City Impress Bloom Judges

CAPTION: Summerside’s Chief Administrative Officer Terry Murphy, far left, and Mayor Basil Stewart, far right, talk to Communities in Bloom judges Odette Sabourin-Dumais, left, and Sandy Cairns Monday afternoon at a luncheon at the Wyatt Heritage Properties Lefurgey centre. PHOTO QUIGLEY/JOURNAL PIONEER

Communities in Bloom judges visit Summerside

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

National Communities in Bloom competition judges were in Summerside today to assess the city for the 10, 000 – 20, 000 population prize.

The competition judges cities on their tidiness, environmental action, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscaping, floral displays and community involvement.

Summerside has been in the competition since 1995, when it first began, and has done increasingly well over the years.

The judges attended a luncheon at the Wyatt Heritage Properties

Odette Sabourin-Dumais, a judge with the nation-wide competition, remembers coming here in 1995 and the growth the city has had since then.

“I can say there has been a major change since I was first here in 1995.”

She said Summerside would be high on a list of community growth she has seen over the years.

“(The city) really ranks high, very high because they’re high in all the good areas like heritage, landscaping, urban forestry.”

Sabourin-Dumais and other judge Sandy Cairns, her first time in the city, agreed that one of Summerside’s strengths is in its boardwalk.

“It really fascinates me seeing a boardwalk of that length, 6.5 kilometres in the city, directly on the waterfront. That’s really something,” said Sabourin-Dumais.

“I could tell there were a lot of tourists on the boardwalk walking and that is very exciting and nice to see,” said Cairns.

Cairns said she was impressed with Summerside.

“The people of Summerside’s properties are very well kept and very nice architecture on the homes. They’ve been restored quite well to show the period of Summerside,” she said. “The city is very beautiful. It’s bright, it’s clean and tidy.”

Sabourin-Dumais said she saw a lot of civic pride in Summerside.

“I’ve seen the citizens really take pride in doing their gardens and improving their garden’s appearance. Everything seems so appealing in the city when you go around.”

The Communities in Bloom national awards will be given out Oct. 26 in Quebec City, Que.

At the luncheon Monday afternoon, the local Communities in Bloom recognized residents for their property maintenance and enhancement.

Arthur and Brenda Munro                         174 Cedar St.

Marlene Marie Arsenault-Anderson            384 Poplar Ave.

Nancy and Thomas Perry                        246 Colin Ave.

Albert and Dorothy Stairs                        232 Colin Ave.

James and Margaret Donovan                        242 Walker Ave.

Bruce and Cheryl Turner                        236 Mountain Ave.

Ronald and Patricia Cooper                        128 Gillespie Ave.

Wayne and Carole Giffin                        160 Crozier Dr.

Bradford and Phyllis MacInnis            112 Crozier Dr.

Walter and Margaret Blanchard            49 Lockwood Dr.

Eileen and Gabriel Keough                        43 Darby Dr.