PRESS RELEASE: KINGSTON, ON - May 5, 2008

Can You Dig It? Plant-off to launch Communities in Bloom
Kingstonians invited to aim for another five-bloom rating

Celebrate the start of the gardening season at the plant-off marking the beginning of this year’s Communities in Bloom Kingston program. It’s at 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturday, May 10, at the Canadian Tire Cataraqui Garden Centre.

Celebrity gardener Ed Lawrence, CBC Radio gardening expert and author of “Gardening Grief and Glory” will be on hand to sign books, and 21 local celebrities – including Mayor Harvey Rosen, city councilors and local journalists – will go trowel-to-trowel, attempting to design the most charming rain barrel in the Can You Dig It? Plant-off event. The resulting barrels will again be placed in Market Square.

The theme for this, the sixth year of Kingston’s participation in the program, is “People, Plants and Pride…Growing Together!”

Kingston is the reigning Communities in Bloom National Champion in the 100,001 to 300,000 population category of the program which is designed to promote municipal beautification through environmental stewardship and community involvement.

Last year, in the local Kingston Blooms program, there were 50 Five Bloom winners. This year’s participants can enter in the following categories: Commercial, Organization, Residential Complex, Residential, and Rural Residential. Mail carriers will again deliver postcards encouraging those at addresses with lovely gardens to enter.

Judging of local gardens for Kingston Blooms takes place during the first two weeks of July and winners are announced in August.

The deadline for nominations for Kingston Blooms’ Bill Robb Visionary Award is June 13. That award recognizes citizens of Kingston for their contributions to municipal beautification and civic pride. Schools in Bloom deadline is June 2. Schools will be judged before the end of the school year.

This year the city will be participating in the Friends category of the national program. In this category, municipalities are registered but are not evaluated. Instead, they are expected to continue local Communities in Bloom initiatives – like Kingston Blooms – in order to maintain their bloom ratings. The national Communities in Bloom judges, Matt Rosen and Berta Briggs, will visit Kingston July 17 and 18.

The City of Kingston has been invited to plant a garden at the base of the CN Tower in honor of its national win in 2007. The garden will contain a 10” x 4” tall-ship created by metal artist Randal Doner and a sign that will invite the CN Tower’s two million visitors a year to consider Kingston as their next vacation destination.

Kingston must maintain its five bloom rating and work on programs and projects to enhance the program as it prepares to take on the world in 2010. Then Kingston enters the International Challenge, which pits us against cities in Canada, Ireland, England, Scotland and the United States.

Media contact: For more information contact Sue Hitchcock, Department of Community Services, at 613-546-4291, ext. 1716. Or call the City of Kingston’s media hotline at 613-546-4291, ext 2300.

ANNOUNCEMENT: KINGSTON, ON - March 26, 2008

Communities in Bloom Launches its 14th Edition

Communities in Bloom (CIB) Canada’s program for the improvement of the quality of life through beautification, community involvement, environmental awareness and heritage conservation, is proud to present its 14th edition. This national program assists Canadian communities of all sizes to improve their quality of life while encouraging community involvement and civic pride.

In 2008, hundreds of Canadian communities are participating in Provincial Editions and National Edition and the International Challenge with municipalities from the United States, Scotland and Ireland.

In July, qualified CIB volunteer judges, Matt Rosen and Berta Briggs will visit Kingston and evaluate our overall performance in the following areas: tidiness, environmental awareness, community involvement, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscaped areas, floral displays, and turf and groundcovers. The evaluation is based on the achievements of citizens, businesses, organizations, institutions and the municipal government working together.

The City of Kingston will be taking part in the FRIENDS (non-competitive) category of the National Edition of Communities in Bloom this year. By taking part in the FRIENDS program the city will remain in the program and work on projects which will prepare us for our entry in the International Challenge in 2010.

The results, including annual bloom ratings, criteria award recognitions and winners, will be announced at the National Awards Ceremonies, hosted this year by the City of Lethbridge, Alberta on September 19& 20th, 2008.