About Communities in Bloom
Communities in Bloom was first established in 1995. The competition was inspired by similar competitions in Europe, including Britain in Bloom, Villes et Villages Fleuris de France, and Tidy Towns of Ireland. In its first year, Communities in Bloom attracted 29 towns and cities to compete in four categories: three population categories and one category for provincial capitals. The first four winners were Osoyoos, British Columbia; Rosemère, Quebec; Brantford, Ontario; and Winnipeg, Manitoba. By 1996, Communities in Bloom had spread across Canada. Millet was one of the communities that joined the competition for the first time that year.
Communities in Bloom now operates at both the provincial and national level. At the provincial level, communities compete amongst themselves based on population size. Communities are evaluated on six categories: Floral Displays, Heritage Conservation, Landscaping, Urban Forestry, Community Appearance, and Environmental Action. Community Involvement, the 'seventh category', is integral to each of the other categories. The scores receives for these six categories are accumulated into a total score and the community is assigned a corresponding number of 'blooms' on a scale of one (the lowest) to five (the highest).
Up to two communities from each province are then invited to compete at the national level the following year. At the national level, communities can compete in a wider variety of categories based on their past wins. These include:
- Population (competitive categories based on population size)
- Circle of Excellence (non-competitive category for past national winners)
- Class of Champions (competitive categories for past Population category winners)
- International Challenge (competetive category for Canadian and international winners)
- Grand Champions (a competitive category for communities that have won Population, Class of Champions, AND International Challenge categories)
