Two judges from the national Communities in Bloom competition visited North Bay, Ont., on Wednesday, to assess the city’s dedication to environmental stewardship, cultural preservation and community collaboration. National judges tour city’s natural and cultural highlights Tina Liu and Karen Stephenson explored various locations, tourist attractions, and natural sites, evaluating efforts to combat climate change and promote a healthy environment. Their itinerary included a morning walk through Laurier Woods and a visit to a local backyard garden. The judges meticulously documented their observations, with Liu taking notes and photographs. Strong community involvement noted “The community involvement is very solid in North Bay,” Liu said. “We actually saw during our tours that people just walk by something and pick up garbage.” This year’s competition evaluates six key criteria: community appearance, environmental actions, tree management, heritage conservation, landscape and plant and floral displays. Liu highlighted the city’s strategic planning “We see the municipality has incorporated that into their master plan and strategic plan,” she said. “This is what grows healthy communities.” North Bay’s previous success in the competition In 2023, North Bay participated in the provincial Communities in Bloom competition, earning a perfect 5/5 Bloom rating with an overall score of 83 per cent. This achievement qualified the city for the 2024 national competition. Judges at the time praised the result as an “outstanding achievement, particularly for a first-time entrant” in the 50,000 to 100,000 population category. A year later, the city repeated its success, securing another 5/5 rating with a slightly improved score of 83.15 per cent. Additionally, North Bay won the TECK Community Appearance Award and received special recognition for the Northern Pines Transitional Housing complex. Focus on continuous improvement Liu encouraged communities to view the competition as an opportunity for growth rather than a strict scoring system. “I tend to tell the communities not to fixate on how many points you get and to look at the recognitions and the recommendations,” she told reporters. Harriet Madigan, chairperson of Clean, Green, Beautiful North Bay, emphasized the importance of collective action in addressing environmental challenges. “They were talking about streetscapes and gave us recommendations on how to enhance it and make it better,” Madigan said. “We need to really use the word ‘we’ and not ‘I.’ That, and we’re going to manage climate change. We can’t change it.” Celebrating community pride The judges attended the Centennial Celebrations Festival Wednesday evening to engage with local non-profits and residents. The final results will be announced in mid-October at a symposium and awards ceremony in Stratford, Ont. Despite the pending results, Madigan expressed confidence in the city’s efforts. “We’ve already won because of how our community has come together,” she said. “In my heart, I know we’ve already won.”
