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Bloom idea revisited by Langley City

Volunteers are being sought for a new Communities in Bloom committee.
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Is there an appetite for resurrection within the City of Langley?

Council posed this question to the general public, a few avid gardeners, and community cheerleaders, with the hopes a team of volunteers will lead a revival of the Communities in Bloom (CiB) program, said Mayor Ted Schaffer.

While the City and local businesses would be imperative to such an endeavour, the key to a local CiB program is dedicated community volunteers, said City parks manager Geoff Mallory.

Today (Thursday, May 31) is the deadline for interested candidates to put their name forward, and with a few people already on board, Mallory is optimistic a committee can come together.

CiB is a program aimed at transforming a community, enhancing the City’s livability through not only beautification initiatives, but environmental stewardship, heritage preservation, and cultural growth.

The plan, Mallory explained, would be to enter the provincial CiB competition in 2019 – after a 10-year absence.

Participating communities can compete at the provincial, national, and ultimately the international levels, which Langley City has done in past – and won.

Schaffer, who was a former member of the CiB committee alongside his wife Jean, and council have directed staff to look at rebuilding the program locally, hence the call out.

“I hope it is as successful as the last go around,” Schaffer told the Langley Advance.

“The committee members and friends had a lot [of] fun with Communities in Bloom. It was a definite hands-on committee. The group got involved with the [Nicomekl] community garden, garden makeovers, City cleanups, fundraising for [a legacy arbour at] Sendall Gardens], and promoting pride back into the City.”

Mallory and Schaffer both see the program as a way to help re-establish more community pride.

“The previous members spent so much time on the program that it was decided to take a break,” recalled Schaffer. “Maybe now is the time to revisit and work on some new challenges.”

Those interested in participating in the committee are asked to email Geoff Mallory at gmallory@langleycity.ca.

“We are trying to see what kind of interest there is in starting the program up again and who may want to get involved,” the mayor concluded.



Roxanne Hooper

About the Author: Roxanne Hooper

I began in the news industry at age 15, but honestly, I knew I wanted to be a community journalist even before that.
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