CFN – Cornwall’s efforts in beautification, environmental stewardship and community involvement garnered plenty of attention during the 2011 Communities in Bloom Ontario Awards Ceremony in Toronto on Thursday, October 20.
The Boys & Girls Club of Cornwall and S, D & G received a Special Mention Award for its new 506 Clubhouse in the former Church of Good Shepherd on First Street East. Communities in Bloom judges Angela Vieth and Charlie Dobbin were clearly impressed by the new clubhouse, which stands as a great example of heritage preservation and community involvement.
“Congratulations to the community of Cornwall for finding a great purpose for a lovely heritage church that everyone can be proud of,” stated the two judges.
The judges were also impressed by the landscaping and floral displays that they saw around the city during their visit to Cornwall in July. The Brookdale Centre, NAV CENTRE, Ramada Inn, Rotary Traffic Circle and Downtown and Le Village areas were some of the places that caught the judges’ eyes.
During the awards ceremony, organizers paid tribute to former City Parks and Landscaping Supervisor and Communities in Bloom judge Laurie Weatherall, who passed away last winter. Mr. Weatherall played a key role in the creation of Cornwall’s Communities in Bloom effort.
The Benson Centre also shared some of the spotlight during the awards ceremony as Parks and Landscaping Supervisor Jim Althouse accepted a Plaque of Recognition for the multi-sports complex as a participant in the Green For Life Community Awards.
Cornwall once again scored high marks in the Communities in Bloom Ontario Program with a 4-Bloom Rating of Excellence, the second highest possible rating. The ratings were based on a newly-revised evaluation form and as a result, officials said they are not comparable to previous years’ evaluations. Regardless, the results for Cornwall are quite impressive. In three years of participation in the competition, Cornwall has received two 4-Bloom ratings and a 5-Bloom rating.
“The Communities in Bloom program provides a venue to showcase our great city to the rest of Ontario,” said Mayor Bob Kilger. “This result recognizes all of the hard work that the City, businesses, community groups and individual citizens have undertaken to make Cornwall an even better place.”
The final evaluation form from the judges provided an assessment of Cornwall’s standing in a number of different areas, including tidiness, environmental action, landscaping, floral displays and heritage conservation. All told, Cornwall scored 787 points out of a possible 1000.
In the report, the judges mixed praise with suggestions for the future. Some sample comments include:
“The City is very tidy and for the most part litter free.”
“The judges enjoyed visiting the newly erected Francophone monument. What a glorious commemoration to the contribution of the Francophone community to the city of Cornwall.”
“The judges were pleased to see many environmental projects and initiatives happening in the City.”
Communities in Bloom judges Angela Vieth and Charlie Dobbin visited Cornwall in July. The judges examined a number of areas in the City including Lamoureux Park, the Downtown and Le Village areas, the St. Lawrence Power Development Visitor Centre, the Cotton Mill Lofts and St. Lawrence College. A committee of community volunteers and City staff organized the Cornwall entry.
The 2011 Communities in Bloom Provincial Awards Ceremony was held in conjunction with the Landscape Ontario Expo at the Toronto Congress Centre.
About Communities in Bloom Ontario
Communities in Bloom Ontario is a registered non-profit organization committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community participation and the challenge of friendly competition.
