From the ground and from the air, two Communities in Bloom judges got a good look at Hope last week and liked what they saw.
Michael Evison and Kerry Bysouth had a full day to explore last Thursday (July 21), escorted around town by Hope Communities in Bloom president Victor Smith.
They even spent time on a helicopter, getting a birds-eye view.
“We come into a community to look and listen and try to get a feel for how the community feels, looks and performs, and then we give them as many resources as we can to help that community get better,” Bysouth explained. “We try to give them some insight as to what’s happening in other ideas of the world, and suggest they maybe consider this idea or that idea.
“They can take our advice or leave it, but Hope has been inviting us back since 2007.”
As the judges did their thing they zeroed in on six criteria: community appearance, environmental action, heritage conservation, tree management, landscape, and plant and floral displays. The judges said Hope is doing “a fabulous job.”
Hope has a lot going for it visually, from spectacular natural scenery to wood carvings and beyond. But what Evison found most impressive is the spirit of volunteerism.
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“The way in which Victor and others pull the community together stood out for me,” he said. “The story I heard frequently is one where ‘that fence goes up, and we got so-and-so with a bulldozer, and someone else came in with a forklift, and someone else came in with soil. A local store gave us wood and the whole thing cost us $50.
“I’m also impressed with how volunteer groups work with municipal council and staff. So often, it’s them and us, but in this case they work well together. It doesn’t sound like rocket science, but believe me, it doesn’t happen as frequently as you’d think.”
Bysouth said that many municipalities decide to do everything for the people, which he describes as “bad.”
“You should let the community do for themselves,” he said. “Other communities have volunteer committees that are eager to do something and the municipality doesn’t recognize them or encourage that. There’s a really nice blend here and I can’t say enough about that.”
Communities in Bloom is about far more than flowers. Both men were impressed by Hope’s commitment to EV charging stations, and Bysouth was amazed by the town’s Mattress Recycling centre.
“Who would have thought?” he mused. “I never knew what happened to mattresses. I thought they were all going into landfills, and now there’s an industry developed around that. Kudos to Hope for landing that, and they’re now getting all the mattresses from 100 miles each way.
“There’s not a lot we can tell Hope because they’re doing a lot of things very well, and I know they’re working on a whole bunch of projects. They have all the ideas here and our advice is to continue on that way. Our report will probably support a lot of what they’re already doing.”
But there’s always room to improve. Evison and Bysouth were so impressed by Hope and Hopians, they believe more people should experience the town. But driving by on the various highways, they suggested you would barely know it was there.
“We talked about the image of the community and what would give you a reason to come here,” Bysouth said. “Why would you stop here other than to get gas, pick up a bite to eat and use a washroom? There’s so much more, and the signs on the outside often tell the story of what’s on the inside.”
Both men agreed the one sign they saw coming into town was “lovely,” but a little bit off the highway and hard to see.
“Hope is a hidden gem, with wonderful people, and visitors often love that small town feel,” Bysouth said. “We have been very impressed, and we’d love for more people to discover this community.”
For more on Communities in Bloom, visit communitiesinbloom.ca.
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eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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