Peggy George and Myra Busby at National Communities in Bloom Symposium in Victoria (Photo courtesy/Melfort Communities in Bloom, Facebook)

By Ben Tompkins

'We are the champions!"

Melfort Communities in Bloom wins first-ever National Championship

Oct 28, 2022 | 2:47 PM

Melfort Communities in Bloom (CiB) has now achieved something it had never previously done before…win a National Championship.

Melfort won in the up to 6,000 category after beating out fellow competitors the Village of Chipman, NB, the Village of Petitcodiac, NB, and the Village of St. Paul, Alta. Melfort earned a five-bloom rating, after scoring 82.43 per cent in its evaluation.

Melfort CiB volunteer, Peggy George was at the National Symposium in Victoria and had quite the reaction after winning.

“Well, Myra (Busby) and I looked at each other, and we just kind of screamed,” George told northeastNOW. “It is always so rewarding to be recognized for the work that you do, we wanted it for the City of Melfort and we are just so so excited.”

The city previously had provincial wins in 2014 and 2018, as well as being a national finalist in 2019.

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While there were competitions held the past two years, they were both done virtually, along with the virtual judge visits.

George spoke highly about how the last two years were handled, however, after returning to the “real thing”, she said there’s just nothing like it.

“Competing nationally really takes you out of your comfort zone and exposes you to the world. It’s just awesome to be around people that are doing the same thing as you and have the same passion, dedication, and interest in making your community a better place. We’re always thrilled to show Melfort in the great light that it should be shown.”

The city also competed in a new category called the Outstanding Achievement Awards. While they did not win, their ‘secret garden’ was one of three finalists.

As far as their national championship goes, the group plans to share the award with the rest of their committee at their next meeting. City council will also get a chance to share in the festivities at November’s meeting.

According to George, while they are celebrating their accomplishment, they have already begun to think about next year, as the “wheels are already in motion.”

Melfort saw two out-of-province judges visit their community on behalf of CiB, back on July 26, 27, and 28. The two judges included Lucy Chang of Ottawa, Ont. and Colleen Stockford of Sussex, N.B.

The Symposium also focused on concepts such as connecting people with plants, wildlife, and nature, stating that “climate change is affecting everyone… what are we doing about it and how can we adapt to make our world more sustainable?”

Another hot topic was the importance of green space and parks, with the health benefits being not just for physical well-being but also mental health.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8