Formerly a winning Communities in Bloom municipality on the national stage, Sundre is once again poised to participate in the annual competition.
"We're in the novice category this year," said Cindy Orr, an organizer who has been involved in the local effort to revive the initiative in partnership with other organizations such as the Downtown Area Revitalization Committee and the Sundre Garden Club.
"We're kind of starting from scratch," she said, adding Sundre Communities in Bloom is run completely by volunteers.
She told the Round Up during a recent phone interview that two judges have been scheduled to visit Sundre on Aug. 10.
In the lead-up to their visit, Orr said a group of local volunteers would be going out to serve as unofficial judges for the community ó not to be too competitive, but rather simply to encourage people to take more pride in ownership.
"When you look at the mandate of Communities in Bloom, that's what it's about, is civic pride," she said.
The whole point of the program is to encourage not only community members but also local businesses to get involved in beautifying the municipality. Of course there are different opinions on which landscaping features look the best, but the idea is about encouraging residents and business owners to care more about their properties, as well as to recognize those people who put in that extra effort, she said.
The Communities in Bloom officials scheduled for the visit in August are Berta Briggs, a provincial and national judge who owns a greenhouse near Wetaskiwin, and Maureen Sexsmith-West, an arborist from Lethbridge who is working for the Alberta Heritage Tree Project, she said.
Their visit will include a tour of the town during which time the judges will score Sundre on three out of a total of six Communities in Bloom categories, followed by a workshop later that afternoon when they'll go over their notes to highlight positive features as well as to offer suggestions for future improvements, she said.
"That'll be the really interesting part ó it'll be good feedback."
Growing up, Orr said she fondly recollects how polished Sundre was when the municipality was a national Communities in Bloom winner.
"We've been pushing for this for a number of years because it's such a wonderful program," she said, adding, "it's something that can make Sundre that much better."
Sundre Garden Club president Terry Neslon agrees.
"The town can always be a bit prettier," she told the Round Up.
"We have so many tourists coming through here going to the West Country. It would really be beneficial for all of us if it looks prettier."
