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 is to see Barrie gardens featuring yellow, the international colour of hope, but all colours are welcome.

Register Your Efforts

Although the 2021 Communities In Bloom will look a little different because of the pandemic, we welcome virtual participation by residents.

To register your beautification, you must submit a photo of your beautification efforts along with the registration form by July 23, 2021. 

There is also the Little Bloomers​ portion of Communities in Bloom for youth aged 6–14 to get involved. Share photos of your flowers, container projects, vegetable gardens, window art or other art projects.​

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 will not be taking place in 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:

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.