Tignish blooming
Communities in Bloom judges toured Tignish recently.
There was a quiet confidence about Jamie McHugh as she led Communities in Bloom judges Ted Zarudny and Larry Hall on a tour of properties in Tignish. But McHugh, who has been involved in flower gardens and landscape work in Tignish for 14 years, admitted she gets nervous about the annual judging.
“It’s almost like I’m back in school and I have a big test the next day.” With the help of volunteers and municipal staff she has been preparing for the visit since early spring. A bigger army of volunteers joined in at the first of the week to help with the watering, weeding, dead-heading and all the other details to make everything look its best, McHugh said.
It didn’t go unnoticed. Zarudny, who is from Orangeville, Ont., and Hall from Saskatchewan, picked up on the sense of pride residents hold for their community and the community’s volunteer spirit.
This is Tignish’s 11th year in the national competition which assesses communities on such aspects as services, attractions, landscape, floral displays and environmental awareness. Tignish, a 2013 national champion, now competes in the Circle of Champions, Small category. Other communities in the running for the national award in their category are Millet and Vermillion, Alta., Ashcroft, B.C., and Sussex, N.B.
“Every year you’ve got to try to up the ante,” said McHugh.