The community of Barriere joined the B.C. Communities in Bloom program three years ago. In that time they have earned the four Blooms award (out of a possible five), and been the recipient of the Tidiness Trophy in 2013. The community can now celebrate their most recent award of 2014, the Heritage Trophy.
“These are pretty amazing accomplishments considering how small the committee is,” says Barriere Communities in Bloom chair Virginia Smith.
She notes that in 2014 the committee focused on ‘Heritage’ as part of Barriere’s 100th birthday. As part of the committee’s presentation to the judges on July 20th, an evening of entertainment called “Heritage in Bloom” was presented at the Fall Fair Hall to welcome the Communities in Bloom judges.
The production was put on by the Communities in Bloom Committee and the North Thompson Valley Players Youth Group.
On September 14, during the Communities in Bloom evaluation and awards night held in Trail, B.C., Smith reports the judges commented several times about the Heritage in Bloom presentation, and mentioned how impressed they were with Barriere’s youth.
The “Heritage in Bloom” also received a special mention on Barriere’s 2014 four Blooms award certificate.
Smith says a special thank you goes out to all who were involved with Barriere’s presentation to the judges this year, including the North Thompson Museum, North Thompson Valley Players Youth, North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo Association, McLure Wildfire Monument Society, Barriere and Area Literacy Outreach, Armour Mountain Art Gallery, and to all the residents for their efforts in beautifying the community.
BC Communities in Bloom offers a program that provides a framework for enhancing community liveability, while inspiring communities to enhance their unique potential and celebrate their legacies and successes.
All participating communities receive a rating of one to five ‘Blooms’ (unless entered as non-competitive).
The community with a top five-bloom score (one in each population category) may receive an invitation to participate in the following year’s national program. All participants are promoted within B.C. and nationally, and are invited to attend the provincial Awards Ceremony which is hosted by a different community each fall.