of the provincial participants after another very successful year.
“Communities in Bloom participants work towards enhancing their community in relation to the following six criteria: tidiness, environmental action, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscape and floral displays.”
The following provincial winners excelled in these six criteria: Eastend (population category 501 – 1,000), four blooms with special mention for community theme “Discover a Sanctuary for all Your Senses;” Eston (1,001 – 2,000), four blooms with special mention for enthusiastic Communities in Bloom committee, “18 years and going strong, and Melfort (5,000 and higher) four blooms with special mention for outstanding community involvement.
Special recognition was also given to those communities that represented Saskatchewan in the 2017 National Communities in Bloom edition when results were recognized at the Communities in Bloom national symposium on parks and grounds, in Ottawa on September 13-16. Maple Creek was declared a National Communities in Bloom winner.
Through the hard work and dedication of these participants, the Communities in Bloom motto continues to be achieved: People, Plants and Pride…Growing Together.
Communities in Bloom continues to assist in building communities across Saskatchewan, said a release from SPRA.
The SPRA is a non-profit member-based organization whose purpose is to promote, develop and facilitate parks and recreation opportunities throughout the province, the release said. SPRA is recognized as the provincial umbrella organization representing parks and recreation in Saskatchewan and manages the recreation section of the Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund for Sport, Culture and Recreation. In partnership with the Communities in Bloom National Organization, SPRA has co-ordinated the Saskatchewan Communities in Bloom program since 1997.
Communities in Bloom is a provincial program and national organization that recognizes community participation in projects involving community enhancement, beautification, heritage and environmental awareness, it said. Participants are evaluated on the quality of the municipality's green spaces, dedication to quality of living, general tidiness, environmental awareness, heritage and the level of community involvement. It is a great opportunity for communities to generate civic pride and local participation, while gaining recognition across the country. Communities may choose to be evaluated in the program through either competitive or non-competitive participation categories.
