When Rob Spencer realized it was going to rain all day on Friday, July 25, he felt his heart sink a little. Judges from Communities in Bloom would be coming to see Stettler shine, and there wasn’t a bit of sunlight to be had.
Judges Piet Boersma from the Netherlands and Lucie Gagné from Quebec came in to judge the community as part of the international Communities in Bloom competition, and visited Stettler last week.
This year, Stettler was competing against Alberta’s Castlegar, Jasper, and Stettler, Newfoundland’s Fogo, Manitoba’s Killarney-Turtle Mountain and Ireland’s Moynalty Village.
Stettler and the others are competing in the small town category of the challenge.
The non-profit organization is “committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community involvement and the challenge of a national program, with focus on enhancing green spaces in communities,” according to its website at www.communitiesinbloom.ca.
As part of the celebration and judging, the Town of Stettler declared August to be Walk’n’Roll month and the Heartland Beautification Committee presented its Recycling Excellence awards and Beautification Champion award.
The day of touring, July 25, decided to be rainy but Boersma said it was nothing for the community to worry about. It was possible to see the care and attention the members of the community show towards their properties despite the rain and confinement to vehicles.
Other aspects, such as community centres like the Recreation Centre, the Recycling Depot, and other projects display well no matter what the weather, Gagné noted.
“Stettler is a very proactive place,” Gagné said. “It’s the 20th anniversary of the national program and Stettler has been part of it for many, many years. One of the most difficult parts for participants who have been competing for years is coming up with new ideas, but it’s not a problem here.”
She praised the volunteers who make the community’s beautification and social mechanisms continue to function.
“Any activities that require volunteers needs new volunteers every year, or else it becomes the same people doing things,” she said.
The walk’n’roll initiative as well as the Atco Electric green roof project were praised by the two judges.
Results from the inspection won’t be available until September, but even though the competition picks a winner, Gagné stressed that there was no real loser.
“The warmth of the people here is really important,” she said. “There’s no real loser in this contest and even though it steps up a winner in each category, all are winners since we help find ways to improve what is not working and recognize what is good.”
Despite the floral nature of the event’s name, it’s “not just about flowers,” Boersma said. “What makes this program is the involvement of the people.”