Following its participation in this year’s Communities in Bloom challenge in the Circle of Excellence – Evaluated category, the Town of Pincher Creek has received a rating of five blooms – silver.

Communities in Bloom, a Canadian non-profit organization, uses a multi-tiered competitive evaluation process to help municipalities cultivate community strength and encourage continuous improvements.  

In July, CIB-trained volunteer judges Colleen Stockford and Larry Hall travelled to Pincher Creek to assess the town based on a variety of criteria. This included community appearance, environmental action, heritage conservation, tree management, landscape and plant and floral designs.

Communities are evaluated using a “bloom” rating, determined by the total score of the evaluation, and are ranked from one bloom to five blooms. Given that the town scored five blooms as a national/international competitor, Pincher Creek also received the silver rating, one of four exclusive levels.

Based on the town’s rating, Pincher Creek scored somewhere between 87 and 89.9 per cent on its evaluation.

In addition to the town’s overall rating, Pincher Creek was given a special mention for its Wayfinding Signage, which really caught the attention of judges. In their joint evaluation, Larry and Colleen expressed how they felt that the signs are “not only practical and informative, but also provide a unity to the community.” 

Rhonda Oczkowski, the town’s recreation programmer and CIB committee member, played a large role in ensuring the town was prepared for the challenge. She feels the community should be proud, as this is the first time Pincher Creek has received the silver rating, the town’s highest score to date.

“We did very well, especially after a five-year hiatus, but the judges did give us a lot of things to consider going forward as to what we could do to continue to improve,” she says.

Results were released Sunday during CIB’s 2023 national/international symposium and awards ceremony in Fort McMurray. For a complete list of results, head over to www.communitiesinbloom.ca.