Annapolis Royal world’s best

Annapolis Royal was chosen Saturday as the winner of the International Challenge – Small Category -- at the Communities in Bloom Awards in Lethbridge, AB, “outblooming” five other communities from Canada, Ireland, England, and the United States.

Communities in Bloom is a national program for the improvement of the quality of life through beautification, community involvement, environmental awareness, and heritage conservation. In 2008, hundreds of Canadian communities participated in provincial editions, the national edition, and the international challenge with municipalities from the United States, England, Scotland and Ireland.

Qualified CiB volunteer judges visited the communities and evaluated each one on its 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 local conditions and achievements of citizens, businesses, organizations, institutions, and the municipal government working together.

Annapolis Royal received praise from the judges in all eight evaluation categories. The Historic Gardens, along with the beautifully maintained grounds of many homes and businesses, anchored the success in several of the evaluation categories. Likewise, the strong record of heritage preservation in the community was noted by the judges, in terms of both the built heritage and the experiential components such as the Candlelight Graveyard Tour.

The town’s commitment to environmental awareness and sustainability was noted as being very strong, as was the vibrant arts and culture presence. And the strong community involvement in just about every aspect of life in Annapolis Royal was very evident to the judges as they toured the town and met the many people who make it all possible.

The town’s involvement was led by the Communities in Bloom Committee, a group of dedicated volunteers from the Historic Gardens, town council and staff, the Annapolis District Board of Trade, and the community at large. The committee was involved in several new projects in the quest for the international title, including:

-- The Sunflower Project: Students at Champlain Elementary School grew sunflower seedlings that were subsequently planted in the Historic Gardens and throughout the Town.

-- “Bloomin’ Great Job!” Awards: This new weekly award was organized by the Committee, the Historic Gardens, and The Garden Shutterbug. Different properties in Town were recognized each Friday based on some or all of the Communities in Bloom criteria.

-- Extreme Makeover Team: This team gathered Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with rakes and garbage bags in tow, and descended on public areas that needed a little extra TLC.

(Subhead)One of many awards

The international Bloom win just one of many great achievements for Annapolis Royal, which has many provincial, national and international awards to its credit. Annapolis Royal first participated in Communities in Bloom at the provincial level in 2004, and went on to win the national competition in 2006. International recognition came in 2004 with the designation as “Most Liveable Small Town in the World,” based on similar criteria to the Communities in Bloom awards. The town was designated a Cultural Capital of Canada in 2005, was presented with the Prince of Wales Prize for Municipal Heritage Leadership in 2006, and most recently, in August 2008, received a Lieutenant Governor’s Community Spirit award. The town has also received numerous awards in recreation, heritage conservation, environmental practices, and sustainable development.