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Communities in Bloom report

Chamber of commerce concentrates on commercial properties

City of Powell River council voted at the December 16 meeting to accept a report from the Communities in Bloom program.

Bill Reid, director of parks, recreation and culture, presented the report at the December 2 committee-of-the-whole meeting. Powell River entered into the provincial program in the non-competitive category. The city was evaluated on tidiness, environmental action, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscape and floral displays.

The city ended up with 56.3 per cent, explained Councillor Debbie Dee at the December 16 council meeting. Powell River would have received two blooms if it had been in the competition. “We can work our way up to five, so we have a lot of work to do, but I’m sure we’re up to the task,” said Dee

The judges had recommendations for the community, including more signage. “I know that’s going to be happening, along with the waterfront projects,” Dee said.

The judges also strongly recommended that the city establish a Communities in Bloom committee soon, Dee said. “They tell us the Communities in Bloom program has been a catalyst in many communities, which has brought together all segments of the community to achieve a common goal, which is fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and recognition of local history,” she said.

Councillor Aaron Pinch, who attended the council meeting over the telephone, said the judges were not only evaluating landscaping, but also community involvement and progressive bylaws and actions the community could take. “That included signage, recycle bins in our parks, biodegradable dog-waste bags, which I understand that we do have, and bylaws,” he said.

Pinch also said the report overlaps the parks, bylaw and planning departments and asked Stan Westby, chief administrative officer, to distribute it internally.

Councillor Dave Formosa, who is also the president of Powell River Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber started the initiative about three years ago and established a beautification committee, with representatives from a wide range of community groups. “That committee has decided it has done its thing, Communities in Bloom has started, the city is going to run with it,” he said. “We’re going to form a new committee, start looking at what we can do with the private properties and commercial properties and let the city and its well-qualified parks people work on the city stuff.”

Pinch agreed that the chamber had made a significant contribution to the initiative. The judges also recommended that the committee expand the representation from community groups that are involved in the initiative. “We’re on the right path, but we need to go much further,” he said. “We need to look at how we can make this bigger.”