One of two Communities in Bloom judges who recently toured through Sundre told the Round Up she was impressed by the town's vitality.
Berta Briggs, a provincial, national and even international judge who owns a greenhouse garden centre near Wetaskiwin, said her impression of Sundre is that the municipality has "a true sense of community. I met people of all ages, and they were all excited about their community."
Sundre, she said, seems to embody the definition of community involvement and pride, which are pillars of the Communities in Bloom program that is totally volunteer driven.
Briggs was accompanied on Thursday, Aug. 10 by fellow judge Maureen Sexsmith-West, an arborist from Lethbridge who is working for the Alberta Heritage Tree Project, and the two were chaperoned throughout the community by several volunteers, including Cindy Orr, who has been instrumental in reviving Sundre Communities in Bloom.
"We saw quite an overview," Briggs said. "They provided an excellent tour."
Communities in Bloom serves as a tool that allows a municipality to look at its growth through the careful examination of the following six criteria: tidiness, environmental action, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscape as well as floral displays, she said.
However, because Sundre has not been involved in the competition for many years, volunteers decided to enter the novice program that offers the opportunity to choose three criteria, which in this case were environmental action, floral displays, and landscape.
Every community has its own unique issues such as type of climate and wildlife, and "the way they adapt or respond is a testament to their commitment to their project," said Sexsmith-West.
When evaluating, judges do not compare one municipality with another, she said.
"Each community is judged on its own merit."
The criteria might remain the same, but the projects are always totally different, she said.
Overall, the judges said they felt warmly welcomed, and they both praised the efforts of everyone involved in working to improve their hometown.
"The hospitality that we received and enthusiasm that we noted was very heartwarming," said Sexsmith-West, describing all of the people involved in the tour as wonderful ambassadors for Sundre.
"The committee is really passionate about what they're doing. Everyone we met was invested in providing a better quality of life ó that's very uplifting."
Sundre was among 27 communities across Alberta that took part in the provincial edition of Communities in Bloom, said an Alberta Recreation and Parks Association press release.
The judges' evaluation was as of last week not yet complete, but results will be presented publicly during an awards ceremony in Lacombe on Sept. 23.
"It'll be good to have the feedback from the judges," said Orr.
The numerous locations visited included but were not limited to the following: the Sundre Community Garden, the Sundre Hospital and Care Centre's palliative care garden, the Sundre Community Centre, the Sundre Pioneer Village and Musem, the rodeo grounds, walking trails including Snake Hill, the municipal office, and residential gardens as well as businesses of interest.
Town of Sundre staff have been supportive of the initiative, which Orr said has played an important role.
"We can't really go anywhere with this program without support from the municipality," she said, also expressing appreciation for FortisAlberta, which through its Empowering Communities program donated funds to help get the local program off the ground.
Of course volunteers have also provided a crucial backbone, and Orr was grateful that the Sundre and District Historical Society allowed the use of the museum to host the lunch with the judges.
Visit www.sundreinbloom.weebly.com for updates on Sundre Communities in Bloom, or follow the group's social media page.
