Pembroke Communities in Bloom by Susan Ellis

Foreword Canada’s smallest city has been participating in the Communities in Bloom program with the full support of Council since 1999. Throughout the years, Pembroke has won both the provincial and national versions of the competition, as well as 5 blooms at the international level. It has received recognition for its floral displays, its community involvement, its heritage conservation, tidiness, and most recently for the most outstanding land reclamation project in Canada, the Pembroke Waterfront Park. The volunteer committee is astounding by all definitions of the word, because it has maintained a core group of dedicated people who care deeply and passionately about Pembroke and believe that the Communities in Bloom program and its holistic approach is by far the most effective community development program that exists in North America and beyond. To commit time, energy and effort year after year to a community project is laudable. But for over 13 years? That’s astounding! Each year brings us different challenges, frustrations, and rewards. And each year, there is a recurring theme: the unshakeable belief that it’s the people that make a community great. Despite nature, or government or circumstance, it is the people in our midst who will rise up and meet the challenges being presented. And in this, Pembroke is rich beyond belief, and already an international winner! Susan Ellis B.A., B. Ed., Ec.D Manager, Economic Development, Recreation, Tourism City of Pembroke, July 2012

This is an interactive document, and whenever you see text that is this colour, click on it. It will lead you to more detailed information.

Go ahead, click the text, and you’ll see that the International Communities in Bloom judging is taking place July 23rd- July 25th, 2012

(if you’re a judge, and you’re reading this, these flowers are for you!)

TABLE OF CONTENTS Pembroke Communities in Bloom Committee

Tidiness

Environmental Action

Heritage Conservation

Urban Forestry

Landscape

Floral Displays

News Clippings

SOME BASIC BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Pembroke is blessed with many, many things, including, but not limited to: Population: 14,500+ Municipal Budget : $27,690,535 Parks Budget: $424,825.00. Total Area: 1,137 ha (3485) Parks & Green Space Area: 170 acres

Pembroke Communities in Bloom Committee The City of Pembroke first passed an order in Council approving its entry into the Ontario Communities in Bloom competition in December, 1998. An initial budget of $10,000 was set aside for 1999. Since then, Council has supplemented this amount, and in 2012 a budget of $21,000 from Economic Development and Tourism was approved. Council did agree, however, that any monies accrued by the Communities in Bloom Committee but not spent during the fiscal year are allowed to be carried over, rather than placed in the general reserve fund. Council believes that it is important that the Committee be representative of the community and members of the 2012 committee included: Mary Ethier - Chairperson

Dan Callaghan, Councillor

Susan Ellis, Manager, Economic Development, Tourism

Doug Sitland, Manager, Operations

Jay Maclaren – Pembroke and Area Kiwanis Club

Gail Richardson - Chamber of Commerce

Shelley Burchart – PBIA

Chantal Picard - PBIA

Grace McLaughlin –Pembroke Horticultural Society

Marilyn Gorski – Pembroke Comfort Inn

Marian Patterson - Volunteer

The Committee meets regularly throughout the year to ensure the continued commitment of Council and the community at large. As a Committee of Council, the annual budget is determined by Council, and managed by the Economic Development & Tourism Department. The Operations Department also maintains a budget line item for “Bloomers”, students hired every summer to help maintain the City parks.

TIDINESS Municipal Initiatives The City of Pembroke and the Communities in Bloom Committee are continuously aware of the condition of the city’s roads, sidewalks, boulevards and public spaces and places. There is a designated budget for street sweeping, maintenance of city owned facilities, graffiti removal, weed control and property standards. There is also an annual spring and fall curb side garbage pickup to allow residents to discard large items, bundled twigs and branches. Each spring, the Communities in Bloom Committee launches its annual program with a Community Clean-up. Volunteers are asked to meet at the Pembroke Farmers’ Market, and free gloves, Tshirts, and garbage bags are provided. Tim Horton’s and Home Hardware sponsor this event. A primary mandate of the Pembroke Business Improvement Area (PBIA) is beautification of the downtown, and a designated staff person is employed to paint, clean, and clear litter from the downtown area. This includes garbage containers and all street furniture as well as maintaining the planters and weed control. Garbage receptacles, recycling containers, butt stops, and plastic waste bags for pets are provided throughout downtown and in public places. Parks and Facilities performs regular inspections to ensure that they are all clean and in proper working order. The City is also part of a Smoke Free initiative being managed by Health Canada, with signs posted around our playgrounds and play structures asking people not to smoke where children are playing.

The Murals are rarely tagged by graffiti artists. Perhaps they respect all forms of street art? Enjoy a virtual tour of Canada’s largest outdoor art gallery!

Both the PBIA and the City will also sometimes supervise youth in the Department of Justice Community Services program, providing them with meaningful opportunities to make positive contributions to the community. Many enrolled in this program have gained job experience while painting, weeding, and clearing clutter.

The City has a Graffiti By-Law which allows enforcement officers to charge property owners if any reported graffiti is not removed within two weeks of being noted. If the graffiti is not removed then the City will perform the service, and the cost is billed back to the property owner on his/her tax bill.

Business and Institutions There are four separate school boards in Pembroke, as well as Algonquin College, and all of these educational institutions have special Earth Day programs, as well as special property clean-up days every spring and fall. This year, the local Kinsmen Club sold Rain Barrels to encourage the community to conserve rain water. Local businesses also hop on board whenever they can! Tim Hortons and Home Hardware are regular community clean up sponsors, while many businesses will donate signage space to help advertise special clean up events. The business that is seen to be an outstanding corporate citizen that takes great pride in their property as well as contributing to the community in general is awarded the Golden Spade each year at the annual Pembroke Communities in Bloom Awards Ceremony. Not only is this an honour for the chosen business, it is an incentive for others to get more involved!

11Â Â

Earth Day and Earth Hour are both observed by growing numbers of residents and businesses in Pembroke.

Residential

All businesses, residences, and institutions in Pembroke are automatically entered into the local Communities in Bloom competition, and every property is judged by the volunteers of the Communities in Bloom committee in late July. This helps to ensure that properties are maintained, and efforts are made to keep them looking attractive. Nowhere is this more evident that in the residential neighbourhoods in Pembroke. Each year there are over 400 properties awarded either 3, 4 or 5 blooms in the local competition, and the list of property addresses appears in the local newspaper following the annual awards ceremony. And each year the number of recipients continues to climb as property owners invest more time, energy and money into keeping their properties attractive. Part of the annual competition is the Prettiest Street in Pembroke award, which is presented to the street with 5 or more consecutive properties that are being exceptionally well cared for. A special street sign is hung on the winning street for a year, and the residents take great pride in pointing it out to others!

13Â Â

The local Communities in Bloom Committee initially encouraged people to nominate their neighbour’s yards for the local CiB judges’ to visit. City Hall was quickly inundated with nominations and it became such a huge administrative task to organize, that the decision was made in 2002 to automatically enter every home, business and institution into the local competition. However, the memory of “nominate a neighbour” still lingers, and every year, we receive nominations of places to visit…proof of how well the program is accepted in Pembroke!

Community Involvement Local service clubs volunteer each year to help with the annual Spring and Fall Community Clean Ups. The Kiwanis members can be found along the Kiwanis Trail picking up refuse, while the Rotarians and Kinsmen all make special efforts to keep Rotary Park and Kinsmen Park clean and tidy as well.

Local church groups frequently volunteer to help with keeping the city clean and tidy. For the past two years, a Salvation Army youth outreach club, The Grind, has volunteered two days of weed control in downtown with the help of about 15 teenagers. The Royal Canadian Air Cadets, the Pembroke Boys and Girls Club, Scouts, Beavers, and various church youth groups have all dedicated countless hours to tree planting, clean ups and special projects to help their community. Pembroke is extremely community minded, and we see regular evidence of this throughout the year whenever a need is expressed.

15Â Â

Pembroke is blessed with many clubs and organizations that are community minded and offer service to others. Whether it is a commitment of time, skills, or a combination of both, the volunteers of Pembroke are an essential element to the success of almost every public event!

Because Pembroke is a regional centre, many of the volunteers do not actually reside here but consider Pembroke as “their” town.

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION Municipal The City of Pembroke is dedicated to sustainable environmental policies, and towards that end has formally adopted the following practices and procedures: The Community Improvement Goal (Official Plan S-3.6.1) It is the goal of Council to

upgrade, maintain and rehabilitate the physical environment in order to ensure the continued social and economic viability of its existing residential neighbourhoods, central business district and industrial parks. This goal has, in turn, helped to develop the Green Policy Statement

“One of the primary goals of the City of Pembroke is to maintain and provide a lush, natural setting in which residents can live, work and play. The City of Pembroke is striving to ensure that a higher consideration is placed on the “natural” environment. A significant portion of landscaping requirements will now be placed on the preservation of existing site features such as landforms, water courses and vegetation. New developments shall not change the balance of the ecological system. The City of Pembroke will strive to ensure that as much of the natural environment as possible is preserved. The preservation of existing vegetation is valued by the City because of the role it plays in providing the high level of environmental quality. The City of Pembroke will require any Site Plan or Subdivision Agreement submissions to pay particular attention to the preservation of existing vegetation within the City.” The City also requires that 5% of any new subdivision has to be dedicated parkland and all new subdivision lots are required to have 2 trees planted on them. As well 5% of residential severance fees are placed in the Parks Reserve Fund.

Local Flavour. Local Food. Local Flair! Pembroke Farmers’ Market, Rainbow Heritage Gardens, Ottawa Valley Food Co-op, Algonquin Tea Company are four of the many organizations in Pembroke and the Ottawa Valley that encourage the use of local, organic food that is sustainably and ethically grown and produced.

Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre built in partnership with neighbouring communities operates a wet-dry system of garbage collection, ensuring over 65% reduction in solid waste entering the landfill site. The collected plastic is sorted, bailed and sold rather than ending up in our waterways and ditches. As well, high grade compost is being produced and made available to the community. OVWRC was awarded the prestigious Federation of Canadian Municipalities Sustainable Community Award. The award recognizes that OVWRC and the partner municipalities who “by working together have dramatically increased solid waste diversion rates for organics and other materials”. The OVWRC has also recently expanded its Waste Electronics Program and along with laptops, computers, monitors, televisions, and peripherals, is now accepting telephones, MP3 players, copiers, PDA’s, record players, turntables, pagers, cameras, copiers, stereos and speakers. Residents are sent a flyer listing the days on which the Household Hazardous Waste Depot is open. The flyer lists the wastes accepted (and not accepted) as well as safety precautions that should be taken when handling hazardous wastes. The City offers an annual fall curb-side pick-up of leaves which are then taken to the leaf composting site at OVWRC. Residents can also choose to take leaves to the site, which is open daily with no tipping fee. The resulting rich compost is used by the Operations Department to bolster the soils in our parks, public gardens and planters. As well, the Operations Department recycles its materials whenever feasible, including top soil from ditching operations, recycled materials and asphalt from road cuts.

Garden Smart Ontario produces a number of brochures and pamphlets that illustrate the threat of invasive species. The City shares this information publicly on Bloom Pembroke’s Facebook page, as well as placing posters at the Marina, Riverside Park, and other city owned facilities.

The Operations Department has an industrial wood chipper, to dispose of fallen branches and trees. A partnership with Algonquin College Forestry Program was established, and students now help with clean-up of winter and wind fall in City parks. It is the Integrated Pest Management Policy of the City to use pesticides very sparingly - and only to control poison ivy in public parks. Weeds are controlled through cutting, rolling and fertilizing. Community Clean-ups are held each spring in conjunction with Pitch-In Canada. The students from participating schools and several local service clubs provide voluntary manpower, while the City provides free pick up of the materials. In 2012 the City picked up 620 kg. of landfill and 130 kg. of recyclables after the event. It was also noted that this year was the most garbage ever collected, and that there were more volunteers. Designated Bicycle Paths and Share the Road routes have recently been established throughout Pembroke, in support of alternative methods of transportation as well as part of the Healthy Living Partnership. Ottawa River Power Corporation, which is the city-owned hydro utility, promotes energy conservation and reduced usage of electrical appliances during high energy demand cycles through their monthly billing system, and provides conservation tips on their website. The Water Purification Plant built in 1984 is located on Riverside Drive on the shores of the Ottawa River. Since the time of development the Plant has met all Ministry required upgrades. An added backwash facility provides additional water treatment and cleansing before any water re-enters the Ottawa River.

21Â Â

The summer of 2012has been hot and dry, with record low precipitation and water levels being recorded by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMR) This Ministry is the governing regulatory body for Ontario’s natural resources, and provides policy direction to Municipal Governments on: • • • • • •

water quantity and associated quality issues; natural heritage; public health and safety from natural hazards; water conservation; ecosystem restoration; and watershed planning.

* In July of 2012, an Open Fire Ban was put in place, and the public was asked to voluntarily conserve water as the area has experienced Level II drought conditions. The situation is monitored daily, and if necessary, a ByLaw will be passed with penalties for non-compliance. The public has been asked specifically not to water their lawns –in spite of the Communities in Bloom judges’ visit. They’ve been reminded that the judges will understand the seriousness of the situation.

The Pollution Control Centre originally built in 1969 is located on the shores of the Ottawa River. Over $28 million in upgrades and expansion of the facility functions have been completed, and the following upgrades are in place: • • • •

ultraviolet treatment replaces chlorine all treatments are done within enclosures, with an odour-eating vacuum ventilation system a computerized data and control system automatically and continually monitors all equipment and provides on and off site operators instant access and control. Methane gases produced by the digester are used to heat the Pollution Centre

The Operations Department has spearheaded several green initiatives, including: 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9

Storm Water Management Plan Converting traffic signals to LED lights Converting mercury vapour streetlights to HPS lighting systems Building electrical retrofits to reduce energy consumption Regularly scheduled fleet inspections and upgrades Development and expansion of bike lanes and pathways Promotion of 3-R (reduce, reuse, recycle) programs Public education programs

The public is kept informed about the municipal water, sewage treatment, and pollution control on the city’s website.

Time for a little break, eh?

The Ottawa Valley was first settled by log prospectors who were searching for tall knot free pine trees to serve as masts for HRM’s naval fleet. Thus the logging industry on the Ottawa River began, and along with it the development of unique songs and dances. One of the earliest on record is The Log Driver’s Waltz …take a minute to enjoy it and imagine yourself floating down the river on a slippery log!

Business and Institutions All businesses and institutions participate in the wet-dry recycling program that is managed by the Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre. The program consists of a composting green bin, a yellow plastics and metal container bin, and a blue paper and cardboard container. Their motto which is “Walking Lightly on the Environment” has helped them educate the public about the program and why it is important. The centre is considered a centre of excellence and has been visited by municipal councillors from across Canada and North America to learn about its successes. Algonquin College offers certification courses for Environmental Technician, Outdoor Adventure, Adventure Naturalist, and Forestry Management. Their students have become an important part of the environmental stewardship of the city, helping to spearhead several initiatives as part of their course work, including: maintenance of the urban forest, annual Spring Clean-up of the Muskrat River, and development of a geo-caching walk that highlights the flora and fauna of Pembroke’s Waterfront Park. All of the local schools practise the 3R’s and participate in Earth Day projects, and the City is visibly darker during Earth Hour when stores and restaurants and homes switch to candle power.

Residential As with the businesses and institutions, all residences in Pembroke participate in the recycling program. Through informative sessions held by the Pembroke Horticultural Society and Pembroke Communities in Bloom’s facebook page, which offers alternative landscaping ideas, there is a growing acceptance of xeriscaping as well as the wide spread use of indigenous plants over exotic species. Local service clubs have sold rain barrels to the public for the past several years, and they are a common garden feature.

A local author and humourist, the late Bernie Bedore, first created the infamous logger Big Joe Mufferaw for Ottawa Valley children of all ages to enjoy. He was the Valley’s answer to Paul Bunyon, only bigger and braver and handsomer! Small wonder then that Canadian country legend, Stompin’ Tom Connor wrote a song about him too! Not quite a Canadian anthem, but close!

Community Involvement Many local clubs and organizations that have formed in the past decade to provide a focal point for discussions which concern the environment, taking care of it, and monitoring its local health. The Ottawa River Keeper and the Pembroke and Area Field Naturalists Club share a common goal and that is to educate the public about our natural world and ways in which to preserve it for future generations. Algonquin College also regularly hosts Speakers’ Forums and invites renowned guests to speak to the public about such timely topics as Extreme Weather, The Night Sky, and other current environmental concerns. A recent collaborative partnership initiative that has been established just outside of Pembroke is The Shaw Woods Outdoor Education Centre, whose mission is to: “Foster an ethic of responsible environmental stewardship by

providing unique experiential environmental education and outdoor learning opportunities to local school groups, community organizations and the public at large.”

This is a partnership between the 4 Boards of Education, Algonquin College, Pikwàkanagàn First Nation, the Shaw Family and local interested citizens.

What is it? Common dilemmas at the Pembroke Marina…

Turtle habitat or boaters’ hazard? Staff is taught to respect all wildlife, and if necessary to call for assistance from the Animal Control Officer to relocate any species that may be at risk from boat traffic.

The Marguerite Centre Community Garden was established five years ago in land owned by the Gray Sisters. At present approximately 20 plots are provided for area residents, and some of the food grown is also served to the residents and guests of the Marguerite Centre. The Marguerite Centre is an inter-faith retreat and meeting centre that offers a variety of classes and courses to help individuals seeking spiritual growth. On the grounds is a labyrinth meditation wheel which is free for anyone to enjoy.

The Pembroke Farmers’ Market, working in concert with the City of Pembroke, have built a permanent outdoor market mall in downtown Pembroke that is open every Wednesday and Saturday from May to October, serving fresh local food from the surrounding area farms, as well as running a small take-out kitchen that serves local food while the market is open. The Farmers’ Market is now using social media to tell its Facebook fans about weekly specials and latest offerings at the Market.

Pembroke is the eastern gateway to Ontario’s largest provincial park. Algonquin Park is one of our richest conservation areas, and attracts over a million visitors annually. People come from afar to see animals that dwell in our big backyard, like the Eastern Wolf, White Tailed Deer, Beaver, Moose, Racoon, Red tailed Fox, Skunk and over 250 species of birds.

Take a moment to enjoy some quiet time with a Beaver in Algonquin…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=P---uZxYPZg#!

HERITAGE CONSERVATION Municipal Pembroke’s Green Policy Statement provides the direction to preserving the city’s natural setting and the integration of landscape and site plans into it. Supplementing the policy are several initiatives that not only recognize the importance of preserving our natural and cultural heritage, but that also receive Council’s financial support in order to achieve their goals and objectives. Downtown Facade Improvement Program Recognizing that historic downtown storefronts are a tourist attraction in and of themselves, Council provides business owners in good standing with matching grants of up to $5000 to restore their facades in keeping with the original construction of the building. Since the program’s inception, several applications have been approved, and are part of an on-going downtown revitalization effort that has included participation in the First Impressions Program sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs. Construction started last spring on a new campus for Algonquin College at the Waterfront, and this is being regarded as a catalyst for new investment in downtown, and the beginning of a renaissance for the area which, like many small downtowns across North America, has struggled to survive in the midst of the Big Box retailers on the outskirts of town. A Downtown Revitalization Committee has been formed to harness the energy of the community and establish long term strategies for future growth in the downtown core. In order to assist downtown merchants, the City actively promotes and supports the Buy Local campaign and works closely with the PBIA during special events

Pembrokeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest addition to the largest outdoor art gallery in Canada is a mural illustrating both the original and the existing City Hall, as well as all of the Mayors who have served the community since it became an incorporated municipality in 1878. Four Mayors of Pembroke are gathered together in front of the mural. L-R: Former Mayors Terry McCann, Les Scott, Bob Pilot, and current Mayor Ed Jacyno. .

32Â Â

Pembroke has just completed a Cultural Mapping and Asset Inventory project, supported by the Ontario Government and in partnership with the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association and the County of Renfrew. As stated in the successful funding application:

The creation of a cultural map of the tangible and intangible assets that exist in Pembroke and the Ottawa Valley is the beginning of developing a comprehensive arts, culture and heritage plan that will help residents and elected officials alike better understand how the existing cultural landscape helps to shape the communities in the Ottawa Valley, and how it can be nurtured and enhanced to further develop place-based cultural tourism strategies. As a regional hub, Pembroke has a rich history that is woven into many regional tourism activities and attractions. This project helped to identify the elements that make this area distinctive and unique in Canada. To ensure the goals and objectives were met, a consultant team and a Cultural Mapping Coordinator were hired to do the initial mapping (which is web-based and interactive), and to assist in the establishment of 3 Regional Cultural Steering Committees with broad community representation, including members from the Valley Arts Council, the Renfrew County Museum Network, Pembroke Public Library, Algonquin College, Chamber of Commerce and Algonquin of Pikwakanagan. This project received unanimous support from Council, and is considered pivotal in the recognition of our unique cultural heritage. The Municipal Cultural Policy Framework will serve to protect and enhance our natural, tangible and intangible assets in Pembroke and the Ottawa Valley as we rediscover the wealth of place. This incredible inventory includes many cultural assets here in Pembroke including the Champlain Trail Museum and Pioneer Village which houses the Ottawa Valley’s largest collection of historical archives and memorabilia and celebrated its 55th anniversary in 2010. A clapboard church circa 1830 was recently restored and moved to the site, and complements the log home and school house. The interpretive program is supported by the City as well as the Ottawa Valley Historical Society and Genealogical Group. The museum has a curator, and offers guided tours to schools and interested groups, as well as running a children’s summer activity program.

What is Cultural Mapping? The listing of all tangible and intangible community assets and resources that together make a place unique.

Find out more from leading expert, Gord Hume

34Â Â

Pembroke Heritage Murals Pembroke has 33 full scale murals in the downtown core, providing visitors with an opportunity to learn about Pembroke’s rich history, illustrated on the walls of buildings. It is one of Canada’s largest outdoor art galleries! 1999 marked a milestone for the City as 6 new murals were painted. In 2000, Marching Towards the Millennium was painted, and is the longest mural in Canada, featuring accurate renderings of Pembroke citizens through the last one hundred years. Local residents sponsored spaces on the mural for $200 each, and submitted photographs for the artist to refer to. Another truly unique mural was also painted on the old CN water tower, making it Canada’s only 360 degree mural. In 2004, a three dimensional mural called the Timber Raft was created as an entrance to the Waterfront. This unique mural recalls the days when logging rafts were in daily use on the Ottawa River. Two more murals have been added since 2008, and a printed mural walking tour is freely available in our Tourist Guide, as well as a free MP3 audio tour. The murals are maintained by the Murals Committee and each summer several are chosen for freshening and repairs if required. They are seldom victimized by graffiti, but they do succumb to weather over time and may need some TLC from time to time. Historic Walking Tour: Step Back In Time Realizing that the number of tourists interested in learning about history while on vacation is increasing, the City of Pembroke provides Step Back in Time – a printed walking tour of historic Pembroke in its Tourist Guide. Visitors can take themselves on a lovely stroll through the older, historic part of town, using the self-guided tour that explains the heritage significance of the buildings they are looking at.

The Renfrew County Museum Network is a collaborative partnership of local museums working together to package programs and events and attract more visitors to all of the museums. .

The people of Pembroke and the Ottawa Valley can tune into old fashioned radio and listen to folk, fiddle, and traditional music whenever they get a hankering for it. Click on the link and enjoy some Valley Heritage music!

36Â Â

Municipal Festivals and Events The City of Pembroke Recreation Department hosts a number of events throughout the year including: Canada Day A family oriented day full of activities and games celebrating Canada’s birthday on July 1st at the Waterfront and then culminating in a giant fireworks display over the Ottawa River at Riverside Park. Waterfront Live! From mid-June until Labour Day, the city shows its ongoing support for local musicians and entertainers, helping to nurture their development in the arts while providing free entertainment for the community every night throughout the summer! This is a very popular venue for residents and visitors, who enjoy coming down to the Waterfront to watch the sunsets and listen to the music. Each Tuesday evening, they are also treated to a free outdoor movie, which is enormously popular! Santa Claus Parade of Lights Pembroke hosts the largest Christmas Parade in the Ottawa Valley, with over 90 floats/entries in the 2011 parade. Lights are mandatory, and the crowds just keep getting bigger and bigger as the magic of Christmas comes to life in this evening celebration held the last weekend in November. Snospree, a celebration of winter, which is designed for children and families, with lots of family oriented activities including games of hockey, ringette, and broomball; outdoor sledding parties, and the Polar Bear Dip for Diabetes in the Marina Basin. This year, there were 50 Polar Bears whose combined dips raised over $8,500!

The city’s Calendar of Events provides links to all of these municipal events. The Recreation Department also helps to organize and/or facilitate the several other community sponsored events throughout the year.

“They” say you can’t walk down a street in Pembroke without running into a musician! And “they” are absolutely right! Many of them have been inducted into the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame.

Some of our famously, talented Ottawa Valley musicians include: April Verch, Louis Schreyer, Peter “Sab” Saborin, Peter Dawson, Carol Kennedy Dawson, Gail Gavan, Jason Blaine, Eddy Bimm, Tim Hermitte, Wayne Rostad…and many, many, more!

Business and Institutions

The Marguerite Centre Recognizing that there has been a profound growth in people seeking information about health, wellness and spirituality the Marguerite Centre is operated as a spiritual centre by the Gray Sisters, and has established a small museum celebrating the work of the Sisters throughout the past 150 years. They also host many courses, seminars, classes and retreats aimed at assisting those seeking spiritual enlightenment.

Pembroke History Tours History buffs can enjoy a stroll through Pembroke guided by lantern light and hear all about the people who lived here years ago, and the lives they lead when no one was looking! You can also take a Graveyard Tour and learn about the stories that are etched in stone in several of Pembroke’s lovely old cemeteries.

The Murray L. Moore Hydro Museum The City of Pembroke was the first city in Canada to have electric street lights – and they were turned on for the very first time on October 8, 1884 to the amazement of the crowds. This charming museum located in downtown Pembroke is an electrician’s dream and for anyone with an interest in the early days of electricity.

The City of Pembroke is a key contributing partner with the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association (OVTA) and is also a member of the Marketing committee for the OVTA. Together, many unique tourist destination attractions and events that celebrate the cultural heritage of the Ottawa Valley have been developed. The partnership is mutually beneficial as Pembroke is the largest regional service centre in Renfrew County, and the OVTA has staff and resources committed to attracting more overnight tourists to our area. Partnerships like this are critical to the success of both of our organizations!

40Â Â

Living Legacy Landmark The Ottawa River Waterway extends from Lake Temiskaming in the north to Britannia Bay in Ottawa in the south, and allows boaters to navigate almost 700 km along this historic river that was once the key route into Canada by the Voyageurs. The Living Legacy Landmark project, in which Pembroke was a partner with other municipalities along the river, provides information about our portion of the river, it’s history and its ecological significance.

The Superior Court House The Superior Court House is a stunning example of late 19th century institutional architecture. It serves the people of the City of Pembroke and Renfrew County and was built when Pembroke was declared the county seat of government. The lovely building was recently renovated and updated, to wide public acclaim, and has won several awards of distinction for its marriage of past, present and future.

Stone Fence Theatre is a successful theatre company that has built a fantastic repertoire of music and dance from the journals, stories and newspapers of the Ottawa Valley and created memorable dinner theatre experiences that harken back to those kinder gentler times.

The City of Pembroke encourages façade improvements in the downtown core, and works with many local businesses to ensure that they are kept abreast of any government funding programs that may assist them with renovations, restorations, and upgrades to their properties.

Welcome to HockeyTown! Hockey is BIG in Canada, and even BIGGER in Pembroke! Not only is Pembroke home to the Pembroke Lumber Kings, for 6 weekends every fall, hotel rooms are booked solid, with minor sports teams and their families all here to be a part of the annual Silver Stick Hockey Tournament, the largest minor hockey tournament held in North America each year. Our Hockey Heritage is celebrated in several books, songs, and celebrations such as last year’s Kraft –TSN Celebration competition to secure funding for our local arena, the Pembroke Memorial Centre. Pembroke won the vote, and $25,000 for arena upgrades.

Residential Pembroke is blessed with an inventory of historic architecture dating back to the early 1800’s when the area was first being settled by the “Lumber Barons”. Many of these stately homes are in mint condition, lovingly maintained by their owners throughout the past century. The local Communities in Bloom Committee hosts an annual competition and it is through this program that home owners of both old and new properties are encouraged to maintain their yards, to add interesting focal points in their gardens and to include the use of heritage plants and trees.

The Cockburn Pointer Boat was built in Pembroke for the loggers to use out on the river. A wide bottomed vessel, it was said it could “float on dew” Read more about this exceptional part of Canada’s boat making history here: http://cockburnpointerboats.blogspot.ca/2010/05/pointer-boat-unique-design-for-old-time.html

Community Involvement While the City hosts a number of special events that celebrate our unique Ottawa Valley heritage, it also lends its support, through grants and staff time to numerous community hosted events, recognizing the essential nature of small rural communities – that the sum of our parts is greater than the whole. The primary events include: Fiddle Week and the Old Time Step Dancing and Fiddling Competition Fiddle and Step dancing techniques are uniquely different in the Ottawa Valley, and there are hundreds of fiddlers and dancers who have learned their art from their parents, their grandparents and their great grandparents. Every Labour Day weekend, the Competition is held in the Pembroke Memorial Centre, attracting up to 10,000 visitors to the city over the course of Fiddle Week. The event is run by a local committee, and the City hands Riverside Park over to them the week leading up to Labour Day. It then fills with about 1600 RV’s and fiddlers, and the Caelidh begins! Have a little look and a listen! This is the largest fiddling event in Canada and one which is widely anticipated each year, as it contributes over $3 million into the local economy. Cultural Heritage = Community Sustainability! Oktoberfest Pembroke is home to a very active community with German roots, and here you can find several German deli’s, food caterers, and the second most active Germania Club in Ontario. Each year they celebrate their heritage by holding Oktoberfest – great food, fun, music, dance and of course, beer!

Christmas in the Valley No sooner is Oktoberfest over, and its time for Kriskringlemarkt, a wonderful crafts and foods market hosted by the Germania Club that heralds the beginning of the Christmas season in the Ottawa Valley.

It’s a wonderful time, rich with special pageants, choral evenings, musical theatre, craft shows, bake sales, community gatherings, and parades every weekend from the middle of November ‘til the week before Christmas.

And at almost every event it’s pretty much guaranteed that you will hear Wayne Rostad singing his Ottawa Valley ode to Christmas.

Pembroke is the largest regional centre between Ottawa and North Bay, on the Trans Canada Highway, and as such it is branded as the “Heart of the Ottawa Valley”. As a separated city, we are not part of the County of Renfrew, but rather a single tier municipality. However, we share, and contribute financially to, many regional initiatives with Renfrew County, including health services such as long term care facilities, the Pembroke Regional Hospital, Enterprise Renfrew County Business Self Help Office, the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association, Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre and Algonquin College. The list of partnership initiatives that celebrate our natural and built cultural heritage through special events and programs is long, and includes a partnership to maintain the largest auditorium in the Ottawa Valley, Festival Hall in Pembroke, and several cultural events such as Taste of the Valley, Pontiac Artists’ Studio Tour, Rural Ramble, Valley Arts Council, the Upper Ottawa Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Renfrew County Museum Network, Valleylicious, Expo 150 , and recently the Algonquin Nation Gathering.

The Waterfront No conversation about Heritage Conservation is complete without mentioning the legacy museum that is developing at the Waterfront. An acclaimed Butchart Garden’s Best Land Reclamation Project (2010), this stunning park is Pembroke’s jewel. And where sawmills once operated, there are now picnic gazebos, trees, lawns, 12 gardens, a chapel, a 600 seat Amphitheatre and stage, a Boardwalk and many tributes to our logging heritage and the people who have helped to make Pembroke a special place to live. The fact that the park was created almost entirely by volunteer efforts led by Fred and Barbara Blackstein over the past 12 years makes it an even more extraordinary people place!

URBAN FORESTRY Municipal It is important to note that for small cities like Pembroke public-private partnerships are essential to maintaining our public areas. In the City of Pembroke, we work closely with local service clubs and community organizations in our beautification and maintenance efforts. The following initiatives have been approved by Council to ensure that our public properties are kept up to standard: Tree By-law (89-71) was passed to preserve and protect our trees, and a Tree Inventory has been maintained since 1984. This includes a Heritage Tree Inventory of the trees at Champlain Trail Museum and expanded to include municipal trees by students in the Algonquin College Forestry Program. Pembroke is a past recipient of a Green Streets Canada Recognition Award for our contribution to the promotion and protection of our urban forests. We also have 2 arboretums and a Certified Forest Technicians on staff. There is a Tree Replacement Program, whereby the city will replace heritage trees on private property for a minimal cost. Pembroke also has a Planting Program whereby we will work with local service clubs and organizations to plant trees in our parks. Since 2000, over 6000 trees have been planted including Ash, Linden, Honey Locust, Norway Maple, Flowering Crab and Shubert Cherry on City boulevards and in the parks. In 2010 alone, 2010 trees were planted including 2000 seedlings at The Waterfront and other parks throughout the city, along with ten large shade trees.

The West Wind is a well-known painting by Canadian artist Tom Thomson. A member of the famous Group of Seven painters, Thomson spent many hours in Algonquin Park near Pembroke, capturing the landscape of the Canadian Shield. An iconic image, the pine at its centre has been described as growing " in the national ethos as our one and only tree in a country of trees". It was the artist's final painting, and according to some art historians was unfinished at the time of his sudden, and mysterious, death by drowning in 1917.

50Â Â

The Commemorative Grove at Riverside Park is maintained by the Pembroke Horticultural Society, and allows families to plant trees in honour of loved ones. Harvey Fraser Nature Reserve on Cecilia Street in the older part of Pembroke is maintained by Parks and Facilities and serves many schools as an outdoor classroom. It was donated to the City by Mr. Fraser in 1978. In 2006, 2010 and 2011 Pembroke was hit by devastating storms that brought high winds, hail, slashing rain, and extreme temperatures. In 2012, the region has been plaqued by drought. With so many heritage trees, it is a huge effort to keep up with damage assessment, cleaning up wind fall, and replacing those trees that were uprooted.

51Â Â

Why, yes, actually, we are a bunch of tree huggers! Pembroke is surrounded by forest, and secondary wood products are one of our competitive advantages. Many companies are connected to the forestry sector here, and throughout the Ottawa Valley and there is an on-going stewardship effort to ensure that the forests are healthy, and cared for in a sustainable fashion. The Ontario Stewardship Organization helps to manage Forest Demonstration Sites throughout Renfrew County.

52Â Â

Business & Institutions

Using local expertise through Algonquin College Forestry Management program, builders, developers, and property owners are encouraged to plant hardy, indigenous species that have been proven to thrive in the temperate climate of the Ottawa Valley. The forestry students are in high throughout the area. A variety of species can be found around Pembroke, including Red and White Pine, Norway Maple, Linden, Ash, Flowering Crab, Shubert Cherry, Butternut, Birch, Red Oak, Honey Locust, to name just a few. The local tree service companies have professional arborists who are kept busy trimming and pruning on private property, and are also called in to assist with public trimming after severe storms. There are three local nurseries in Pembroke that all offer professional advice, landscaping services, and in some cases, gardening classes to the public. Secondary wood products is a competitive advantage in Pembroke, and there are still several original “lumber baron” families operating saw mills, pole yards, and planing mills in and around Pembroke. Booth, MacKay, Munro, White, Dunlop are but some of the old family names connected to the early lumber industry. That history was celebrated when Pembroke turned 180 years old (1828-2008) and both a timber crib and a pointer boat were built as part of the celebrations. Materials for both were donated by the Shaw Lumber Company and the Shaw family, who live in Pembroke and have been in the logging business for over 100 years. They have also recently opened a Forest Outdoor Education Centre at the Shaw Woods south of Pembroke.

So tightly entwined is our history to the forest in Canada, that The Maple Leaf Forever was once considered the national anthem of Canada. Enjoy a little patriotic history!

And of course, the maple leaf adorns our flag.

54Â Â

Residential New homes in Pembroke are required to have 2 trees planted on the property to be maintained by the property owner. In cases of severe damage, the City will replace heritage trees for a minimal cost. As well, over the past five years Pembroke has given away free white pine seedlings to residents, through the Communities in Bloom spring launch as well as special commemorative events, such as the 180th Celebrations. Through Bloom Pembroke’s facebook page, information is provided about care and maintenance of trees and shrubs, as well as suggestions for planting native species which are more hardy and will do well in our zone. The Communities in Bloom program encourages residents to take pride in their properties, to garden to the front street, to provide areas of interest and focal points, to use a variety of shrubs and trees, and to consider the yard an outdoor “room” to enjoy throughout the seasons.

Community Involvement Community groups such as Beavers, Scouts, Air Cadets, The Boys and Girls Club and the schools are instrumental in helping with tree plantings that take place annually, and their participation is critical. The Commemorative Grove at Riverside Park, Pansy Patch Park and The Waterfront have all benefitted from families who wish to honour loved ones by planting trees.

The City of Pembroke has attended several national trade shows in partnership with the OVTA to promote the city at venues such as Canada Blooms and The Cottage Show. The shows attract very large audiences throughout the week, and provide an opportunity to showcase Pembroke’s efforts in the Communities in Bloom program.

They are also great places to learn new ideas, network, and generate interest in prospective visitors and businesses.

LANDSCAPE Municipal The City maintains about 200 acres of parks and green space and has a routine maintenance schedule implemented by the Operations Department (Parks and Facilities). The park areas include 5 soccer fields, 6 ball diamonds and approximately 90% grass and open space. Turf management practices include overseeding, fertilizing, aeration and irrigation to ensure player safety. The sports fields are maintained with a biweekly mowing, provided the grass is about 2.5” or more in height. The soccer fields at Riverside Park are in continual use all spring, summer and fall and have been praised as the “best in Eastern Ontario” by visiting ball and soccer teams. A partnership with Ottawa Valley Waste Recovery Centre resulted in top dressing of the soccer fields with compost that came from OVWRC. The result was lush, green turf that the teams loved. In 2012, it was discovered in late May that some of the soccer fields were infested with June Beetle grubs. This prompted the closure of the fields while remedial efforts were taken after consultation with turf maintenance professionals. There will further remediation in the fall, and it is hoped that the grub infestation will be solved! Open spaces are left “rough” along ditches, borders and some banks. There is no use of pesticides - except in the case of poison ivy, as more and more site naturalization practices are being used. Crews work annually to rehabilitate some land at Riverside Park, and using fill from street construction to bring the land up above the floodplain. A lot of work has already been accomplished along the Kiwanis Walkway, ensuring that wildlife habitat is maintained and encouraged, while allowing the public to enjoy nature - in the middle of the city. This includes a hi-rise nesting platform for Osprey, and several blue bird houses installed by the Pembroke and Area Field Naturalists Club.

Social Media is changing the way municipalities communicate with their residents and businesses. It means we can get the word out quickly, response time is faster, and the public feels like it has a greater stake in the process. The fact that no trees are used spreading news via FaceBook or Twitter is a bonus!

58Â Â

Pansy Patch Park is a public park that was bequeathed to the city during the 60’s. Local Horticultural Society members maintain most of the beds there, ensuring the park is kept looking beautiful. It’s a very popular spot for wedding photographs too! All city parks are heavily used, The Waterfront particularly so because of its location adjacent to downtown. It is used year round, and is the site of many celebrations, including Canada Day, Waterfront Live!, numerous special community events and Snospree which is organized by the City. The Amphitheatre is increasingly used for weddings, as is the Woodland Chapel. In designing any new gardens or structures, the guiding principles are to be mindful of the past, respectful of the present, and hopeful for the future. Signature signage is consistent with all three of these credos: made of wood, pillared with logs, and painted with gold. The City actively encourages development that places a priority on green, lean construction and enables residents and businesses to maintain a healthy, lush, natural environment in which to live.

This beautiful corner of eastern Ontario, also called the Ottawa Valley is renowned as the white water capital of eastern North America and 6 rafting companies on the Ottawa River attract over ½ million tourists annually to experience the thrill of racing through the rapids! Why not take a few minutes and get a little wet and wild? http://www.wildernesstours.com/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbYcC0xXFdE&feature=related

Business and Institutions The Gray Sisters of the Immaculate Conception maintain several gardens, including a Meditation Labyrinth and a public vegetable garden with plots available to community residents. The back yard of their property is locally known as the Nun’s Hill, and is a popular tobogganing site in winter. The Sisters also manage a retreat at the Marguerite Centre, and a hospice for families whose loved ones are in the Pembroke Regional Hospital. Lovely gardens offer quiet places for introspection. There are six long term care facilities and seniors’ residences have created quiet retreats and shaded corners for the residents to enjoy around the properties. In all cases, the landscapes are designed to instill calm, peace and pleasure. Three cemeteries are exceptionally well maintained by the church organizations that own and manage them. Algonquin College is in the process of completing a new campus at Pembroke’s Waterfront. The design of the campus gardens will incorporate the natural landscape elements and green building technologies will lessen the building’s carbon footprint. Algonquin has committed to preserving and enhancing the beautiful setting along the Ottawa River before, during and after construction. The cemeteries in Pembroke are owned and operated by the churches who also take great care and pride in maintaining them.

Gardening is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it.

- Anon

62Â Â

Through Communities in Bloom, local churches have all created beautiful entrance gardens, and make exceptional efforts to keep their properties and grounds well maintained. Several schools have been involved in the provincial Schools in Bloom program, and as a result the school yards have benefited from the extra attention. Fellowes High School is a Provincial Schools In Bloom winner, and operates a greenhouse program for students with special needs. Each spring, they sell the plants that they raise in the greenhouse at the Communities in Bloom spring launch. All Ontario high schools have mandated community volunteer hours requirements for their students prior to graduation, and the City welcomes many of them to help with park maintenance and community clean ups. The Pembroke Regional Hospital has recently expanded for the second time in 5 years, adding a day surgery wing to the large facility. Serving a population base of approximately 72,000 it is a very busy health care centre. As with all new

developments, landscaping plans were submitted to the City along with the architectural plans for approval.

63Â Â

AHOY MATES!! The Pembroke Marina is operated by the City of Pembroke and is a busy boating destination throughout the summer months. As well as selling gas, pump outs, marine maps, pop and ice, the Marina also has washrooms, laundry and shower facilities for registered guests. View more pictures here!

64Â Â

RESIDENTS The Communities in Bloom program has always encouraged the residents to consider their yards as a whole, and to plant in accordance with the environment around them, highlighting natural elements, and designing focal points that accent their homes. The number of garden tours has grown in the past decade, with many service clubs using them as a fundraiser. The popularity of these tours speaks to the success of the residents of the community in making their properties more beautiful! The local competition also discourages the use of exotic species, plastic flowers or elements that clearly don’t reflect our natural landscape. The result is an ever improving appearance of our neighbourhoods, as well as an increasing real estate value. Each fall, the Communities in Bloom committee hosts an Annual Award Ceremony to honour and thank the residents, businesses, institutions, and volunteers who do so much to make Pembroke a better place to live. Every property in Pembroke is viewed by volunteer judges, and after judging, a door knocker is left behind saying , “Your property has been judged, and your exceptional efforts were noticed. Please join us at the Awards Ceremony” Attendance to the event has risen steadily every year, and last fall, over 300 attended to see if they had earned 3, 4, or 5 blooms!

The Great Blue Heron, Common Garter Snake, and the Leopard Frog are all part of the bio-diversity of Eastern Ontario. ( Sadly, two of them are treasured as tasty gourmet meals for one of them! ) Communities in Bloom is a wonderful tool for teaching about the symbiotic relationships between the species, whether plant, animal or human; and the importance of ensuring that all levels of the environmental eco-system are healthy. If one fails, the rest will also suffer.

66Â Â

Community Community partnerships are vital, and several service clubs and organizations voluntarily maintain parkettes and green spaces. The Bereaved Families of Pembroke has created a wonderful Memory Garden on Mary Street, at a former snow dump site. The service clubs in Pembroke all make outstanding contributions to the City. The Rotarians provide assistance for a summer day camp and splash pad as well as a winter hockey rink at Rotary Park. The Kinsmen provide for a hockey rink at Kinsmen Park and helped to build Kinsmen Pool. The Kiwanis built the Kiwanis Walkway and a splash pad at Riverside Park. These (and many other) contributions to the quality of life in Pembroke are invaluable and would likely not be here for the residents to enjoy if not for these organizations and the people who give back! The Pembroke Business Improvement Area looks after Coronation Park and the baskets and planters in the downtown. Many area businesses willingly offer to help sponsor programs, contribute to silent auctions, and generally lend their support to many, many worthy causes. In a relatively small community, with a limited tax base these relationships are not just necessary, they are critical, and so there is also a line item in the Economic Development budget labelled Volunteer Appreciation. This money is used to pay for luncheon meetings, to provide t-shirts, ball caps, and small tokens of appreciation, and to “water our pansies”, for if we don’t they will surely wilt!

Okay!! Enough with the serious stuff for a minute! Time for a little music…There are tons of fabulous Canadian musicians and it’s hard to pick just one, but I think it’s time you clicked right here, cranked up the volume, got up off your chair, and did a little moving to the music of Great Big Sea!

FLORAL DISPLAYS Municipal Through Communities in Bloom, the City has initiated several programs to encourage participation in the program, and over the past decade, the amount of effort from the municipality, the businesses and institutions, the residents and the community as whole has increased many times over. The Beautiful Bridges, Baskets, and Banners program is paid for by the Communities in Bloom budget, and each year the colours schemes are chosen by the committee and shared with the community at large so that there is a cohesive look to the many plantings. The colourful Banners in the downtown were chosen by the Committee as part of a banner design contest that was held last year. The winner, Nicole Lee, received a cash award, and the banners are sponsored by local businesses which pays for their production as well as for their installation along key city roads. The Barrels that are seen throughout the city have been purchased by the businesses from Sunset Nursery for an initial payment of $70.00. Each year, Sunset Nursery plants them to match the other municipal plantings, delivers them to the businesses, and then picks them up and stores them over the winter for $40. 00 per year. This is an excellent program that has helped to soften the concrete landscape of several garages and businesses throughout Pembroke. All of the bridges and baskets are maintained by the Communities in Bloom committee, who hire a local business to water them every other day throughout the season.

69Â Â

There’s a reason that Fred Blackstein has a road in the Waterfront named after him. He’s driving on it just about every single day of the summer, making sure that the park looks great regardless of the weather. He rigged up a watering system to use around the park, and every single plant is glad he did! (Not to mention the 1000’s of people who use the park throughout the year.)

Both the City Operations and Economic Development & Tourism departments maintain budgets for Communities in Bloom. Summer students, also known as Bloomers are hired to help with park maintenance, while the Communities in Bloom overall initiative, including purchasing and watering of all the plantings mentioned above comes from the Economic Development budget, which this year was approved for $21,000. This money is then leveraged, through sponsorships of boulevards and banners and wherever else possible to help keep Pembroke blooming! The City also has attended Canada Blooms and The Cottage Show in partnership with the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association for the past 5 years, promoting our participation in CiB to attract tourists to Pembroke – just one of the many benefits of the program.

Businesses and Institutions For the second year running, the Committee has again supported the Beautiful Boulevards of Pembroke Street, with the planting of five boulevards on the eastern side of downtown. The boulevards were sponsored by the Pembroke Comfort Inn, Huckabone, Bradley, Instance & Lyle law firm, Sunset Nursery, the Pembroke Horticultural Society , and a Grateful Citizen– all donating $500 towards this project. Businesses have caught on that beautifying their entrances creates higher pedestrian traffic past their doors. When a community looks healthy it sends a positive message to people to come and enjoy what we have to offer! A dynamic, positive cycle that we continue to nurture in Pembroke.

Sometimes a little timely reminder can be good thing! Local businesses received this in early July…

Residential When we first started the Communities in Bloom program in 1999, we held a local competition and asked people to nominate outstanding businesses and residences that had beautiful front garden landscapes. That number quickly grew in the ensuing years to become so unwieldy – over 700 nominations to contend with that we decided that every property would automatically be entered into the local competition. And every year, the competition gets better and better as residents continue to take pride in their homes. The notion of gardening to the front, of taking ownership of boulevards, decorating front porches throughout the year has become firmly rooted in the city –from Canada Day to summer gardens to fall Thanksgiving displays, Hallowe’en, Christmas, Easter, St. Paddy’s –there’s no shortage or reasons to brighten up the streets of Pembroke!

The next Big event coming up in Pembroke is 2012 Fiddle Week when 1000’s gather at Fiddle Park (aka Riverside Park) to enjoy traditional step dancing and fiddling with friends old and new from all over North America. People stroll through the park day and night, hoping to catch some great music …like this performance with two instruments played by three people The ol’ Two Three Shuffle Enjoy!

Community Involvement The City of Pembroke is a wonderful community, respectful of its past, engaged in its present and excited about its future. It started as a rough and ready frontier town on the edge of the vast frontier forest. It has morphed, as cities, towns and villages do over time, into something more. More services. More creative. More mindful. It has grown into a unique place in Canada, “the Heart of the Ottawa Valley”, in which the sum of its parts is greater than the whole. Communities in Bloom is a program that has been embraced and has helped Pembroke achieve moments of greatness –the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay Celebration; the 180th Anniversary Celebration; Freedom of the City Ceremonies; winning the 2007 National Communities in Bloom competition and the 2001 Provincial Communities in Bloom competition. These are moments when Pembroke shines, and when there is a collective sigh of “I’m glad I live here” felt on every corner. To achieve this takes work, commitment, passion, careful thought and consideration. This little city has done all of that, and then some. And it certainly didn’t do it without a lot of help from the entire community! To all who have been, who are, and who will be part of the Communities in Bloom program –as a sponsor, a volunteer, a member of staff - we salute you. We thank you. 2012 Pembroke Communities in Bloom Committee

NEWS CLIPPINGS

The Corporation of the City of Pembroke International Communities in Bloom Competition Submission to the Judges July, 2012