Earlier this week, The City of Moosomin welcomed Communities in Bloom judges for their entry at the national challenge.

Moosomin’s Main Street was blooming, as colourful flowers sat in their planters in front of the local businesses. It was a busy week for residents, as Moosomin’s Communities in Bloom (CiB) Committee encouraged everyone to keep up their yards and pick up garbage.

The preparations were made in an effort to win the national challenge and advance toward the international competition, which is done by impressing the two judges who visited Moosomin.

“We have six categories that we evaluate communities on,” said Christine Isaac, one of the judges. “We have community appearance, tree management, heritage conservation, landscape, environmental action, and plant and floral displays.”

Based on the judges’ notes from Wednesday and Thursday, Moosomin will be evaluated on a matrix.

Moosomin has already won the provincial challenge, “which gave them the ability to enter the national contest this year,” said Larry Hall, the other visiting judge.

This is the second time Moosomin has found success, after making it to the national level in 2004.

“At that time, you might say the committee was about myself and two friends and we competed for three years at [the] provincial level,” recalled Ann Norgan, one of the local CIB committee members.

The Communities in Bloom contest started years before Ann and her friends decided to sign Moosomin up.

With guidance from similar initiatives in Ireland and France, Communities in Bloom was born in 1995. Today, it’s a non-profit organization in partnership with the Canadian National Landscape Association.

Becoming a judge is open to anyone.

“We all have various backgrounds, and it’s just something that we’re all very passionate about,” explained Isaac. “We always go in pairs. So, if you are a brand-new judge, you’ll go with someone that has been out a few times.”

After Moosomin’s success in 2004, the Town Council decided that they needed a break from participating in the CiB challenges. According to Norgan, this is when the town formed its beautification committee.

“I think it’s also helped to set the groundwork for it again, a younger generation deciding to be involved in Communities in Bloom,” she concluded.

Seeing the revitalized interest, she decided to join again.

According to Norgan, preparing for a CiB challenge brings the community together. For example, the town holds friendly, local competitions.

“People get involved in that, whether to grow a tomato plant with the most tomatoes or who has the most unusual planters,” she explained.

Moosomin is fully committed to succeeding in the national challenge.

“They have shown us the entire town,” Isaac told CTV News. “I have to say, I don’t know that I have not seen a square inch of this town at this point, but it’s all been amazing and beautiful.”

The judges’ schedule was packed tight. Starting early in the morning, going until late in the evening. They often only had five minutes to explore a location before it was time to move on.

For obvious reasons, the judges couldn’t tell CTV News if Moosomin is a strong contender. However, Christine said that “[The community in Moosomin] take a lot of pride in their community and that’s very evident.”

The judges’ next stop will be Capreol in Ontario.