It only takes a few flowers to brighten someone’s day, so how many flowers would it take for a whole city?
The City of Courtenay is hoping the Mile of Flowers Plant-In will do the trick.
Volunteers are needed on May 31, starting at 5 p.m. to festoon both sides of Cliffe Avenue with blooms for the summer.
Randy Wiwchar, the city’s director of community services, says people come back to this event year after year.
“It’s great to see familiar groups and families at the Plant-In, and we get lots of first-timers too,” he said. “It’s amazing what these volunteers can accomplish in such a short amount of time.”
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 from 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 also 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 located on Cliffe Avenue at 14th Street.
For more information, contact the City of Courtenay Community Services Department at 250-334-4441.
— City of Courtenay