Salmon Arm has moved up a bloom.
On Oct. 3 in Surrey at the British Columbia Communities in Bloom awards luncheon, Salmon Arm became a recipient of a Five Bloom Community Award.
In 2014, Salmon Arm received Four Blooms with a special mention of the ‘amazing mosaic tile wall at the Ross Street Plaza.’
Comments from the 2014 judges turned out to be prophetic.
“Salmon Arm has many attributes that are worthy of recognition, and you are to be commended on the accomplishments so far. You are very close to becoming a Five-Bloom Community,” they remarked last year.
In awarding the Five-Bloom Community recognition, judges made note of Marine Park and the wharf as outstanding amenities.
Also receiving a new Five- Bloom award was the District of Barriere with mention of environmental awareness.
Repeat Five-Bloom winner who receive Five-Bloom Street Banners are the City of Coquitlam for its Inspiration Garden, and the District of Hope for its You Grow Foods and for mentoring Yale.
Four Blooms went to the Village of Cache Creek with mention of its resilient community spirit and the City of Whitehorse in the Yukon for Joginder and Whitehorse Subaru floral displays.
“I was quite excited to get the Five-Bloom award, the crews have worked so hard – when you looked around, it was very very beautiful,” said Salmon Arm Mayor Nancy Cooper.
“It’s more than just blooms – the community involvement, the environmental, kind of the overall picture...”
Although just 14 of 162 B.C. municipalities participated in the program, Cooper said she thinks it’s a worthwhile and cost-effective effort that generates visitors.
“I think it’s worth it. People come into Salmon Arm and right into city hall, to say it’s so beautiful. When you have people actually walk in to tell you, you know you’re making an impression .”