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 What
is Communities in Bloom?
Communities in Bloom (CiB) is a national Canadian non-profit,
volunteer-based beautification program. Cities enter and are
awarded Bloom Ratings for achievement in floral displays,
landscapes, turf, urban forestry, community involvement, heritage
conservation, environmental awareness and tidiness. This organization
is committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility,
and beautification through community participation and the
challenge of national competition.
Visit their website at: www.communitiesinbloom.ca
In 2003, the City of Trail entered the provincial Communities
in Bloom competition and won four blooms (out of a possible
five blooms). In 2004, the City was awarded five blooms in the provincial competition. While we are very pleased with this achievement, we are hoping to continually improve in all of the areas judged.
City of Trail’s Communities in Bloom (CiB) Committee
The CiB Committee is a subcommittee of the Trail Promotions
Committee, and is made up of volunteers dedicated to the beautification
of Trail. With funding from the City of Trail and Teck Cominco,
the CiB Committee envisions, plans and undertakes work to
enhance the beauty of our city.
Some of the ongoing projects are as follows:
Flowerbeds, baskets and banners
The CiB Committee is actively working to beautify our city.
Volunteers liaise with the City of Trail, the City Garden
Contractors, and a local garden designer to create beautiful
flowerbeds and planters in our downtown area. In the spring,
hundreds of colourful spring daffodils and tulips fill the
gardens, followed later in the year with beautiful annuals,
all planted with a special theme and design.
Trail adopted the Peace Rose as its official flower and the
Committee has planted a Peace Rose Garden at Gyro Park.
 The
sixty plus colourful flower baskets that are hung on Rossland
Avenue and throughout our downtown area are exemplary and
deserve much praise. These baskets are visually appealing
and enhance the streetscape.
Working with local artists, some very unique banners have
been hung on Rossland Avenue and in the area of the Aquatic
Centre. Other colourful banners are hung along the north and
south highway entrances to the community.
Murals
In conjunction with the Trail and District Arts Council and
VISAC, the CiB Committee is engaging a professional mural
artist to paint historical depictions of events on some of
the exterior walls around town. Ideas include: the Trail Smoke
Eaters, Kootenay Hotel burning, floods, and paddle wheelers
on the river.
 Local
Garden Contest
Each year, a Garden Contest is held in the city, whereby residents
can enter their garden for recognition. There are a number
of categories for judging, such as “Beautiful Beds &
Borders”, “Garden Architecture”, “Specialty
Gardens” and “Most Beautiful Block” to name
a few. With the many highly-skilled gardeners in Trail, it
is no wonder that hundreds of gardens are entered into this
contest each year. The many wonderful prizes to be won are
a great incentive too! The Garden Contest Subcommittee and
their volunteers deserve a round of applause for their efforts
in coordinating this event.
Historical signage
The CiB Committee has been developing plaques with historical
information and photos of some of Trail’s old buildings.
It is hoped to do the same for heritage houses. Locations
of all these unique buildings would then be marked on a map
for touring. This project is well underway, thanks to the
sponsor, the Trail Historical Society.
Train (caboose and ore car)
The City of Trail has acquired an ore car, and will be complementing
it with a caboose at a later date. The CiB Committee is now
deciding where to locate these historically significant items.
Light up the town
Gold lights have been chosen to enhance the downtown area
and Riverside Avenue during the dark winter months. The CiB
committee would like to light up the bridges, as well as areas
between the bridges, with a “circle of hope” and
encourage the lighting of commercial buildings with coloured
lights. The aim is to enter the Annual Home and Business Christmas
Lights competition.
White Garden
Initiated by a group of volunteers from Montrose, plans are
in the works for an English White Garden emulating the beautiful,
showy and enchanting White Garden of Sissinghurst Castle in
England. Among the 180 or more species of plants that will
be featured will be the spectacular "Rosa Mulliganni",
which will cover a 20' octagonal wrought iron arbour. A "must
see" for the Columbia Basin, this garden will soon attract
many visitors and has the potential to become an aesthetic
and economic touchstone.
The CiB Committee has plans for many other projects:
- Map development and signage for walking/running trails
- Postal cancellation to develop a recognizable postmark
for Trail
- Interpretive signage for river walks, parks, and Teck
Cominco historical information
- Piazza (or town square) development
- “Visit Trail” Pass – similar to the
Okanagan Wine Pass
- River Development
- Viewpoint development, scenic route
- A new slogan for the city
What about YOUR idea?
The Communities in Bloom Committee wishes to extend a huge
thank you to the City of Trail, the City’s Garden Contractors,
Columbia Valley Greenhouse, as well as businesses, contractors,
and the hundreds of volunteers – too many to name. Without
this support, we would not have a “Community in Bloom!”
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP?
To contact the Communities in Bloom Committee, call 364-0809.
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