Municipality: Province: Population Category: The municipality is evaluated on the efforts of all sectors in the community in the following criteria:

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1 valuation Form! British Columbia Communities in Bloom 2009 Evaluation Form! Municipality: province: category: Municipality: Province: Population Category: District of Mission British Columbia 20,001-50,000 The municipality is evaluated on the efforts of all sectors in the community in the following criteria: Tidiness / 125 Environmental Awareness / 125 Community Involvement / 125 Natural and Cultural Heritage Conservation 108 / 125 Tree/Urban Forest Management / 125 Landscaped Areas / 125 Floral Displays 104 / 125 Turf and Groundcovers 104 / 125 Percentage: Total Marks : / 1000 Bloom rating: Mention: 5 Blooms Silverdale Creek Wetlands Representative (s) of Community Name: Myrna Mathews Function: CiB Chair Name: Bert Pulles Function: CiB Co-Chair Name: Function: Judges Name: Don Alberg Name: Rea Smith Evaluation date: 24-Jul-09 IMPORTANT NOTES: All criteria are adjusted to the climate and environmental conditions of the municipality. Some aspects of a criterion might not be applicable: in such cases, scoring will be prorated. The evaluation score may vary from the previous year based on the facts that the evaluation form is subject to modifications each year and that the evaluation is based on the perception of the current judges. Bloom Scores: 5 Blooms = 82% +; 4 Blooms = 73-81%; 3 Blooms = 64-72%; 2 Blooms = 55-63%; 1 Bloom = up to 55% 2009 British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 1 of 20

2 General Comments and Suggestions The judges were struck by the high level of cooperation between the various departments of the District. This carried over to the volunteers, the CiB committee, the service clubs and the business and First Nations groups. This large community has the flavour of a much smaller and more intimate community. What a positive for a district of this size. The recent purchase of the Silverdale Wetlands shows the same commitment to environmental stability as did securing the TFL 50 years ago. This obviously is a District where people have a very high regard for the environment. It is encouraging to note that the District has a desire to increase its public land base in the future. The network trail plan is an excellent document that shows that the District wants to connect the whole community in an environmentally friendly way. What a wonderful way to encourage active communities. The relationship between the Heritage Society, the Sto:Lo First Nations and the District is to be commended. The cultural heritage of this area is rich and this is recognized and valued by council and citizens alike. The CiB committee has gone to a great deal of work producing the community profile book and its accompanying documents. The committee should review the criteria set out by provincial CiB. This will reduce the amount of work the committee has to do in the future and will help produce documents that are easier for the judges to use. While these documents are great archives for the local CiB group, much of the information could be moved to an appendix and the main document could focus only on the 8 criteria of the evaluation form British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 2 of 20

3 TIDINESS Tidiness of green spaces, medians, boulevards, sidewalks, streets, ditches, road shoulders, signage, vacant lots and buildings, with regard to garbage, weeds, maintenance and repair, dog droppings, notices/posters, graffiti and vandalism. Municipality / Public Properties # Tidiness, order, cleanliness and first impressions # Community anti-litter awareness and support for community organizations in clean-up efforts # Effective bylaws / policies and their enforcement; effective programs in smaller communities; operational programs for notices, posters and graffiti prevention / removal, derelict removal # Maintenance of public roads and shoulders: weed free sidewalks, curbs, streets and roads, regular hard surface / street sweeping program # Condition of buildings and urban furniture: benches, litter and recycling containers Max Actual Commercial / Industrial Sector # Tidiness, order and cleanliness # Condition of buildings, grounds, sidewalks and parking lots # Condition of urban furniture: benches, litter and recycling containers # Support financial and/or in-kind - for community clean-up programs Service Clubs, Schools, Churches, Not-for-profit groups # Support financial and/or in-kind; involvement organization, participation; impact on the community # Tidiness, condition of buildings and yards of churches, schools and any other buildings Residential / Citizens # Tidiness, order and cleanliness # Condition of buildings and yards # Involvement in block or individual street tidiness Tidiness British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 3 of 20

4 Comments and Suggestions - Tidiness First impressions of Mission are that it is a very clean and orderly town. The Adopt a Block program is very effective throughout residential, commercial and industrial areas. It is a great program for mustering large groups of volunteers and providing a fund raising opportunity for special interest groups. The Paint the Town program really changed the face of the lower main street. The murals on the walls of some of these newly painted buildings have effectively stopped graffiti on these sites, a truly win/win situation. It was noted that the land fill site was very orderly and cleared. Any debris blown is cleared up immediately. The use of cybertech deep well garbage cans in Centennial Park is an effective way to manage litter and reduce labour in their collection. We recommend extending this program to other popular recreation areas. Many service clubs and social groups take part in clean up activities. Of special note are the efforts of the 4x4 club in cleaning up the remote areas around Stave Lake. The program to encourage businesses to clean the litter around their establishments is commendable. By raising their awareness of their responsibility in the proliferation of litter might encourage them to change their practices. During regular mowing duties the Parks crews clean up any litter in the parks. By keeping the grounds clean, visitors are more likely to deal with their own trash in an appropriate fashion. The judges have evaluated this category with a very high mark due to the high level of tidiness of the whole community. Keep up the good work British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 4 of 20

5 ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS Sustainable development, policies and bylaws, waste reduction, landfill sites, hazardous waste collection, sewage disposal, transfer/recycle stations, recycling initiatives, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), water source, treatment and conservation, naturalization, environmental clean up activities and friendly transportation Municipality / Public Properties # Sustainable development strategy: bylaws / policies and their enforcement or effective programs in smaller communities; guidelines and long-term planning/vision # Waste management programs such as recycling, re-use, composting, shredding of Christmas trees, hazardous waste including e-waste collection, waste water treatment, community outreach # Water conservation and reduction programs: efficient appliance incentives or promotion, reduced reliance and efficient irrigation and use of non-potable water, water restriction policies # Watershed management plans and alternative storm water management: retention ponds, pervious hardscapes, green roofs, shoreline erosion control programs # Energy conservation programs such as: Alternate forms of energy: geothermal, biomass, wind, solar # Conversion programs for efficient lighting and shielding for night skies issues # Promotion of energy audits and energy efficient buildings and landscapes # Greening of operations fleet: conversion to higher efficiency vehicles, use of alternative fuels # Efficient use of vehicle fleet such as use of crew cabs, bicycles, any other energy-saving transportation # Conversion of older maintenance equipment to more efficient and reduced emissions # Transportation management strategies: promotion and incentives of public transit and car pooling # Conversion of roads to integrate new bike lanes, expanded recreational pathways # Air quality programs: monitoring, anti-idling advisory / bylaws, promotion for the reduced reliance/use of high air polluting small engine equipment # Use of Integrated Pest Management / Plant Health Care principles: timing, policies / bylaws and/or effective procedures # Initiatives such as: Innovation: through green buildings, green roofs; reuse of sites and buildings Green procurement policies (use of local products, material energy lifecycle considerations) Brownfield redevelopment, remediation Commercial / Industrial Sector # Participation in the environmental effort # Corporate environmental innovation / stewardship, initiatives, activities # Sustainable development strategies, safety and emergency preparedness # Energy efficient buildings / landscapes. # Greening of operational fleet and equipment. Service Clubs, Schools, Churches, Not-for-profit groups # Support financial and/or in-kind # Involvement organization, participation # Impact of efforts on community Residential / Citizens # Participation in the environmental effort # Involvement / support / direction to municipality Environmental Awareness Max Actual British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 5 of 20

6 Comments and Suggestions - Environmental Awareness The Silverdale Creek wetlands are the crown jewel of this community s commitment to environmental awareness. The scope of the project is vast and the result will be a sound ecosystem, a pleasing place to walk and an outstanding outdoor classroom. The entire project is the result of Jim Taylor and an army of volunteer labourers working together to create a little piece of paradise. On a similar vein, the storm water management system on the north side of town will take advantage of the natural features of a 10 acre parcel to provide a recreational and educational site for humans in a natural ecosystem for birds and animals. We commend Jason, the planning engineer, and public works staff for their innovative development of this utility. The implementation of water restrictions shows Council s commitment to and respect for this valuable resource. It is interesting to note that while Mission has a surface source for domestic water, this source also supplies Abbotsford. The sanitary system is another joint venture between the District, Abbotsford and Sumas with Abbotsford operating the treatment plant. The District is making every effort to reduce their carbon foot print by the purchase of hybrid vehicles, retaining a new waste collector with new energy efficient equipment as well as arranging for the demo of a 100% electric truck. We encourage the District to continue to move forward in their pursuit of carbon foot print reduction. The recycling depot is well run. Excellent programs are offered in all aspects of recycling including composting. The landfill pilot project on composting was successful and they are now moving forward with an RFP to expand the composting in the District. We commend them for their interest in seeking groups who would be willing to utilize the good wood from the dump pile as another way of keeping waste out of the land fill. We commend Mike Younie for putting measures in place to control leachate at the landfill. Public works Lloyd Nicholson has moved forward with night sky street lights using computer dimming as a method of saving hydro. The public works dept is also increasing their shoulder lanes width to 1.4m to allow for safe cycling. The parks department in their master plan wants to develop linear parks with a trail system that would allow for safe pedestrian movement of the citizens from urban to commercial areas. We would suggest presenting these trail plans to a public meeting and making maps of the trails available to schools and community groups. We would like to recognize the high school for their comprehensive plan to reduce their school s garbage output. We encourage the CiB committee to expand their support of the schools. Much of the info on this page came as a result of asking questions of people during our day. Though the presentations in Council Chambers were excellent and it is clear that District staff are committed to what they do, we suggest that time be left for the judges to ask questions British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 6 of 20

7 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Citizens involvement in various community projects, including horticulture and garden clubs, service groups, recreation and sports clubs, school children, teens, seniors, municipal workers and local businesses Max Actual Municipality / Public Properties # Volunteer recognition # Support financial and/or in-kind for volunteer activities # Information and educational programs # Promotion of local businesses, products, tourism # Organization/facilitation of local events/festivals, fundraising, support financial and/or in-kind # Innovation; involvement with youth / seniors and other initiatives towards broader social inclusion Commercial / Industrial Sector # Involvement in community projects, volunteer initiatives, community outreach programs # Sponsorship financial and/or in kind of the local CIB program # Innovation; involvement with youth / seniors and other initiatives towards broader social inclusion Service Clubs, Schools, Churches, Not-for- profit groups # Support financial and/or in-kind # Involvement organization, participation # Impact of efforts on community Residential / Citizens # Support - financial and/or in kind - of projects / programs # Participation in community programs # Provision of ideas / initiatives for projects/programs Community Involvement British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 7 of 20

8 Comments and Suggestions - Community Involvement Mission is fortunate to have such a wide ranging group of volunteers. It seems that every project, whether it is cultural, arts related, environmental or social, has a dedicated group of people supporting it with energy, time and expertise. It is clear that the Chamber of Commerce, the city Council and the volunteers themselves have forged a very strong working relationship. This bond is very important to the future of programs in Mission. We commend city Council and Mayor Atebe for their support, as this shows the volunteers that they are valued and important. By gaining non-profit society status the CiB committee has shown how dedicated and committed they are to the program. We believe that this is a first in BC. This status will open opportunities to the Mission CiB that are not possible for similar associations elsewhere. The ability to apply for funding will allow you to expand programs and reduce the amount of energy spent fundraising. We commend the Mission Heritage Association for all they do, particularly the heritage tree inventory and the work on drafting policy for the preservation of heritage buildings. These activities require hours of volunteer time and are truly a labour of love. Volunteer recognition and celebration are crucial to the continued health of volunteer groups. The judges learned that the Council recognized volunteers at a special awards ceremony. We recommend that all clubs and groups who rely on volunteers, organize celebrations or find other ways to show appreciation of these valued workers. Their efforts must never be taken for granted. We commend Councillor Stewart on her continued support of CiB and her recognition of volunteers in her column in the paper British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 8 of 20

9 NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION Heritage policies, bylaws and natural heritage management plans; preservation and restoration of buildings, homes, churches, monuments, artefacts, sites, parks, heritage gardens, trees; preservation of traditions and customs; festivals/celebrations; heritage foods and the arts; museums and history, archives, Architectural Advisory Committee Municipality / Public Properties # Heritage policies / by-laws and their enforcement or effective programs in smaller communities # Natural and cultural heritage management plan and preservation initiatives: cultural landscapes, use of native plants, heritage gardens, trees # Preservation, restoration and reuse programs # Information and support programs # Promotion of heritage by Historical Society / Heritage Committee / Tourism Association # Interpretative and signage programs, walking tours, museums, festivals/celebrations # Cultural heritage programs: first nations, explorers, first and subsequent settlers and more recent immigrants # New programs and initiatives to promote local heritage Commercial / Industrial Sector # Conservation, restoration and reuse of sites/buildings # Building façade and improvement plan. (original colours, styles, materials, lighting) # Participation in municipal, provincial or federal programs # Innovation and participation in promotion of local heritage Max Actual Service Clubs, Schools, Churches, Not-for-profit groups # Support financial and/or in-kind # Involvement organization, participation # Impact of efforts on community Residential / Citizens # Conservation / restoration and reuse of sites / buildings # Preservation of traditions, customs, food, music, dance and crafts # Participation in heritage community events/activities Natural and Cultural Heritage Conservation British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 9 of 20

10 Comments and Suggestions - Natural and Cultural Heritage Conservation The District of Mission continues to expand their appreciation of cultural and natural heritage in the community. This commitment is apparent at the Fraser River Heritage Park. The park is an important piece of the heritage conservation program. The park is the new home of a very old Caitlin Rhododendron, the official flower of Mission. We hope the plant will flourish in its new environment. The heritage rose garden uses companion planting with garlic and aphid eradication using ladybugs all under the careful eye of gardener Heather. With the co-operation of the District, the Heritage Park is able to host a world class folk festival. The restoration of the large gazebo kept the historical integrity of the park intact. The Heritage society is a very busy, committed group. From heritage tree inventories, to developing policy on preservation of heritage buildings, this group has proven their commitment to keeping the past alive. Unfortunately we were not able to tour the museum but did note that it was housed in a heritage building. We suggest that the Heritage society investigate a system whereby heritage buildings can be identified using plaques, free standing posts and laminated labels. The Xa:ytem center is a very important part of the Cultural & Heritage Conservation in Mission. It is a hands on educational facility and fully supports the First Nations segment of the school curriculum. The program offered at the center is people oriented. The buildings on site are reflective of First Nations' homes of long ago. The construction of the long house and pit house are exceptional. They clearly show how early people lived in all seasons of the year. The sacred rock on the hill watches over this special place. The Welcome to Mission Trivia board game showing Heritage is a creative and fun way to teach residents and guests about Mission s important past. We strongly recommend that the Heritage Society push to have by-laws created to preserve and protect both heritage trees and buildings British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 10 of 20

11 TREE / URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT Written policies, bylaws and regulation plans both long and short-term. Distribution of trees, inventory, variety, suitability, new plantings, main street programs, new survey developments, preservation of heritage trees, commemorative trees, woodlots, succession planting, Plant Health Care and Integrated Pest Management, qualified/trained individuals (volunteer or on staff) Municipality / Public Properties # Policies, regulations and tree by-laws, tree protection and planting on public and private lands # Plan of action: procurement, species diversity, selection of hardy species with potential to contribute to the plan # Strategic Management, Operational and Emergency Plan in place, an inventory of trees, demonstration of good planting techniques and a maintenance program # Measures to preserve, protect, manage and expand woodlots # Qualified personnel and/or crew training # Integrated Pest Management / Plant Health Care, plan of action for invasive pest detection and control, information on current infestations and diseases # Participation and recognition in programs such as Green Streets Canada, Maple Leaf Day Commercial / Industrial Sector # Concept, design and planting for commercial enterprises # Maintenance programs # Existing tree protection and preservation during construction: in by-law and/or in practice # Involvement and promotion of tree planting programs and conservation through groups such as Business Improvement Association Service Clubs, Schools, Churches, Not - for - profit groups # Support financial and/or in-kind and involvement organization, participation # Impact and maintenance Residential / Citizens # Selection of varieties inclusion of native, hardy species # Maintenance Max Actual Tree / Urban Forest Management British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 11 of 20

12 Comments and Suggestions - Tree / Urban Forest Management The tree farm license held by the District Municipality is a real asset to the community. Besides generating revenue it is a site for recreation, education, a sustainable forest and an integral piece of the overall environmental plan. For over half a century it has been very well managed, for the last 20 years under the direction of Kim Allen. Regular patrols occur by RCMP to monitor activities of people in this area, which has had a very positive effect on cleaning up this remote wilderness. On our driving tour of the area, we learned from Jason Horton the arborist, that there are plans to plant street trees in a new area of town. We also learned that the Parks department reuses many of the plants and trees that are removed in daily parks maintenance. Any old or damaged trees that can not be reused are composted at the landfill. Careful removal of diseased trees is done in a way that minimizes damage to the surrounding plant life. Every effort is made to preserve the natural species in any new park areas. Hand weeding is the eradication method of choice for invasive species. Often this hand weeding is accomplished by labour from the local correctional institution. We recommend that efforts be made to make the judges aware of urban forest practices in the commercial sectors. We applaud the move to preserve trees around a new building in the Industrial park. The plans for the Mill Pond reflect the philosophy of the Parks dept to return public areas to their original state by removing black top and letting previously maintained areas return to their natural condition. Overall the staff for Urban Trust Management is a well trained professional group. We recommend this highly trained group consider sharing their knowledge with the public by offering free seminars on topics such as pruning techniques, identification and eradication of invasive species, and identification and care of native plants. We also suggest hosting guided tours of the TFL by qualified staff as a way of sharing this resource with the public. It is an excellent resource for educating students and adults alike on good forest practices as well as an opportunity to teach people about tree species, and their problems in an urban forest setting. Of note is the practice of planting a commemorative tree at the cemetery each Earth Day British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 12 of 20

13 LANDSCAPED AREAS This criteria supports all efforts to create an environment wherein plants form an essential element of the overall surroundings; design and suitability for location and use; native and introduced materials; balance of plants, materials and constructed elements; harmony (colour, texture, shape); tasteful integration of hard surfaces and art elements; standards of maintenance. Municipality / Public Properties # First impressions of the community including gateway / entrance treatments # Development of policies, standards and best practices # Plan of action: distribution through the community # Urban and civic design standards for streetscape and other public places: flags, banners, public art, fountains, site furnishings, lighting design, walkways and paving materials, signage and accessibility # Specifications for planting (with suitable varieties) and maintenance # Sustainable designs: energy efficient, use of green materials, naturalization, xeriscaping # Site rejuvenation, rehabilitation and maintenance (life cycle management) # Qualified personnel (including seasonal staff) and/or training Max Actual Commercial / Industrial Sector # Innovation in concept and design # Public involvement: support financial and/or in-kind, participation # Sustainable designs: energy efficient, use of green materials, naturalization, xeriscaping # Contribution to urban and civic design and public greenspaces above and beyond requirements: such as public art, streetscape, site furniture, fountains # Adequate ongoing maintenance (life cycle management) Service Clubs, Schools, Churches, Not-for-profit groups # Support financial and/or in-kind and involvement organization, participation # Sustainable designs: energy efficient, use of green materials, naturalization, xeriscaping Residential / Citizens # Streetscape appeal of landscapes # Overall maintenance # Inclusion of sustainable plant materials Landscaped Areas British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 13 of 20

14 Comments and Suggestions - Landscaped Areas The Paint the Town project is now complete and the results are very appealing. This program has linked the areas of the commercial core and the industrial area. The bank mural on the pedestrian alley between the two streets is a perfect way to link the two streets. We encourage the DBA to proceed with mural extensions as soon as funding can be secured. It was good to see the CiB banners in place on the main street. It is obvious that banners reflect the artistic talents of people in the area. We suggest this is a great opportunity for the Arts Council to involve students at all grade levels. A contest could be held and the winning artwork be turned into banners to be hung downtown. It is a good way to make the youngest citizens in an area feel a sense of belonging and pride in the town. We also recommend the District look into buying a bucket truck to make the placement of the banners easy and efficient. This vehicle can also be used for street light changing and tree pruning, making the purchase very cost effective. Arriving in the community, visitors are struck by the attractive display of entry points. The Chamber information center is a good example of this. Its wide expanse of lawn, ease of access, colourful flower beds and the Oyama Japanese Garden make this a place that visitors want to explore. Congratulations to Bert Pulles on his design and management of the Oyama features. We look forward to the completion of the downtown rain garden. This is a perfect way to enhance an area and at the same time deal with contaminated storm water. The Spirit Square development will be a welcome addition to the river front area. It will be usable and appealing to the public. We suggest the District planning department investigate the use of mid block cross walks, and chocker curbs, to accommodate hard landscapes, the resulting effect would facilitate pedestrian movement downtown. We noticed a wide variety of residential landscapes. Many areas of the residential parts of town are strikingly beautiful with well maintained plantings, fences, and boulevards. We applaud the District with their plans to encourage people to enhance the boulevard areas. We also noticed that some of the older areas of town are in need of a general sprucing up. We suggest that CiB partner with community groups to help residents in these areas British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 14 of 20

15 FLORAL DISPLAYS Arrangements of flowers and plants (annuals, perennials, bulbs, ornamental grasses), originality, distribution, location, diversity and balance, colour, harmony, quality and maintenance. These pertain to flowerbeds, carpet bedding, containers, baskets and window boxes. Municipality / Public Properties # Diversity of displays: flowerbeds, raised beds, planters, hanging baskets, window boxes, carpet bedding, mosaics # Plan of action: programs, distribution through community. Concept and design including sustainable design # Diversity of plants: annuals, perennials, bulbs, grasses, woody plants, natural flora # Quality, maintenance, best practices # Qualified personnel (including seasonal staff) and/or training Commercial / Industrial Sector # Concept and design # Quality and maintenance # Contribution to overall floral program Max 12 Actual Service Clubs, Schools, Churches, Not-for-profit groups # Support financial and/or in-kind and involvement organization, participation # Concept, design, selection and maintenance on their own properties Residential / Citizens # Arrangement, diversity, colour # Quality and maintenance Floral Displays British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 15 of 20

16 Comments and Suggestions - Floral Displays We noticed some truly remarkable floral displays. From the hanging baskets downtown to the well designed features managed by the parks department and their hanging baskets at the main hall to the many amazingly beautiful yards. Mission can be proud of the floral displays it offers. We commend Jackie and the parks crew for the creative floral displays and baskets they have in place at the cemetery. It was noted that some businesses are planting perennials as a way to reduce future costs. We commend them for those effects. The parks branch is also moving in this direction. We recognize that the parks dept Heritage Park make good use of perennial material which they propagate for use in the expansion of newly planted areas. They also happily receive donations of perennials from home gardeners. It was very useful for the judges to see the winning entries in the garden contest through the power point presentation at the Awards Ceremony. We congratulate CiB for adding vegetable gardens to the contest and for recognizing such a wide variety of categories. This program will encourage residents to improve and expand on their gardens in all CiB categories. Again we applaud the CiB efforts to include schools in the program. To further encourage residents and businesses in good gardening practices we recommend the CiB offer seminars in such topics as starting your own plants, pest management techniques, pruning of trees and shrubs and on how to preserve the summer bounty of fruits and vegetables. We know that many members have talents they could share with others. We need to acknowledge the efforts of some fast food outlets to beautify their premises by planting appropriate and attractive species in front of their establishments. We recognize that floral displays are the first thing many people notice as they visit a new area. We feel you are well on your way to wowing visitors to your town British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 16 of 20

17 TURF AND GROUNDCOVERS Quality, naturalization, use of groundcovers and wild flowers, turf management (manicured to rough), use of artificial turf, maintenance (mowing height and frequency), Integrated Pest Management (IPM) / Plant Health Care, fertilization programs, irrigation and water restrictions. Areas include private homes, public buildings, municipal and private sports fields and athletic parks. Municipality / Public Properties # First impressions; plan of action, distribution of turf and ground cover areas # Diversity / species, types of plantings / drought tolerance # Turf Management / Integrated Pest Management / Plant Health Care, alternative solutions to diseases and infestations when appropriate # Review of maintenance plans to consider increased naturalization, alternate mowing frequency for reduced and more efficient operations # Information programs for water requirements, mowing frequency and height, rain gardens # Qualified personnel (including seasonal staff) and/or training. Max Actual Commercial / Industrial Sector # Concept and design, use of alternative ground covers # Quality and maintenance on these properties # Site naturalization Service clubs, Schools, Churches, Not-for-profit groups # Support financial and/or in-kind and involvement organization, participation # Quality and maintenance on these properties Residential / Citizens # Concept and design, use of alternative ground covers # Quality and maintenance # Participation in lawn watering conservation programs Turf and Groundcovers British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 17 of 20

18 Comments and Suggestions - Turf and Groundcovers The sports field is a very popular venue for many sporting activities. We applaud the foresight of the parks dept in recognizing that the fields were being overworked and implementing a restricted schedule which allows the fields time to rejuvenate. The cooperative effort of sharing high cost equipment between the school and municipal districts has resulted in the noticeable improvement of turf areas for both. We note that the turf in all public and private areas is in excellent condition. The turf on Churches, schools and golf courses all reflect best practices for their type of use. In areas where grass won t grow, as under the heavy tree canopy in many park areas, appropriate ground cover was used. Heavy mulch, much of it natural, made these areas neat and tidy. These areas create a pleasing balance to manicured green lawns. We recognize that watering restrictions will limit the appearance of grassed areas, however the need to conserve the valuable water resources outweigh the need to have a really green lawn. The extensive use of perennials in the beds in public areas indicates an understanding that living groundcovers save water, and save a valuable labour resource. They also serve to inhibit invasive plant growth. The judges suggest once again, that District staff and volunteers could put on a seminar for the public regarding turf and ground cover management British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 18 of 20

19 Evaluation Checklist / Questions on organization: Yes No N/A x Were the judges, upon their arrival, presented with the itinerary and the Community Profile Book, which was completed according to the "Guidelines..."? x Was there an initial orientation meeting with introductions? x Were the community representatives knowledgeable about the community and all criteria? x Were the judges able to ask questions and modify the schedule if they thought that there was not enough time spent on a judging criteria? x Did the judges meet with the media? x Were the judges asked to give presentations? x Were the judges able to meet with and talk with the volunteers? x Did the community, with its allotted time, distribute it so there was adequate coverage for each of the eight criteria? x Was there enough time allotted to start the evaluation form in a quiet place? 2009 British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 19 of 20

20 Mention - Rating - Description - Special Projects Municipality: Mention: Bloom Rating: District of Mission Silver Creek Wetlands 5 Blooms Description of the Community and Mention The District of Mission is a major settlement area in the Fraser Valley. Its proximity to the river was responsible for much of its heritage and is now guiding the OCP. The district wide cooperation speaks well to Mission s future development. Nothing is impossible when a community pulls together like this one does. The priority this district puts on the environment will ensure that this area will remain a beautiful and healthy place for future generations. Special Projects (names or list : description not required) Garden contest 2009 British Columbia Communities in Bloom Evaluation Form 20 of 20