CiB judges impressed with community involvement and development
The judging is done and now the waiting begins until the national Communities in Bloom (CiB) results are announced in October.
North Bay is entered in the national population category along with Fredericton, New Brunswick, although Tina Liu, CiB judge, says that doesn’t mean the cities are pitted against each other.
“You are competing against your best potential,” she says. “We see each community as an individual. We see what potential you have, what resources that you can draw on, what you can improve or what you have already done.”
Liu, a landscape architect with the National Capital Commission in Ottawa, used to work with a Toronto firm that took part in the city’s waterfront revitalization masterplan about 20 years ago.
“It’s very exciting to see it come to fruition and see all of the elements here,” she says. “Also to see how much North Bay has grown in terms of community development and community involvement is magnificent here.”
She says one highlight is the number of volunteers that are involved, noting everyone told them they’ve lost count of how many they have.
But it isn’t just volunteers helping out.
“People would not walk by a piece of trash,” says Liu. “We actually saw it during our tour as people walked by. They picked up garbage and threw it in the garbage bin. That’s something that is rooted in the community and is very special.”
Liu and fellow CiB judge Karen Stephenson were evaluating achievements in six categories:
- Community Appearance
- Environmental Action
- Heritage Conservation
- Tree Management
- Landscape
- Plant and Floral Displays
They toured several areas of the city, from tree orchards and residential gardens to Laurier Woods, the Sports Hall of Fame, the community energy park, Downtown North Bay and Waterfront, and much more.
National and International CiB results will be announced in Stratford this fall (Oct. 16-18), during the National Symposium and Awards Ceremonies.
Richard CoffinRichard Coffin has been a reporter and news anchor on the radio in North Bay for over 25 years. From premiers to people in the neighbourhood, he enjoys connecting with newsmakers and writing stories that matter to area listeners on a variety of topics including healthcare, education, politics, sports and more.
