Recently a group of former BC Communities in Bloom Judges and Board members gathered on Zoom with a few of our current membership. What a delight it was to see so many familiar faces from the past and hear about some of their favourite BC CiB memories. Thanks everyone!

This year's British Columbia Communities in Bloom program will offer a couple of program options in an effort to provide collaboration and recognition opportunities for your community.

The modified evaluation and novice 'Check-Up' program will allow for more one on one with virtual judges. The purpose is to provide as much inspiration and help to participants who want a CiB program in their community but are still working with limited resources and people. The showcase 'Love your Neighbourhood' is an opportunity to celebrate projects or areas in communities of any size.

This year's program objectives are to: recognize local CiB efforts in the recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic; link BC 'in Bloom' communities to each other; encourage well-being through outdoor low-cost activities. In addition to encouraging arts & culture and environmental initiatives that deserve recognition.

We don't expect 2021 to be normal quite yet, but the enthusiasm for positive outdoor engagement opportunities may be the best thing for us all, for now. 
Find out how you can get involved by linking to the website at the top of this article.

Check out our website to see the winners, honorable mentions and all the other entries.

Photo contest will award three of the best images submitted by the deadline. More info

Entry deadline for submissions is SEPTEMBER 30, 2020.
​Community or Individual, show us what you have been doing to make your hometown shine!

Got a beautiful balcony, an amazing food garden, or know of a hard working group of 'social distancing' volunteers who are the reason your community is so wonderful? Enter photos based on your community's population size to get some recognition for all those efforts. This year we can't do in person community evaluations so we will do the next best thing, show us how you 'Bloom where you're Planted'! 
We have also made the entry form easier with credit card payment. Register before June 30th. Final submissions before July 31 so that we can do a little virtual judging.

New Decade...New Opportunities to Grow your commUnity!
Registration Deadline for the provincial BC Communities in Bloom program is March 31.

Don’t let the name fool you… the BC Communities in Bloom (BCCiB) program is not a flower growing contest. For 25 years it has been a symbol of municipal excellence showcasing the best in horticultural, environmental and community engagement.
It is a program based on a set of evaluation criteria. Recognizing a community for its tidiness effort, environmental action, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscape areas and floral displays with community involvement as the thread that runs though each criterion is what makes this a valuable tool for our participants.
Creating a collaborative team, local committees work with municipal help to gather volunteers from varied backgrounds such as: landscape design professional, urban planner, master gardener, local media, economic development, chamber of commerce or business owner along with public works or parks & rec staff members.
Participants may use the CiB program to inspire local enhancement projects or to create more community engagement in their greenspaces. The reasons for becoming a CiB participant are varied and the benefits are numerous as our graphic demonstrates. Now more than ever urban greenspaces are becoming the natural remedy for our busy lives.
The BC Communities in Bloom program is a not-for-profit society made up of dedicated volunteers who are specialists in horticulture, parks & recreation and community engagement.
We welcome communities from around the province to participate in the BC Communities in Bloom program to enhance their hometown’s unique potential and celebrate their successes.
Catherine Kennedy,
BC Communities in Bloom Executive Director
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