The Town of Virden received a 4 Leaves rating, and a special mention for Virden Garden Tours during the 2017 National/International Symposium and Awards Ceremonies in Ottawa-Gatineau, National Capital Region. The Town of Virden participated in the Canada 150 category: a one-time special non-competitive category to provide communities with the opportunity to showcase achievements in greening their community and celebrate Canada’s 150th Anniversary.
Over the summer, trained volunteer judges travelled to participating communities to evaluate the overall contributions of municipal council and departments; industry; businesses and the private sector – including volunteer efforts – in regards to the following criteria: Cultural Heritage including Canada’s 150 anniversary, Landscape including Urban forestry, Floral displays and Environmental Action.
Following their evaluation, volunteer judges Odette Sabourin-Dumais and Jack Clasen wrote: “A “Self Guided Garden Tours” brochure is available to residents and visitors who wish to take a peek at some private gardens.These secret gardens surprisingly reveal a wider selection of plant material that can be grown within the Prairie climate. The brochure also mentions notable trees in Virden, such as Ohio Buckeye, Mancana Ash, Maples and Swiss Stone Pine, that create a beautiful canopy over what was once a bald Prairie.The volunteers of the Virden Garden Club, who sponsor the brochure, also depict the history of the Millennium Flower Bed, located at the main gateway. This flowerbed and picnic area originated in 1998 on an impacted site that was once a commercial garage. The bed continues to thrive with the help of dedicated volunteers.”
Within the actual context of climate changes and environmental concerns, communities involved in the program can be proud of their efforts, which provide real and meaningful environmental solutions and benefit all of society.
For a complete list of the results and the electronic copy of the Communities in Bloom magazine, please visit www.communitiesinbloom.ca
About Communities in Bloom
Communities in Bloom is a Canadian non-profit organization committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community involvement and the challenge of a national program, with focus on the enhancement of green spaces. The pride, sense of community and feeling of accomplishment generated through participation are visible in communities across Canada. For more information about Communities in Bloom, visit www.communitiesinbloom.ca
Communities are evaluated using a “leaves” rating determined by the total score of the evaluation. Up to 55% is 1 Leaf; 56% to 63% is 2 Leaves; 64% to 72% is 3 Leaves; 73% to 81% is 4 Leaves, and greater than 82% is 5 Leaves. Furthermore: 82 to 83.9% is 5 Leaves; 84 to 86.9% is 5 Leaves (Bronze); 87 to 89.9% is 5 Leaves (Silver) 90% and over: 5 Leaves (Gold).
