Jasper walked away from the international Communities in Bloom (CiB) competition with a full bouquet of five blooms—the top rating a community can receive.
Despite it’s top marks—820 out of 1,000 possible points—Jasper came in behind Abbeyshrule, Ireland, who took the prize as the winning community in the “small category.”
This was Jasper’s first time competing on the international stage, after winning at the national level in 2012 and provincial level in 2010.
Although not the winner this year, Jasper was recognized for heritage preservation, specifically in relation to St. Mary and St. George Church.
In the judges evaluation, the explanation for the special mention states: “The area’s built heritage is well preserved at the centre of town, which is home to quite a number of buildings from Jasper’s early days, including St. Mary and St. George Church, a gift from a woman in England and modelled after an 800-year-old church in England. It is a sanctuary and respite from the busy surroundings outside.”
Out of a possible 150 points for heritage conservation, Jasper received 128.
As well as the special mention, Jasperite Annelies Laggner was also recognized during the 2013 Communities in Bloom awards.
Laggner, an avid gardener with a spectacular yard, received the award for Best Residential Flower Garden in the Scotts Miracle Gro Garden Contest. Corky Green of the CiB Committee said the whole committee was excited to see Laggner’s garden recognized.
“For her to win it is totally awesome. She does it all herself and she just loves it.”
Laggner’s garden is an annual stop on the library’s Secret Garden Tour and is often shared with visitors throughout the summer. Earlier this month, it was also nominated for Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce’s Communities in Bloom award.
CiB is a Canadian non-profit organization committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community involvement.
The international judges—Evelyn Alemanni and Steve Preston—visited in July and judged Jasper on eight criteria: tidiness, environmental action, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscape, turf and ground-covers, floral displays and community involvement.
“It’s not just about the flowers,” said Green. “It’s so much more. We want people to know that.”
Green was in Ottawa for the annual symposium and awards ceremony, Oct. 25, with committee members Shannon Greer and Gerry Lettner.
She said she is excited to see Jasper do so well at the international level. “There’s quite a difference between the national and international levels,” she said. “We’re very proud.”
“It’s such a good feeling to get five blooms,” agreed Greer, noting that what the committee tries to do is “showcase the community that’s behind the tourist destination, showing the world that Jasper’s not just a pretty place to look at.”
That sentiment was clear to the judges, who wrote in their evaluation that “the residents of Jasper that [we] met are so proud of their town and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.”
The CiB committee plans to enter the international competition again next year, but hopes that more Jasperites will jump on board and volunteer, whether that be through weeding or picking up litter. Every little bit helps, said Green.
“We don’t need more people on the committee itself. We need people to become a group—Friends of Communities in Bloom would be awesome.”
Nicole Veerman[email protected]
