Dear Participants, Partners and Patrons,

The past quarter of a century has been extraordinary, not just for Communities in Bloom but for everyone, everywhere!

We have had the honour of helping over 800 communities across Canada and around the world become the best they can be. The template that has been provided in the past 25 years has helped to guide and direct positive changes in every community that has participated in the program. As they followed the guidelines in key areas of each of their villages, towns and cities, they reported a surge in community involvement and civic pride. The amazing results that were achieved spoke for themselves as they helped to build stronger, more resilient, and better places in which to live, work and play. We here at Communities in Bloom are very proud of your communities and all of the accomplishments realized in your hometowns!

We have also witnessed vast global changes in the past two and a half decades as extreme weather occurrences have increased. Wildfires, floods, tornados, hurricanes, droughts and pandemics have wreaked havoc around the world and there are few places that have not been impacted by climate change.

As Communities in Bloom, as we face these new challenges, we’ve changed as well. In the past year, we have hit the refresh button on our program to ensure that it remains relevant, and continues to be a critical guide for our participants to use as they weather the storms and work to provide safe, secure, and sustainable communities for all residents and businesses.
And while we have been making these changes, we have also examined our own internal guidelines and branding mechanisms. One of our primary objectives in the past quarter of a century has been to help grow great places together through the CiB program, helping communities to be the best they can be whatever the weather. Our re-worked logo now reflects this. With renewal comes hope, and as we move forward, we hope that you will embrace these changes and continue to use them to enhance and nurture your communities!
In the past few years, we have seen significant changes in society’s expectations for, and usage of, our outdoor environments. As a result, the Communities in Bloom judging committee has reviewed and refreshed the judging grid in order to reflect these changes.

Municipalities are now more likely to have integrated planning that includes green infrastructure, active transportation options, advanced energy and carbon sequestration measurement, wider choices of plant materials, and greater recognition that there are better solutions to storm water management than simply hard & "piping”.

Communities in Bloom has maintained the six evaluation criteria but changed three of the titles to:
- Tidiness to Community Appearance
- Urban Forestry to Tree Management
- Floral Displays to Plant and Floral Displays

The grid refresh includes updated language/terms, additional description and explanation, the reflection of climate change initiatives, as well as ensures relevance to the Communities in Bloom program today while acknowledging differences between Communities.

The renewed template and community guidelines are included in this package and we invite you to look at it, and let us know what you think. As is often the case, there may be more tweaking once you have seen it, and we invite your feedback. The CiB program is as much about reflecting your goals and objectives as it is about responding to change and challenges.
If you have any questions, please contact: 
Sonia Parrino
Program Coordinator
1-514-694-8871
Communities in Bloom is made possible by the generous support of our
sponsors and partners. We wish to thank them for their contribution
to the quality of life and civic pride in Canadian communities. 
Major Sponsor
Founding Sponsor
National Sponsors
Partners
You are receiving this email from the Communities in Bloom Foundation, a national non-profit organization with charity status. For comments or questions, please contact us at