Two Communities in Bloom judges toured Castlegar last week in the scorching heat, evaluating everything from our flower pots to our community spirit.
Tina Liu and Leslie Cornell visited Castlegar’s community garden, golf course, City Hall, The Confluence (new Chamber of Commerce Building), Millennium Park, Kootenay Gallery Butterflyway, Doukhobour Discovery Centre, Sculpturewalk, the Brilliant Bridge, Verigin’s Tomb, the MIR Centre for Peace and many scenes in between.
They also met with city staff to talk about programs and planning in the city.
Castlegar is competing in the Circle of Excellence category this year, the designation for those who have already won recognition at the national level.
The judges don't just judge, they also advise, offer advice and even learn from the city they are visiting – transferring knowledge and experiences from one community to another.
Liu, who has been a CIB judge for eight years and is a senior landscape architect at the National Capital Commission, said what she saw around Castlegar was “quite impressive.”
She was impressed with the quality of our flowers and pots, the volunteer-managed gardens and our natural landscape.
“The giant trees and mountains are breathtaking,” Liu told Castlegar News in a post-tour interview.
She said a few of the highlights for her were a trip down the slide at Castlegar’s new castle-themed playground and an aerial view of the city from the platform of the fire department’s ladder truck.
But it was the number and dedication of the volunteers along with the community's spirit that impressed her the most.
She also appreciated the level of municipal support.
"I was happy to see that -- they were friendly, open and positive."
Liu added that Castlegar's natural landscape combined with the planned garden and floral spaces fosters emotional ties for local residents and helps to create opportunities for quality time.
"It takes a lot of effort to get where you are at," said Liu. "Be proud of yourselves."
