“We are so excited,” Boissevain-Morton Head of Council Judy Swanson added, “because we’re the best of the best. It’s a huge thing to be the Grand Champion. This community has gone from just starting in Communities in Bloom and worked their way into many competitions, winning national, international, Circle of Excellence and now this. We’ve been challenged across the ocean. This has been an ongoing thing for more than 20 years.”
Frank Burton said the celebration was held in a curtained-off arena, about three-quarters full of tables. There were around 25 awards given out in different categories, and the last one was the Grand Champions. When Boissevain was announced, there was plenty of excitement.
“It was quite emotional,” Sandra said. “It was a very big moment. You look at all the places around us, and they were calling for Boissevain. It’s something we should all be proud of.”
Boissevain-Morton received a score of 88.70%, with five blooms and a silver rating. The community was given a special mention for Historic Mural. Judges were impressed with the entire outdoor art gallery, giving special emphasis to the newest artwork, These Roots Run Deep, which was added in the summer of 2019.
“They special mentioned it, they talked about how the artists were able to take the new and old, and the artists got young people involved. That is important to them.”
The evaluation discussed the impression the community made on judges Colleen Stockford and James Bourgeois, who visited in July. They talked about what a tidy and neat town it was, the abundance of flowers and pots, the integration of the individuals of Prairie Partners in the community and the importance of volunteers. The historic buildings were also big for judges.
All of the museums were praised, particularly the Moncur Gallery. The tree canopy was considered phenomenal, and the heritage willow impressed them. The McDonald play structure was considered a laudable effort, as was the ArtsPark. Everything was well matched, the petunia trees were great and the private and public gardens meshed well.
Sandra Burton said the people in Yarmouth were a friendly bunch who could not do enough for you, with plenty of available transportation and a lobster dinner on Friday evening. One thing that made a big impression on the visitors was how big recycling is there, with people making sure everything is in the right bin. This fits well with Boissevain, where the recycling volunteers received special praise from judges as they always do.
There are always areas for improvement. The 4-H kids had their garden, which Swanson said was a start, but the community does need to get more young people involved, especially as European countries start their kids in beautification at an early age. Swanson said they could connect it to the newest environmental interest from school children. If they want to be involved in the environment, this is a way to do it.
Among recommendations were improving streets and sidewalks, as well as more variety in the trees, although this is being done now. They would like more water conservation, which could mean more low-flush toilets, or as Frank suggested using more rain water, if possible, for town watering. More shading could be good for the Tommy Turtle Park.
“There are lots of things we could do,” Swanson stated.
Burton said those in Yarmouth were surprised by how much support volunteers get from the municipality, although Trail, BC gets $100,000 from theirs.
Swanson commented on the real reasons Boissevain-Morton has been able to do so well in beautification.
“It’s civic pride. You come from other communities, and I’ve lived in other communities and you try to instill it. Boissevain has it and always had it. It has never lost it. You have young people, older people, people moving back into town. We have a lot of people involved in the environment; there are people with an artistic bend. Our community’s so diverse, and yet everyone is able to flourish here. You can grow roots here, you can be who you need to be.”
As well, the International Peace Garden received five blooms and bronze in the non-competitive Special Attractions category. They received special mention for their capital and major improvement projects.
The win is a big one for the community. It continues a good streak for the area, which has seen expansion by businesses like Goodon’s and Western Archrib. Frank Burton also mentioned Redhand as a major employer in the community. These are certainly strengths, which the head of council acknowledged.
“They have invested in our community,” Swanson said. “We have businesses that not only invest, but expand. They have the faith in this community to do this.”
As for the future, there is the question of where to go. Boissevain has reached the peak of the peak in Communities in Bloom. It might be time to think about a slightly different direction. Swanson said having a “target date” where people actually show up to look is important, as it keeps people working together on beautification. However, perhaps Boissevain could move into mentoring other towns, to help them on their road. They have to discuss it with the beautification committee and work from there. Definitely, they want to continue working with Communities in Bloom in the years to come, as this win gives recognition of how far Boissevain-Morton has come and how much work has been put in.
“This says wonders about our community and our volunteers.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff