The District of Mission received five blooms in this year's Communities in Bloom competition and is the winner of the Butcharts Gardens Land Reclamation Award.
Mission is also a finalist in the 20,001 to 50,000 population category of the 2012 national edition of Communities in Bloom, and received a special mention for Gorilla Gardeners at the ceremony in Edmonton, Oct. 12-13.
Following their evaluation of the community, volunteer judges Evelyn Alemanni and Jim Baird wrote: “The Gorilla Gardeners are a group of 22 individuals who have played a major role in the landscape of Mission. When they see an area, they do not complain to the town, they roll up their sleeves and develop an improvement plan. They now have 11 sites to their credit.
"At the museum, the very tight side yards were rough and neglected. The Gorillas contacted a local landscape architect who donated her time to create an attractive, low-maintenance design. The project was undertaken with cooperation from the town. The result is an Edwardian Garden to complement the Edwardian style of the museum building. It is a thoroughly professional project and a lovely addition to the community.”
Communities in Bloom is a national organization dedicated to the promotion of green spaces in community settings.