City pride shines even after judges leave

The judges for Communities in Bloom have been in town looking at everything from the amount of community involvement, pride, cleanliness, types of trees, the types of flowers, and the walking paths.

Evelyn Alemanni from Escondido, California was one of the two judges that came to Fort St. John to view all the city has to offer. She says she was impressed to see all the various facilities within a city that doesn’t have a very large population.

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Communities in Bloom is a national non-profit organization that is “committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community involvement” through the use of green spaces in communities across Canada.

Alemanni says her favourite part of the city were the flower pots and hanging baskets along the main streets.

It’s all about the presentation of the city and how it is packaged for judging, she says, adding that a community can benefit both economically and health-wise from having a beautified city.

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In 2009, Fort St. John was a national finalist in the 10,001 – 20,000 population category.

The national award winners will be announced in Halifax from Oct. 27 to 30.