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Estevan to enter Communities in Bloom

City of Estevan parks manager Rod March believes there have been a lot of improvements in Estevan’s appearance over the last couple of years, and now he wants those upgrades to be showcased at a national level.
Rod March
Parks manager Rod March

City of Estevan parks manager Rod March believes there have been a lot of improvements in Estevan’s appearance over the last couple of years, and now he wants those upgrades to be showcased at a national level.

March has entered the city into the Communities in Bloom competition in the friends division, which is an entry level category.

He believes there are a number of advantages of entering Communities in Bloom, including increased civic pride, community involvement and environmental stewardship.

“We’re looking at best practices information exchanges with other communities,” said March. “We have then the opportunity of marketing and promoting our city in that way.”

It also opens the city up for sponsorships and grants available to help with city beautification.

March believes the benefits far outweigh the cost, since it’s just $130 to apply to be part of Communities in Bloom.

In the friends category, Estevan would receive comments and feedback from the Communities in Bloom judges, but they won’t be evaluated. As they progress through Communities in Bloom, Estevan would enter evaluated friends, novice and finally competitive categories. 

“Building our program, there’s three aspects to it,” said March. “Of course, there’s beautification but there’s environmental awareness and then there’s community involvement.”

March described the friends category as a litmus test for the work they are doing to beautify the city.

“Then the next level will be evaluated friends, so that’s where other communities’ volunteers will come in and take a look at your community,” said March. 

According to the Communities in Bloom website, communities are evaluated on categories of tidiness, environmental action, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscape and floral displays.

The novice category will see the city evaluated more stringently using a bloom system. Communities receive anywhere from one to five blooms based on their efforts and appearance.

“Those ratings, then, depending on how well you do, gives you kudos on the national level,” said March.

The competitive division would see Estevan entered against other cities, and again receive blooms for their efforts.

Community involvement is a big part of Communities in Bloom, and March believes the people are Estevan’s biggest asset.

“I get a lot of phone calls in my position, and a lot of people want to help,” said March. “It’s along the lines of getting ourselves organized to get those people out. I get community groups wanting to do things, community organizations that want to sponsor things, so the strength here is definitely in the people.”

Once they get the message out that they are working to clean up the community, their efforts gain momentum and people join in on the initiative.

Civic pride also gains a big boost from participating in Communities in Bloom, he said, because Estevan will receive the recognition they’re doing better for environmental programs, recycling initiatives, litter control and more.

He said dog waste bags have posted along the pathways in an effort to improve the city’s appearance, and eventually March would like to see identification signage on pathways so that people can locate and report invasive species.

March has also ordered 100 new litter cans that will be replacing the steel cans that are currently found around the city.

He also suggested having a hazardous waste collection program in the fall.

The city is also continuing with its efforts to add more paving stones. Last year saw the completion of the medians along Souris Avenue North from King Street to Edward Street, with the addition of paving stones and new planters.

This year a similar design will be introduced at the intersection of King Street and Kohaly Avenue. March noted the work will happen thanks to an anonymous donation of bricks to the city.

“We’re being really fiscally responsible, and if it wasn’t for the donation of those bricks by the anonymous donor, we wouldn’t be doing it this year, but we had a great opportunity, and it’s going to look really good there,” said March.

The island has already been dug up so that work can begin.

“For the city, we’re continuing on our quest to get planters put around the community,” said March.

There are always areas that can use improvement, he said, not just when it comes to beautification but also building awareness with the public, particularly regarding invasive species and the risks facing trees in the community.

March hasn’t been involved with Communities in Bloom in the past, but he is well aware of the program. He noted it is quite popular in Saskatchewan, as a number of communities are entered, including Bienfait, who received two blooms in the evaluated friends category in 2015.

And he looks forward to learning from other communities about the work they have been doing through Communities in Bloom.

Communities in Bloom is a Canadian non-profit organization. It started in 1995 and has grown to have competitions around the world.