Bring out family, friends, or your club and join the biggest planting event in Courtenay.
The annual Mile of Flowers Plant-In happens May 28 starting at 5 p.m. Hundreds of volunteers are needed to fill both sides of Cliffe Avenue with summer blooms.
Randy Wiwchar, the City’s director of community services, said the event is a great way for families and groups to be involved in the community.
“It’s an event that people come back to year after year,” noted Wiwchar. “The best part is seeing the flowers you planted bloom for the summer and knowing you’ve made a positive impact downtown.”
Anyone can volunteer; just find an empty spot on Cliffe Avenue between Eighth and 21st streets, and start planting. Participants are advised to stay off the road and plant safely on the sidewalk. Depending on the number of volunteers, the Plant-In can take as little as one hour.
The City recommends bringing a trowel or spoon for digging, as well as gloves. City parks staff will lay out all the flower trays ahead of time, and they’ll be on hand to answer questions and keep the event running smoothly.
The Plant-In is a Comox Valley tradition dating back to 1967, when Kathleen Kirk set out to commemorate Canada’s centennial year. That year she planted 7,800 seedlings as a welcome to tourists. What began as the initiative of one woman now involves hundreds of volunteers and 35,000 flowers.
The Mile of Flowers Plant-In will be followed by a free barbecue at Standard Park, courtesy of the City of Courtenay and the Courtenay Rotary Club. Standard Park is off Cliffe Avenue at 14th Street.
For more information, contact the City of Courtenay community services department at 250-334-4441 or visit www.courtenay.ca/mileofflowers.aspx.
— City of Courtenay