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Zarudny inspired Orangeville to join Communities in Bloom contest

June 21, 2018   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

It was Ted  Zarudny, an international judge for the Communities In Bloom (CIB) provincial and national competitions, who first encouraged Orangeville to join in.

He thought Orangeville could do well, and  was so right.

At the time he said, “All we’re doing is showing what’s here” and then, proceeded to show Orangeville how to do much more.

Now in its fifth year of participation, Orangeville is entered into the National level of competition for the second year. Last year was its first go at the National and the town won a five-blooms bronze rating and the national Community of Gardeners Award.

“People think this is just about flowers but it’s much more,” Mr Zarudny once pointed out.

Indeed, there are six categories in which every town is assessed: Tidiness, Heritage, Energy Conservation, Urban Forestry, Landscape and Floral Displays. These categories include water conservation, waste management, use of resources on the part both private citizens, churches, town buildings and businesses. They take into account all types of environmental considerations and action. Altogether, a consultation, as it were, of the town, in many aspects. It results in a series of recommendations, later circulated to the people of the town.

In a conversation with Jane Blears, co-chair of the local CIB,  she said, “It has been a process for people to understand but now, people are really coming on board. The Town has been fantastic in its support. Two judges come from July 12 to 14, to tour  the whole town. Jeremy [Mayor Jeremy Williams] leads the tour.”

The judges are Susan Ellis and Tina Liu, one a corporate communication specialist and the other a “landscape architect from the Capitol”, making things beautiful in Ottawa.

Of those three days, on Friday, July 13, there is a collection of speakers from the CBC, County of Dufferin, Orangeville Hydro, and the Parks Department talking on a variety of environmental subjects: invasive species, waste management, efficient use of electricity and more. This is open to the public, in the Council Chambers, beginning at 8:30 a.m.

This competition calls on all who live in the town, to join in the Communities In Bloom,  as many have been doing for the past four years, much to the benefit of the town as a whole. 

The result of participation in the competition has been a notable improvement in the overall look of the town, which has also been observed in other municipalities. It has been the case that, at such time as a town drops out of the Communities in Bloom, the care for property declines noticeably. Everyone loves the edge, so it seems.

Communities in Bloom is a non-profit Canadian charity, established to encourage interest on the part of citizens in civic pride, responsibility for their environment and a passion for beautifying their environment through community involvement.

CIB was established in 1995, under the guidance of Britain in Bloom, Tidy Towns of Ireland and Villes et Villages Fleuris de France. Twenty-nine Canadian municipalities won awards at a ceremony in Ottawa, on Parliament Hill, in that first year. Since then, hundreds of municipalities all of sizes have joined.

There is, as well,  the international competition that involves cities and towns across the United State, Europe and Asia.

Ms. Blears explained further: “Through this project comes both pollinators’ seeds and vegetable seeds. Mark Cullen of Home Hardware, a sponsor, donates them. Scott’s Lawn Care company donates prizes and signs.”

She added that Credit Valley Conservation does handouts about conservation. “And there are grants available through the Canada Blooms for schools to plant trees. Two schools here are on the tour for the work they’ve done.”

It is no small effort being made on the part of the judges or their host, the Town. They are guided through every neighbourhood, assessing the whole spectrum of how Orangeville is cared for and tended, how attention is paid to the largely unseen but essentially important elements of the town’s functions.

”The more citizens realize there is a value to this, the better for the town in the CIB competition and for everyone’s own benefit,” Ms. Blears made the point of saying. “This year, citizens and businesses have been fantastic too.”

She reflected that before they themselves become involved and excited by the enterprise, “people wonder why this matters.” But this was a collaborative partnership. “It’s not just flowers, it’s way more than flowers. With these judges and the increased attention to everything, it’s basically like having consultants from out of town who produce a consultant’s report, very, very cheap.”

She added,  “We’re still looking for people to get involved. They can do this through Andrea Shaw at ashaw@orangeville.ca”

It is an invitation to join the entire town in a single but multi-faceted endeavour to compete, as a whole, with the rest of the country.

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