MOOSOMIN — It’s been awhile since Moosomin has competed at the national level of Communities in Bloom — 2004 was the last time — but that’s about to change. This year, the local Communities in Bloom committee has its sights set on the national competition on the heels of two highly successful provincial entries.
This year will be the seventh time Moosomin has entered the contest, initially appearing in the years 2000 through 2004. After a 19-year hiatus, the 2023 provincial entry resulted in a win for the 2,001 to 3,000 population category and an award for five blooms. Last year resulted in another five-bloom accreditation, and the invitation to return to national competition.
“They’re more extensive as far as judging,” said Moosomin’s Parks and Recreation Director, Mike Schwean, comparing the national competition to the provincial competition. “The last two years, we’ve had the town, the lake board and the golf course. This year, we’re including the RM of Moosomin, so we have a fourth pillar involved.”
Having multiple partners involved in an entry to Communities in Bloom is unique, but seems to be a large part of what makes the Moosomin entry such a success.
Planning for the 2025 Communities in Bloom entry is still in the early stages, with Schwean noting committee meetings will be taking place shortly.
“It’s a good program,” he said. “It’s a lot more than people realize. Beautification is obviously a large part of it, but there’s a lot more that goes into it. So it’s certainly a good promotional tool for the community.”
Comments from past years’ judges have been helpful, and presented to communities in detailed reports.
“We go through the details, and we’ve looked to improve on the recommendations over the last two years,” Schwean said. “Our goal wasn’t to win provincials, it was to make improvements. The judges are a wealth of knowledge. Whether it’s the tree strategy, or pollution strategy or anything — they are wealth of knowledge.”
At the national level, Moosomin will be in the category of communities with a population of up to 5,000 with an awards ceremony taking place in Stratford, Ont. from Oct. 16-19.
Since 1995, more than 900 municipalities have participated in Communities in Bloom in either the provincial, national or even international levels.
The national edition of Communities in Bloom is by invitation and involves more in-depth categories. Firstly, entries can go into the competition based on population size or the Special Attractions category — a non-competitive realm that can be evaluated or non-evaluated.
From the population category, participants can advance to the Class of Champions, International Challenge or Circle of Excellence categories. There’s also the Grand Champions category for past champions who have advanced from the Class of Champions and International Challenge categories.
