A small committee of dedicated locals are working towards the betterment and beautification of the Town of Eckville through Communities in Bloom.
The program, and competition, works to see towns of all size become more eco-friendly, clean and resourceful while also creating a beautiful space.
“People need to know it is more than just pretty flowers,” said committee member Sandy Hallgren.
Officially, Communities in Bloom (CiB) fosters ”civic pride, environmental responsibility, beautification and improving quality of life through community participation … with a focus on the protection and promotion of green spaces.”
While a national program, the Alberta provincial program has seen as many as 62 communities participate and compete in a single year.
“That is the other part I don’t think people realize, this is also a competition,” said Hallgren.
The Eckville CiB program is still young, having only been created last year, the group is making headway.
The committee has made beautification improvements to the cemetery, town sign and the front of Town Hall.
Also Eckville CiB has partnered with the Town of Eckville to create a dog park, which is expected to open very soon.
Town Councillor and committee member Colleen Ebden says she made the dog park her project for the year.
“I’ve been working with Jack [Ramsden, the Town’s chief administrative officer] on this one, and I’m committed,” Ebden said, adding the site of the park really just needs a fence around it.
Partnerships, like the soon-to-be dog park, is one beneficial aspect of CiB. Along with working alongside local government, CiB also facilitates partnerships from citizens, local groups and organizations as well as businesses.
The CiB program is not just a summertime organization either. The group will work year-round to provide new projects and “continuous improvements for the entire community.”
One event the committee just started was Kick it to the Kurb, which was held town-wide on June 16. Locals placed items they no longer wanted or needed along the curb for others to pick-up for free if they were interested.
Ebden said this event allows the residents to clear out their homes and yards without adding to the overflowing landfills.
The group is looking at holding a similar event in the fall, as well as a town-wide spring clean up.
The CiB judges will be arriving in Eckville on July 26, to go over the efforts improvements of the committee done in town.
“This is the first year we will actually be competing,” said Ebden.
Eckville will be competing in the 501-2,000 population category. There are two other communities in this category, the Village of Wabamun and the Town of Onoway.
The judges will be evaluating Eckville of tidiness, environmental action, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscape, floral displays and community involvement.