The community is putting its best bloom forward in an international beautification contest.
Wood Buffalo seeks to maintain its five-bloom rating for a 12th consecutive year with the international Communities In Bloom (CIB).
CIB judges Alex Pearl of Centerville, Ohio, and John Lohuis of Tillsonburg, Ont., will judge our overall presentation and community participation.
Joanne Fisher, chair of the Wood Buffalo Communities in Bloom committee, encourages residents and businesses to help keep our region blooming.
Both judges are in town until July 31, 2019.
Beauty contest
The region came up big winners in the Large category of the International Challenge in 2018.
However, Wood Buffalo must hang onto their five-bloom rating by performing well in six categories.
CIB evaluates our region based on heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscaping, floral display, tidiness, and environmentalism.
Competing against Wood Buffalo in this category are Barrie, Ont., Coquitlam, B.C., and Lexington, KY, in the United States.
There are also competing municipalities from Europe: Halesowen in Bloom, West Midlands, U.K., and Székesfehérvár-Fejér, Hungary.
CIB will unveil the final results at their Symposium and Awards ceremony in September in Yarmouth, N.S.
