Welland wins provincial floral display award
Welland was recognized Thursday for a Canada 150 floral display.
The city applied to the Ontario Parks Association’s Municipal Canada 150 Floral Display Competition for the flower bed on the corner of Ontario Street and Prince Charles Drive.
Thursday Dave Steven, City of Welland landscape technician and lead hand of horticulture and cemeteries, Frank Reddon, Class A gardener, and Peter Boyce, Welland park manager, attended a ceremony in Toronto to receive the award.
During a phone interview Thursday Steven said it was a big deal for the city to be recognized. He said it also meant a great deal to himself, Reddon and other city staff who work on the flower beds.
“I mean it’s a 150 years, I’ll never see that again ... So for us to kind of give back that way with one of our floral beds for Canada was just amazing to be part of Canada’s big celebration,” Steven said.
Steven and Reddon designed the Canada 150 flower bed to resemble the Canadian flag — it also incorporated the date of Canada’s formation.
Boyce said Steven and Reddon take the gardens to another level. For Boyce, each year the garden’s get better and better.
Steven said the great part about the flower bed designs is Boyce gives him and his staff freedom to do whatever they want. He said the gardens are made possible because of this and because of the support he gets from Welland mayor Frank Campion.
Welland was one of eight municipalities from across Ontario that competed.