Communities In Bloom judges applaud volunteer commitment in Pincher Creek

Commnities In Bloom judges Bernadette Solon and Larry Hall

Toni Lucas - Pincher Creek was the fourth of six communities visited by Communities in Bloom International Challenge Medium Category Judges Larry Hall (from Canada) and Bernadette Solon (from Ireland). They visited July 15-17 and evaluated over 80% of the town and were supplied with information from town employees and service groups along the way. Five communities of similar size to ours and in the same categoryare in Canada, the USA, and Croatia.

July 2018 Communities In Bloom Yard of the Month - Grace and Dan Sibbald

Dan and Grace Sibbald (Rhonda Oczkowski photos)

Arianna Korbett - Grace and Dan Sibbald are the winners of July’s Yard of the Month, with their work done beautifying and cleaning up their yard. The Communities in Bloom judges presented them with the Yard of the Month sign as well as a Scotts Miracle Gro package. Coming in second place was Kristine Beer, showing that a small yard can be cleaned up nicely and bring character to any home. She was also awarded a Scotts Miracle Gro package.

Excitement for upcoming Communities in Bloom International Judging

Director of Community Services Diane Burt Stuckey
Pincher Creek Voice file photos

"If people could put out a flowerpot, it makes everything a little bit more cheerful. It is Communities in Bloom, they do promote flowers, as part of it. But the focus that I see is the tidiness aspect. Painting a fence, or washing your windows can contribute to making everything look very neat and tidy, and show how we care about our properties."  - Director of Community Services Diane Burt-Stuckey

Toni Lucas - Judging for Pincher Creek's bid in the Communities In Bloom International Challenge will take place July 16. Town of Pincher Creek Director of Community Services Diane Burt-Stuckey said, "It's an honour to even be involved in the program at this level, and making the community a better place to live is really what it's all about." Pincher Creek won at the national level (2009), and the Class of Champions (2015) against other Canadian communities at the same category of size. The first international challenge the town competed in was in 2016 where Pincher Creek won Honourable Mention. "I was completely floored. It was very encouraging."  

June Yard of the Month winners announced

Arianna Korbett - Pictured left to right is Rhonda Oczkowski, Rae Olds, Rosaline Berger, BJ Scott and Diane Burt Stuckey for the presentation of June’s Yard of the Month winner Rae Olds. Olds is a former Pincher Planter and says she loves gardening because she “likes to get down and dirty.” She was presented the Yard of the Month yard sign, as well as a Scotts Miracle Gro package by Communities in Bloom members Rhonda Oczkowski, BJ Scott and Diane Burt Stuckey.

Pictured left to right is Rhonda Oczkowski, BJ Scott, runner up of Yard of the Month Susan Hillman, and Diane Burt Stuckey. The runner up for Yard of the Month nominations was Susan Hillman. She built custom planters this year and customizes them with holiday themed décor. Hillman was presented a Scotts Miracle Gro package for the effort she’s put into her yard.

2017 Winter Lights awards winners announced

Residential winner - 552 Main Street - Tanya Soveran and Cory Bowen (house photos by Kathleen Hancock)

C.Davis/T.Lucas - The Town of Pincher Creek and Pincher Creek Communities In Bloom once again promoted beautifying the community with a Christmas Decorating Challenge this season. Judges toured the community on November 29 to look at businesses and December 6 to look at residences. Some decorators missed the deadline, but were thanked at the presentation for their efforts to brighten up the community. This was the sixth year of the event. A Social event with snacks and refreshments and presentations to the winners was held at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village on the evening of December 13.

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Some of the winners with judges and organizers at Dec. 13 presentation event

2017 Business in Bloom Award winners announced

2017 Pincher Creek Business In Bloom First Place - Stardust Motel/Sweets and Treats

Rhonda Oczkowski (Town of Pincher Creek/CIB), Dia Comeau (Stardust Motel/Sweets and Treats), Marie Everts (Town of Pincher Creek)

Chris Davis - The Town of Pincher Creek and Pincher Creek Communities in Bloom announced the winners of the annual Business in Bloom contest on August 22.  Community members submitted their recommendations for the best-gardened business locations in Pincher Creek, and judges made the final determinations.  Stardust Motel Sweets and Treats was awarded first place Golden Shovel trophy, Boese and Company was awarded second place, and several other businesses received an hounourable mention.  First and second place also received a Golden Shovel trophy.

2017 Pincher Creek Business In Bloom Second Place - Boese and Company

Rhonda Oczkowski (Town of Pincher Creek/CIB), Chelsey Olsen (Boese and Company), Marie Everts (Town of Pincher Creek)

CIB Summer Favorite Yard award winner Rocky Blakeman

Rocky Blakeman and his award winning yard

Toni Lucas - This year the Town of Pincher Creek and Pincher Creek Communities in Bloom added a Judges Summer Favorite Yard category to their summer monthly Blooming Contest. Each month, the judges received nominations for a yard owned by Rocky Blakemen at 933 MacLeod Street, earning him the Summer Favourite award.  Blakeman has his personality displayed everywhere around the property.

August 2017 CIB Yard of the Month winners Karen and Lyle Regehr

 Karen and Lyle Regehr in their award winning garden

 Toni Lucas - The Town of Pincher Creek and Pincher Creek's Communities in Bloom Committee presented the August Yard of the Month award to Karen and Lyle Regehr of 1102 Huckleberry Court.  The competition is meant to encourage local gardeners. Karen explained the gardens scattered throughout the property are an ongoing project. There were lovely places to sit and reflect, to enjoy the changes of the season.  The garden was planned with consideration to shade and windbreaks, and includes a vegetable garden and a greenhouse. The couple's passion and pride in their garden was evident, as they showed off many hidden treasures with delight. Karen named many of their plants and explained why she chose to plant them in specific places. She also made many of the bent willow chairs decorating the gardens, and the grounds are well kept, neat, and have a nice traffic flow.

Pincher Creek's Yards of the Month for June and July 2017

July Yard of the Month presentation to Audrey Toews

Rhonda Oczkowski of Parks and Recreation, Director of Community Services  Diane Burt Stuckey, Audrey Toews

June Yard of the Month presentation to Bobbie Wendland 

Director of Community Services  Diane Burt Stuckey, Communities in Bloom member and judge BJ Scott, Bobbie Wendland, nominator Sandie Ursel, Rhonda Oczkowski of Parks and Recreation.  (submitted photo)

Chris Davis - The Town of Pincher Creek and Pincher Creek's Communities in Bloom Committee are sponsoring a yard of the month award this summer to encourage local gardeners who do so much to make the town a pretty place. Citizens are invited to nominate a front or back yard for A Blooming Contest, and Communities in Bloom judges make the final decisions. Bobbie Wendland of 996 Hill Ave was selected as the June winner. Audrey Toews at 997 Lawrence Street was the winner for July. The competition is running for one more month this year. with nominations to be accepted during the first two weeks of August.

2016 Pincher Creek Christmas Decorating Challenge winners

Champion – 361 Canyon Drive - Garry and Ruth Cleland

The winners of the 2016 Pincher Creek Christmas Decorating Challenge have been announced.  The event was judged on Wednesday, December 7.  It was open to both residences and businesses for the first time since the competition began as the Winter Lights Competition in 2010.  Hosted by the Town of Pincher Creek and Communities in Bloom, this gave everyone the chance to shine with imaginative and colorful light displays throughout the entire town.

Pincher Creek's genesis commemorated with tree dedication

CIB Committee with dedication plaque at Pincher Creek's Ag grounds

Christian Davis - On September 22, Pincher Creek's Communities in Bloom (CIB) Committee dedicated a grove of poplar trees near the creek at the Ag grounds to commemorate the finding of the town's namesake pincers.

Communities in Bloom judges visit "unique" Pincher Creek

Toni Lucas - Communities in Bloom (CIB) international judges Evelyn Alemanni and Gaétan Deschênes visited Pincher Creek Monday July 25, making stops at many locations of interest in their journey to deciding which is the best Communities in Bloom (CIB) - Small Category in the International Category. We're contending with 5 other communities for the title including a community in Croatia, and one in Italy. They finished their official visit with a dinner for 50 people at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village (KBPV), attended by a number of local dignitaries and representatives from organizations including members of the Communities in Bloom committee, Pincher Planters, and the Oldman Rose Society of Southern Alberta. There were speeches from Town of Pincher Creek Mayor Don Anderberg, MD of Pincher Creek Reeve Brian Hammond, Organizer Diane Burt Stuckey, and judge Evelyn Alemanni.

2015 Businesses in Bloom winners announced

First Place, Commercial Category: Pincher Creek Veterinary Clinic

Brendan Cole, Kari Grandoni, Jocelyn Fukumoto, Colleen Brady and Faith Zachar

Pincher Creek Historical Society to coordinate Pincher Creek walking tour

Josh Davis - The Pincher Creek and District Historical Society recently unveiled their plans to co-ordinate a Pincher Creek walking tour. Businesses will have displays placed in their windows, detailing the history of the businesses which predate them at their location. Sifting through old photographs, and working in conjunction with local businesses, the society has identified thirty-four sites on the tour, from the old Pincher Creek Echo office to the Multi-Purpose Facility (Pool). However, this is subject to change, as the society hopes to add more sites as the project continues and they gather information.

Oldman Rose Society asks Town of Pincher Creek for a lease extension

Lebel Mansion Rose Garden

Justine Jorgensen 2014 file photo

Toni Lucas - A delegation from the Oldman Rose Society of Southern Alberta (ORSSA) appeared before Pincher Creek's Town Council on Tuesday evening, May 24.  Jan Frith acted as the ORSSA spokeswoman and was accompanied by Society President Kay Weir and Executive Board Member Donna Cisar.  The seven year lease which was granted to ORSSA by the Town of Pincher Creek for the area east of the Lebel Mansion, for their rose garden, comes up for renewal this year, and Frith asked if it is possible to sign another seven year lease.  She also said the volunteers for the rose garden project "Have been amazing."  Other items discussed were an upcoming brochure explaining the different roses in the beds, and deer that dine at the garden.

Communities In Bloom puts Pincher Creek on the International stage this year

Christian Davis

Pincher Creek's enthusiastic gardening community is in for another exciting year. This year the Town of Pincher Creek is on the short list in the Communities In Bloom (CIB) International Challenge - Small Category, and will be competing with four other communities including Killarney-Turtle Mountain (Manitoba), Pré-Saint-Didier (Aosta, Italy), Sun Rivers Resort Community (BC, Canada), and Sveti Martin na Muri (Croatia). CIB judges Evelyn Alemanni and Gaétan Deschênes are scheduled to arrive in Pincher Creek on July 24. Evaluation Day will be July 25, and they will leave the next day.