Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise in the House today to speak about people, plants and pride, the slogan of Communities in Bloom, an organization which seeks to provide a national focus for established provincial and community based beautification programs across Canada.
Launched in 1995 with 29 municipalities participating, this year's edition had the involvement of all provinces and territories. Hundreds of municipalities were involved at the provincial level, while 94 municipalities competed at the national level. With competitions designed to build a spirit of community and to increase civic pride, Communities in Bloom has popularized environmental awareness and heritage conservation.
It gives me great pleasure to announce that the town of Mitchell received four out of five blooms in this year's competition and was a national finalist in the 2,000 to 5,000 population category.