2021 Communities in Bloom
Communities in Bloom is a Canadian non-profit organization committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community involvement and an annual national program that challenges communities to enhance green spaces.
This year’s Communities in Bloom theme is ‘Hope is Growing’. The goal was to see Barrie gardens featuring yellow, the international colour of hope, but all colours are welcome. Registration for the 2021 season closed on July 23, 2021. Thank you to all participants!
2020/2021 Communities in Bloom Publication
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020/2021 Communities in Bloom publication has gone digital:
Judges' Tour
National CIB judges usually tour Barrie each July to evaluate the accomplishments of the whole community (municipal, corporate and individual citizens) on the following criteria: landscaped areas; floral arrangements; tidiness effort; urban forestry development; environmental effort; and heritage conservation. In 2019, the City received a 5 Blooms – Silver rating and a special mention for the Tall Trees Park Forestry Education Initiative. The judges' tour was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What You Can Do
Regardless of whether you register, all residents and businesses can participate in Communities in Bloom each year:
Tidy Up
Pull those weeds, sweep your sidewalk and pick up litter in neighbourhood green spaces, vacant lots and local parks.
Show Off your Creativity
Spruce up your flowerbeds, baskets and planters. No project is too small!
Respect our Environment
From policies and by-laws to naturalization projects, any effort towards protecting and conserving the
environment will help impress the judges!
Join the Community
Get involved in the beautification and betterment of our community. Join a local horticulture club, service group or take part in
Barrie Public Library gardening webinars. Many groups are offering online events and meetings during the pandemic.
Celebrate our Heritage
Barrie's heritage and events shape our community's distinctive character and provide a sense of place. Visit
barrie.ca/heritage and
barrie.ca/events to learn more.
Support Urban Forestry Efforts
Share
urban forestry information about how we can protect and enhance our local trees and forests.
Communities in Bloom Advisory Committee
The Communities in Bloom Advisory Committee's mandate is to "help facilitate the development of Barrie, in the Communities in Bloom National Municipal Beautification contest, with a focus on flowers, landscaping, gardens, beautification and environmental awareness." The committee is composed of one member of Council and five citizen representatives. Committee meetings, streamed the
City's YouTube channel, are generally scheduled once per month or may be scheduled at the call of the Chair.
Learn about advisory committees.
