Melfort Communities in Bloom gears up for national competition

“A lot of our projects are coming together quite nicely,” George said. “Are we ready? No, not quite. There are still some things that can be done and we ask the whole community to pitch in and help us.”

The Linsey Levendall painting on the Home Hardware building and completion of the meditation garden at the cemetery are two of committee’s projects that are completed, although at this point George said the best way residents can help is by tidying up their properties or neighbourhoods of any weeds, long grass, dead trees, or any litter that can be disposed of.

City responsibilities

Along with its residents, the City of Melfort is also working to get itself ready for national judging.

George said Melfort Communities in Bloom have been able to send recommendations to the city, such as adjusting a bylaw to remove dead trees, whenever something that needs to be tidied up is above their heads.

Roadside construction, specifically on Saskatchewan Drive, isn’t expected to be a part of the Canada Communities in Bloom judges’ evaluations.

Continuing construction on Saskatchewan Drive in Melfort isn’t expected to be judged by Canada Communities in Bloom (Aaron Schulze/northeastNOW Staff).

While construction may not be complete before the judges arrive, George calls the renovations the city has done over the previous year “fantastic.”

“Last year, the city spent over $700,000 on new sidewalks,” she said. “That promoted a lot towards cleaning up, because a lot of those sidewalks were in disrepair; full of cracks and weeds. To have that done last year, and they’re spending another $605,000 on new sidewalks this year… it may not be done, they may be working at it, it may be inconvenient for you and me, but it’s progress.”

One of the city’s responsibilities is empty and boarded buildings, and that will affect the judging.

George said those kinds of buildings are on the radars for both Communities in Bloom and the City of Melfort. However, it’s still a process.

The building on Saskatchewan Drive and Main Street previously occupied by 7-Eleven has been empty for nearly two years (Aaron Schulze/northeastNOW Staff).

“When a place, be it occupied or vacant, is unsightly, there are bylaws and means that the city can pursue to have that property cleaned up,” she said. “Our bylaw officer is working really hard at those kinds of situations. It’s unfortunately a slower process than what we would like, but again, things take time and the process has to get started.”

Community pride

There won’t be a large, grand prize at the end of the line if Melfort Communities in Bloom receives the highest grade on a national stage.

But if they show up well, the two most important aspects to them, bragging rights and community pride, will be theirs.

“It’s amazing when you do these kinds of projects to see who you’re working with,” George said. “The more we band together, show our community pride, and support each other, the healthier our community is.

“When you have a healthy community, it progresses, moves forward, and good things continue to happen. It’s just bragging rights and feeling good about yourself, and there are so many people that do their part and go above and beyond. The more Melfort is exposed to the rest of the country, people will start to take an interest and come here.”

To put the finishing touches before the judges arrive, the Melfort Communities in Bloom team will host community clean-ups starting at Memorial Garden at 6:30 p.m. each night from July 9 to 12. George said anyone in the community is welcome to help out at any time.

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aaron.schulze@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @SchulzePANow

by Aaron Schulze

Melfort Communities in Bloom gears up for national competition

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