City of Quesnel gets "5 Blooms" in recent Communities in Bloom competition

From the City of Quesnel and I add my personal congrats to the City of Quesnel achieving "5 Blooms" in recent Communities in Bloom competition

Quesnel awarded five blooms in international competition Quesnel, B.C. - Quesnel has been rewarded for another outstanding Communities in Bloom competition. The community was awarded five blooms in the International Challenge - Small Category at the annual Communities in Bloom convention in Halifax. The community also received special mention for the restoration of the Fraser River Footbridge.


"On behalf of Quesnel City Council, I congratulate and thank our CiB Chair, Coun. Laurey-Anne Roodenburg and her entire team. This program requires a lot of dedication and a willingness to get the job done," said Mayor Mary Sjostrom. "Given this was our first time entering in the international category, we scored very highly. We have much to celebrate as a City, the place where rivers flow and gardens grow."


CiB judges visited Quesnel from July 15 to 17, and evaluated the community on its performance in the following criteria: tidiness, environmental action, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscape, turf & groundcovers, floral displays, and community involvement. Those judges wrote that "the citizens of Quesnel are proud of their heritage and concerned about the environment. The restoration of the Fraser River Footbridge celebrates an historic structure while offering a critical connection to Quesnel's extensive trail system. A 'mile of petunias' planted in the historic downtown over 20 years ago continues to be planted each year and has inspired everyone to plant flowers in Quesnel. Hanging baskets, boxes, containers and beds are seen everywhere. The city glistens with colour."


"I am so impressed with our results this year. It was a culmination of hard work from our city staff, sponsors, committee members, community groups and City Council," said Communities in Bloom Chair and Coun. Laurey-Anne Roodenburg. "I say a huge thank you to everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to participate. This experience for me was an exciting opportunity to showcase what a fantastic community we live in!"


The City competed against Aylmer Ontario, Boissevain Manitoba, Hampton New Brunswick, Nieuwpoort, Belgium, Pembroke Ontario, Pitlochry, Scotland, and Warwick, New York. Warwick was the overall international champion.


Communities in Bloom is a Canadian non-profit organization committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification, and to improving quality of life through community participation and the challenge of a national and international competition.