Communities in Bloom win is about more than just flowers

Strathmore is the 2022 Communities in Bloom (CIB) winner for the population 6001-15000 category. CIB Committee President Rob Pirie is very happy to receive the award after years of hard work.

"It's actually something we've strived for and we're very pleased, but of course, it's not just this year, like with all victories it's never just due to one event of one day. It's through the hard work over the years and in the past and the people that have worked on it over several years, so it's great," he said.

As the name of the award implies, it took the entire community coming together to win this year's contest.

"It's not just due to Communities in Bloom. It's due to the leadership of the mayor and council. It's due to the town staff, and park staff who worked tremendously hard on this operation. And the communication staff who do a tremendous amount of work to make this happen. The award says we were recognized for our partnerships and there are many, many groups in town and partners that have resulted in this win."

Photo Courtesy: Rob Pirie

CIB is about more than just flowers; it's about the entire community growing and blooming together. For that, Strathmore should feel very proud of the wonderful community we've created. Community appearance and flowers are of course one of the main focuses of CIB, but it's also about how Strathmore is connected to each other and how we're staying green and working to keep our community thriving and healthy.

"It's many things that are part of it, even the solar farm, it becomes part of it. The mural on Brentwood School becomes part of it. The Greenhouse Strathmore High School built becomes part of it, so it's not just one thing, it's many things together."

"We are a great community because we're working at all these things. The flowers part is sort of a metaphor; the blooming is not just the flowers, it's the whole community, it's the volunteership, it's the community working together to achieve great things. So that's why it's not just a flower in bloom, it's the community as a whole working together and that's the blooming part of it."

While Pirie knows Strathmore won, he hasn't gotten the full results on the scoring yet. He explained the judges work in five categories, being:

1. Community Appearance
2. Environmental
3. Heritage
4. Tree Management
5. Floral Display

Pirie explained heritage is about how we're able to celebrate and preserve our history.

"People often think, 'well, it's just the history,' which is part of it, but it's also a celebration of, for example, the wetlands, which is part of our history. It's also looking at the role of truth and reconciliation and what work we do with our neighbors, Siksika." 

As for the future of CIB, it's possible Strathmore competes in the National Tournament, although that is still to be decided upon. Congratulations again to the CIB committee, and all the partners that made it possible!

The partners are: the Mayor & Council, town staff, Strathmore FCSS,  Connect First Credit Union, Eagle Lake Nurseries, Covenant Church, Strathmore Lions, Western District Historical Society, Legacy Farm, Western Irrigation District, Strathmore Times, Ducks Unlimited, Strathmore Legion, The Vault, Strathmore Now and 104.5 More Country and the Community Greenhouse at Strathmore High School,

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