Take a bow, Gibsons - you've done yourselves proud. The Communities in Bloom (CIB) judges were very impressed with what they saw during a two-day stay this week.
Judges Suzanne Anderton and Karen Hong arrived Sunday, starting their visit with a kayak tour from the water, culminating in a one-day whirlwind tour of the community on Monday.
Gibsons is entered in the provincial CIB competition along with Kent and Port Hardy in the three to 5,000-population category.
Communities are judged on eight criteria: community involvement, overall tidiness, urban forests, landscaped areas, floral displays, turf and groundcover areas, environmental effort and cultural and heritage preservation.
"We're not just looking at flowers and trees - our judging covers the whole health of the community," said Anderton in a phone interview with Coast Reporter Monday night. "Gibsons was the last community we visited to complete our evaluations. You have to see at least 80 per cent of the community. Our initial impression is we are very, very impressed. The Lower Gibsons area is so colourful, well-cared for and organized."
She said another positive for the judges was when they learned about Gibsons recent planning award.
"We were most impressed to see your new OCP [official community plan] award," she said. "That shows us you have a council with a vision to work with the community to create policies and procedures that have some bite. That will lead you well into the future."
Gibsons, along with the other communities, will be awarded a bloom rating and supplied a detailed report that summarizes their community's efforts at the third annual B.C. CIB awards weekend hosted by the city of Prince George Sept. 8 to 9.
"It was a busy two days, but thoroughly enjoyable," Anderton said. "I applaud your community for getting behind this project and showcasing your government, business and volunteers working together in a common goal. The kayak tour was just fantastic. Seeing your beautiful community from the water was a relaxing way to see Gibsons and provided us with some more insights."
Mayor Barry Janyk said he's very happy with the community's efforts and is hoping for the best.
"If we win, that's great, but if we don't we'll try again next year," Janyk said. "This isn't about just one competition. It's about taking pride in our community and providing and implementing initiatives that help this community grow and prosper. The CIB committee, business and volunteers should all be proud. It's amazing what can be done when government steps away!"
