Symposium Presentations

Held in conjunction with the annual national and international awards ceremonies, this event is a unique opportunity for elected officials, parks and grounds professionals and community volunteers to learn and share about current issues, trends and challenges not only in horticulture and gardening, but in community tourism and projects, environmental awareness, and much more.

2020 Symposium kick-off Webinar

Join us for our first Webinar featuring Canada’s most popular and trusted gardening expert and weatherman Frankie Flowers! Sponsored by Scotts Canada. This 30-minute webinar will be followed by a live presentation: Frankie’s Finds of Amazing Annuals.

2020 Symposium Virtual Happy Hour!

Grab your CiB themed cocktails and snacks (recipes will be shared in advance) for an early happy hour hosted by CiB Board Chair and Landscape Architect Paul Brydges, as well as CiB Past Chair and National CIB judge Bob Lewis and CiB Vice Chair John Lohuis as they chat about the new vision for CiB – and how we need your help to make each street, each playground, each community, across Canada and around the world a cleaner, healthier and greener place to live, work and play!

Green Infrastructure: Rain Gardens, Bioswales, Permeable Pavers & Urban Forests

Storm water management is becoming an increasingly pressing issue for cities as our climate warms and weather patterns become more erratic. Rain gardens and other green infrastructure are designed to manage storm water and help our environment with style! This seminar will examine the issues around storm water management and how these structures can help make our cities liveable for the long term.

City of Brampton Backyard Program

In the midst of a global pandemic, one municipality found an innovative, eco-friendly way to unite the community and help fight food insecurity. As the first municipality in Canada to launch this innovative green initiative in response to COVID-19, hear from program chair Doug Whillans, Brampton City Councillor for Wards 2 & 6, share how this idea came to fruition and how the community responded.

Protect your community’s investment in green infrastructure with the CLS Second Edition!

Professionally designed, installed, maintained and managed green infrastructure and nature-based solutions must be part of climate change adaptation planning. The Canadian Landscape Standard defines landscape industry best practices and is a tool for land developers, Municipal Parks and Public Works staff, landscape architects, and landscape designer’s. The CLS is a valuable resource for anyone involved in the planning, construction, maintaining or managing of the landscape. Bring your questions, and learn more about how your community can use the newly launched second edition of the Canadian Landscape Standard!

St Thomas Elevated Park

In a highly visual guided slide show, Serge Lavoie takes us through the vision and the multiple narratives of this unique project: place-making, community development, tourism, heritage preservation, naturalization of industrial spaces, and crowd funding financing. This is a project with all the ambition of The High Line, minus the $265 million budget.

Placemaking and Communities in Bloom

The 6 judging categories within the CIB grid have amazing similarities to the principles inherent in placemaking that help create places and spaces that make our communities safer, more liveable and help drive economic success. Presenters will demonstrate how attention to these principles create places that people want to go to and stay longer!

What Drives Community Success?

Political Leaders from across Canada discuss the impacts that longer-term participation in Communities in Bloom has had on their community and what positive changes are now present in their community as a result. Join Councillor Gwen Johner (Regina SK), Councillor Teri McMackin (Petticodiac, NB), Mayor Bill Weber (Lambton Shores, ON) and Councillor Shirley Fowler (Armstrong B.C) in this engaging discussion!

Youth Involvement Interest in Sustainable Communities

This session will explore how to engage the very active interest that today’s youth have about concern for climate change, our outdoor environments and wanting to make a difference. Examples of how to engage and sustain interest by youth in your community and within your CIB Committee will be presented.

The Battle with Invasives – Are we going to let them Win ?

More and more species are appearing that require attention to detail and persistence to avoid negative results. Join our advocates as they share their experiences.

Contributing to the tourism appeal of your community

Join Michel Gauthier with the Canadian Garden Council and Dave Cowen with Butchart Gardens as we profile Canada’s outstanding gardens along Canada’s Garden Route. Find out how your community can use Canada’s Garden Route as a marketing tool, how your community can be listed on Canada’s Garden Route and enhance your Garden Tourism appeal!

CiB National Awards and Community Showcase

We are excited to be featuring the 2020 Communities in Bloom Special Edition Participants along with the announcements of the Outstanding Achievement Awards Winners during this webinar! Join us to “virtually congratulate” our winners at this years ceremony.

2020 CiB Virtual Awards Results

Take a look at Communities in Bloom 2020 awards & contest winners!

CiB Town Hall Event

Following a long-standing tradition, a moderator will invite participants to exchange information on best practices, lessons learned and to address challenges facing the programs in their respective communities.

International Showcase

Join us for an exciting international showcase, hosted by Dr. Andrea Bocsi, International CiB Judge from Hungary, featuring our resilient international communities and how they have remained in full bloom this year!

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