Lots planned for national Communities in Bloom contest
April 28, 2025, 9:56 am
Ryan Kiedrowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Organizers of this year’s Communities in Bloom are getting ready for the 2025 edition in Moosomin, and this year is special for a few reasons. First Moosomin will be competing at the national level of competition in the Communities with a Population of up to 5,000 category—the first time since 2004.
“Competing nationally still means meeting the same criteria, but up against a lot more communities,” said Angela Thorn from Moosomin Parks & Recreation. “We want to up our game in all the categories—Community Appearance, Environmental Action, Heritage Conservation, Tree Management, Landscape, Plant & Floral Displays, Civic Pride & Community Spirit.”
This year’s theme for the annual contest is ‘Edible Gardens,’ something that Thorn explained can go well beyond aesthetics in one’s display.
“Actually most flowers are edible, but may be an acquired taste! Lots of herbs make really nice filler in planters, or veggies growing in amongst your flower beds add another layer of texture to your gardens,” she said. “We are encouraging anyone with extra garden space to grow some potatoes, carrots or tomatoes and donate them to the Moosomin Food Share. With the economy the way it is, paycheques are stretched thinner and any little bit can help!”
Currently, the Moosomin Communities in Bloom has about 20 people on the committee, and there’s always room for more.
“If anyone that loves to volunteer or has a passion project that aligns with any of our initiatives, we would love to have you,” Thorn said. “Many hands make light work!”
Partnership has been a key theme with the Moosomin group as the Town, the Moosomin & District Regional Park, and Pipestone Hills Golf Club have combined in the past to make the effort a success. This year, the group is welcoming the RM of Moosomin to the fold.
“We are very excited to have the RM join in this year,” Thorn said. “We are adding a couple extra stops to our CIB tour this year that will have our judges hopping!”
Communities in Bloom is more than just tidy yards. Over the course of the past three decades, the program has helped over 1,000 communities with a total economic value of more than $28 million.
“We want everyone to know this is not about flowers,” Thorn said. “It is an economic initiative for communities to come together, clean up their town, and improve tourism which means more money spent in our town. We have a lot to offer in Moosomin, we just want to get people across the tracks to shop, eat, visit our museum, our swimming pool, go camping, and having a lot of beautifully kept yards doesn’t hurt.”
The committee also intends to expand the town-wide clean up this year with businesses, services clubs, teams and classrooms all pitching in for Communities in Bloom.
“Get involved, adopt an area, and clean it up! If we can get all the areas adopted, then we can have some judges go around before and after to see who does the best job,” explained Thorn.
She also mentioned some exciting projects lined up for this year’s competition to get people in the spirit of the contest.
“We are having a Communities in Bloom car show again this year, date to be announced,” she said. “We have some work to do at the Community Gardens including six new enclosed planter boxes from SEHAS, we are working on getting a Food Forest going to create a permaculture to supply food for years to come, we are going to plant any plots that don’t get rented out to donate the produce to Moosomin Food Share.”
More trees are in store for the Moosomin Labyrinth as well, continuing the urban forest project that received an honour from Bloom judges last year.
“Once again we are offering if anyone wants to plant a tree in memory of a loved one, we have a list of approved trees you can purchase and plant at the Labyrinth and add a plaque with your loved ones’ name all at your cost,” Thorn said. “Carol Adair is heading up this project again.”
These are but a few of the plans the committee has lined up for the coming season.
“If you want to join, lend a hand, or support any of our projects please reach to Angela at a.thorntownofmoosomin@sasktel.net,” Thorn said.
The judges will be in Moosomin Wednesday, July 30 to Friday, August 1.
