Even though it is now officially spring, recent weather makes green grass and flowers seem far away, but making Ponoka more aesthetically pleasing is a near future project possibility.
A program called Communities is Bloom, which is a not for profit Canadian organization dedicated to the community beautification, could soon be coming to our area.
As stated on www.communititesinbloom.ca, Communities in Bloom was established with the guidance of Britain in Bloom, Tidy Towns of Ireland and Villes et Villages Fleuris de France, in 1995 when 29 participating municipalities were honoured at the first awards ceremonies on Parliament Hill that year. The program now has more than 500 communities across the country involved - communities that receive information and get provincially or nationally adjudicated by a volunteer jury of trained professionals on the accomplishments of their entire community (municipal, private, corporate and institutional sectors, citizens) on eight key criteria such as tidiness, environmental awareness, community involvement, natural and cultural heritage conservation to name a few.
Known benefits of a program of this nature include an increased sense of pride based on community involvement form all ages, year-round projects and continuous improvement for the entire community, economic development, increased property value and a decrease in vandalism. Participants can benefit financially from the program through community tourism initiatives and business opportunities for the entire community as well.
If this is something you feel you are interested in bringing to Ponoka, phone Cindy Bowie at the Town office at 403-783-3311 for more information.