The City of Fredericton saw blooming success at an international awards ceremony held earlier this month.
The City took home three awards at the Communities in Bloom National & International Awards Ceremony in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The awards recognize municipalities around the world for their dedication to enhancing green space and environmental initiatives.
"These achievements highlight the tireless efforts of staff, local businesses, volunteers, and residents who are dedicated to making Fredericton a beautiful, more sustainable, welcoming place for all,” said Mayor Kate Rogers. “This is what happens when community comes together.”
The City received international recognition for its brand new Net Zero Greenhouse, which helped land the Healthier, Livable Cities Award. The facility opened in March and is powered by solar panels installed on a nearby office building.
The greenhouse also contains natural lighting, irrigation and temperature control using an Earth battery, which consists of a series of perforated pipes inside a large volume of sand within the foundation of the greenhouse. The Earth battery is used as an underground thermal mass that stores and releases heat, eliminating the need for carbon intensive fossil fuel heating inside the greenhouse.
“Not only has the City of Fredericton taken the extra step to participate in Communities in Bloom’s new Healthier, Livable Cities Assessment tool; the City has invested in innovation and energy-saving technology to create a net-zero energy greenhouse,” said Anthony O’Neill, a judge for Communities in Bloom.
The City also won the Tree Management Award for its devotion to tree care across the region. With the new tree nursery, the City is dedicated to cultivating trees from seeds, which have been collected from native species in the Fredericton area. The seeds were collected over the past year from local trees to guarantee genetic diversity. Many of them will be planted in parks, trails, and greenspace, and along City streets, which is part of the annual tree planting program. The greenhouse facility contains up to 5,000 seedlings.
Fredericton went on to receive the National Capital Commission Plant & Floral Displays Award, which included floral displays like Tony and Piper, a floral arrangement of a frog and butterfly along the riverfront, as well as the iconic hummingbird display at the Lincoln Roundabout.
“Communities in Bloom is about joining people together in a grassroots endeavor that will create a more sustainable future for generations to come,” said Mike Walker, Assistant Director of Engineering and Operations at the City of Fredericton. “For years, the City has worked diligently to create such inviting and renewable green space.”
The City of Fredericton was nominated in eight categories for the Communities in Bloom contest.