Two Provincial Communities in Bloom judges will arrive in Merritt to tour the City on Monday. The City hasn’t participated since 2008 so the newly formed committee elected to have a ‘non-competitive’ status this year.

“We didn’t want to jump in and throw something together just to please the judges for their one-day visit,” says Shelley Sanders, Chair of the Communities in Bloom committee.

“The committee wanted to do something more substantial as well as do more education on the benefits of the Communities in Bloom program.”

The judges will take an extensive tour through the City, checking out all aspects of the community from the walking trails, the heritage buildings and the general appearance.

They will then be treated to a luncheon put on by the Baillie House volunteers. Some of the key stakeholders in the program will be on hand to provide information for the judges during the luncheon.

Communities participate within their population category and there are eight elements that are reviewed: tidiness, heritage conservation, landscape, environmental action, urban forest, turf and groundcovers, floral displays and community involvement.

In the week leading up to July 18, Sanders asks that businesses and residents consider what they might do to improve the look of their spaces.

“But remember that this is a year-round project,” she notes. “We want to be a community that shows pride in their surroundings throughout the year.”