At the twenty-first annual Manitoba Communities in Bloom Conference and Awards Ceremony on September 6–7, Niverville was honoured with a four-bloom rating, recognizing its outstanding achivement in the areas of civic pride, environmental responsibility, and beautification.

Over the last couple of years, Niverville has been rising up as a notable community at the provincial level. Special mention was made this year of the community’s spirit and the greenspaces available throughout the town.

Communities in Bloom is a nationwide non-profit that seeks to encourage communities, according to a press release, to “work together to… achieve clean, green sustainable communities that celebrate their heritage and unique potential.”

Communities are evaluated by a pair of judges in mid-summer for their accomplishments in six categories: tidiness, environmental action, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscaped areas, and floral displays. All sectors, including municipal, private, corporate, and institutional groups, are to be involved. Communities are then divided up according to their populations. Niverville was one of three communities noted in the 3001–5000 residents category.

Niverville’s local Communities in Bloom committee has been hard at work since 2015 in order to achieve the current four-bloom ranking.

“Since 2015, there has been a steady improvement through the ratings,” says Shirley Hoult on behalf of the committee. “Our overall rating this year was 77.2 percent. A rating of greater than 82 percent is required to reach five-bloom status.

Niverville’s ranking this year was as follows: tidiness, 83.3 percent (five blooms); environmental action, 77.7 percent (four blooms); heritage conservation, 74.3 percent (four blooms); urban forestry, 68.9 (three blooms); landscape 77 percent (four blooms); and floral displays, 81.1 percent (four blooms).

“It would be the town council’s decision whether or not to enter at a national level, should we achieve five-bloom status,” says Hoult.

Manitoba has four entries at the national level—the RM of Boissevain-Morton, the City of Brandon, the City of Dauphin, and the International Peace Gardens. These communities will receive their results at the National Symposium and Awards Ceremonies in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on September 28, 2019.

So what can Niverville residents do to contribute to a higher score?

“Residents already rate highly on the evaluation and we thank them for their efforts,” Hoult says. “Most yards are kept neat and tidy and there are creative and diverse plantings… residents [increased] reusing rain collection and solar panels, [which] helped in the environmental action ratings.”

An area where residents could help boost the local score is heritage conservation.

“Under heritage conservation, residents could incorporate plantings and artifacts that reflect the town’s heritage,” she says.

Hoult adds that community involvement is key to the local team’s ongoing success. In particular, she thanks town council, businesses, residents, churches, and schools, all of which provided overwhelming support with regards to improvements and funding. Business and churches increased their floral displays throughout the community this summer, and she also notes that the local churches planted a unity tree.

This year, the committee saw multiple projects realized, including the installation of four additional Heritage Reflection signs along Main Street, in partnership with Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage. A native plant and ornamental grass garden was planted in the Fifth Avenue Estates amphitheatre. A native wildlife habitat and pollinator garden was created at the lagoon remediation site, with a second pollinator garden added at the Niverville Community Heritage Gardens in partnership with Monarch Teacher Network of Canada, which provided 750 plantings this year. The committee also organized a Better Gnomes and Garden Tour/Car Show-and-Shine which raised $800 for the heritage pavilion fund.

Future projects will be confirmed in late fall. One project that continues to be on the forefront of the committee’s mind is a 64-foot heritage wall displaying historic moments from Niverville’s past. The heritage wall would run alongside the Niverville Credit Union parking lot.

“This is one of our most exciting projects that will further enhance the appearance of Main Street with the introduction of a piece of heritage art,” says Hoult. “Because of the scope of this project, the committee has been expanded to ensure broader input, knowledge, and direction. We have received some funding but have not yet applied for any grants. We are in the process of seeking conceptual drawings, following which proposals will be accepted from businesses wishing to produce the artwork. Once final costs are known, fundraising will continue.”

As the 2019 season comes to a close, the Communities in Bloom committee wishes to recognize in particular Annette Fast’s contribution to the team.

“Sadly, original member Annette Fast is unable to continue to work with us going forward, but we wish to recognize that without Annette our achievements would be considerably less,” Hoult adds. “Her love for the community overflowed to everything she did as a member, creating a better place for us all. Annette’s horticultural knowledge and efforts can especially be recognized in the elementary school gardens and remediation structure pollinator garden this year.”