EDMONTON IN BLOOM EDMONTON IN BLOOM i CONTENTS ii Edmonton in Bloom Executive Summary 01 Message from His Worship Mayor Don Iveson 03 About Edmonton 04 Action Plan for Edmonton 06 Tidiness 12 Environmental Action 24 Heritage Conservation: Cultural 30 Heritage Conservation: Natural 34 Urban Forestry 40 Landscape 48 Floral Displays ii EDMONTON IN BLOOM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EDMONTON IN BLOOM In 2018, Edmonton received 5 out of 5 Blooms - Bronze 2019 EDMONTON The EiB Directory is an overview of in the Class of Champions (Large) category, with a IN BLOOM special mention of the city's innovative parks initiatives that make Edmonton beautiful DIRECTORY maintenance practices. Way to go Edmonton! and livable. The CiB judges use the EiB Directory for their evaluation. It is distributed to partners and online at edmonton.ca/eib. CIB TOUR WITH During their tour, judges meet with NATIONAL JUDGES coordinators, community groups and citizens to understand our vibrant city. EDMONTON IN The EiB awards will be held at the Oasis BLOOM AWARDS Centre (10930 177 Street) on September BACKGROUND 11, 2019 from 7-9 pm. Awards will be presented to recognize tidiness, fruit Communities in Bloom (CiB), is a national program that heroes, community gardens, businesses fosters green spaces, environmental responsibility, and in bloom, urban forestry, permaculture, community engagement. Front Yards in Bloom: Winterscapes, and People, plants, and pride… growing together. the winners of Front Yards in Bloom. Everyone is welcome and admission is This program encourages projects that make Edmonton free! Please RSVP to beautiful and increases the local profile. [email protected]. Since 1995, the City of Edmonton has participated in CiB alongside the largest municipalities in Canada. FRONT YARDS IN Edmontonians nominated 5,500 yards for Edmonton won the national award in 1997, 2000, and BLOOM 2019 Front Yards in Bloom in 2019 and we had 2009, and the international award in 2016. 75 volunteers who participated in sign delivery and yard judging. EDMONTON IN BLOOM 01 EDMONTON IN BLOOM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY MESSAGE FROM HIS WORSHIP MAYOR DON IVESON On behalf of City Council and the people of Edmonton, welcome to Communities in Bloom 2019. Edmonton is brimming with opportunities for our residents to engage with the natural environment. For years, Communities in Bloom has been cultivating civic pride and elevating the creation of sustainable and vibrant communities in our city. As a city, we continue to work toward sustainability and resilience, promoting an environmental vision that inspires Edmontonians to take action in their community. From urban agriculture to neighbourhood development and revitalization to urban forestry programs, Edmontonians are committed to cultivating civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification. Thank you to this year’s national judges. I’m delighted you have taken the time to visit Edmonton, and I hope you like what you see! Edmontonians are passionate about their communities and are proud to call our city home. Best wishes for a pleasant and enjoyable stay. Don Iveson Mayor 02 EDMONTON IN BLOOM 03 ABOUT EDMONTON ConnectEdmonton is Edmonton's new strategic plan that was created with input from City Council, Administration, and the public. The plan was launched in 2019 and has a 30 year perspective. The 10 year plan outlines how Edmontonians will unify to reach our goals. ConnectEdmonton can be summarized as: One unifying principle to guide strategically-consistent decisions. An invitation to Edmontonians, public and private sectors and non-profit organizations to work together to make the vision come alive; and a set of indicators to monitor the results of the collective impact. Four strategic goals: Healthy City, Urban Places, Regional Prosperity and Climate Resilience, where change and action is required • Healthy City Edmonton is a neighbourly city with community and personal wellness that embodies and promotes equity for all Edmontonians. • Urban Places Edmonton neighbourhoods are more vibrant as density increases, where people and businesses thrive and where housing and mobility options are plentiful. • Regional Prosperity Edmonton grows prosperity for our Metro Region by driving innovation, competitiveness and relevance for our businesses at the local and global level. • Climate Resilience Edmonton is a city transitioning to a low carbon future, has clean air and water and is adapting to a changing climate. ACTION PLAN FOR EDMONTON IN BLOOM Edmonton engages with partners in a variety of strategies through the Edmonton in Bloom program – with businesses, community groups, institutions, residents, and our municipal government. The partnership between the City of Edmonton and the Edmonton Horticultural Society (EHS) provides the foundation for our efforts under the Edmonton in Bloom Council Initiative – representing the municipality and residents. Both organizations deliver programs that engage community and enhance our green spaces. Examples of these include: Front Yards in Bloom, the Edmonton in Bloom Awards, and Communities in Bloom. Other programs such as community gardens, Root for Trees, GoatWorks, Bloomin’ Boulevards, and Partners in Parks involve Edmontonians and Edmonton businesses in helping to make Edmonton flourish. Hosting the national judges with Communities in Bloom allows local partners and groups to showcase their successes. The Edmonton in Bloom Awards brings these groups together to highlight their exceptional achievements. Strong partnerships are at the heart of Edmonton in Bloom – creating a movement across municipal departments, private sectors, and our city – to make Edmonton more livable, sustainable, and beautiful. EDMONTON IN BLOOM 05 FACTS ABOUT EDMONTON Municipality: Edmonton Population: 981,280 (2017) Total area: 684.37 km2 (270.2 square miles) + 82.6 km2 annexed from Leduc & Beaumont on January 1st, 2019 Parks and green spaces area as a % of total area: 19% (13,318 ha) Municipal budget: $2.5 billion Fun fact: Fort Edmonton Park is Canada's Largest Living Museum. GEOGRAPHY Alberta’s capital is situated along the North Saskatchewan River with over 160 kilometres of multi-use trails and urban green space 22 times larger than the size of Central Park in New York City. Edmonton is located at the geographic centre of Alberta and is a three-hour drive north from Calgary and four hours east from Jasper National Park in the Rocky Mountains. Initiatives to support TIDINESS EDMONTON IN BLOOM: TIDINESS 07 ANNUAL SPRING STREET CLEANING City crews swept 6,878 km of roadway in the spring of 2018 to remove debris left from the winter season. 80% of the street sand collected is recycled and re-used on roadways in later years. PETS IN THE CITY Responsible Pet Ownership run by the Animal Care & Control Centre is an annual public education campaign about responsible pet ownership, cleaning up after pets, and keeping Edmonton’s park system clean and safe. The slogan “They Poop – You Scoop” encourages off-leash park users to pick up. CIGARETTE LITTER REDUCTION Edmonton smokers are taking more care with their cigarettes. The Capital City Clean Up program introduced a Cigarette Butt and Litter Education and Enforcement Strategy in 2013, and the 2017 Litter Audit indicates a 10% reduction in the number of butts dropped on the ground from 2016 to 2017. SAFE NEEDLE DISPOSALA safe needle disposal toolkit of information is available on Edmonton.ca. Some pharmacies offer needle take-back programs. Eco Stations accept used needles, syringes and lancets from households. Needles can also be returned to Streetworks, a free needle service which exchanges almost a million needles annually. COMPOST S'COOL A program dedicated to helping Edmontonian households reduce their waste footprint. Educational events include Garbage Collector Day, Pumpkin Smash, public and private workshops, and Carbon Farming; the science of soil. The Compost Doctors of Edmonton are always happy to diagnose your soil needs. 08 CAPITAL CITY CLEAN UP (CCCU) Since 2005, Capital City Clean Up has emerged as the City’s comprehensive strategy to reduce and prevent litter and graffiti and make Edmonton a clean, safe and livable city. This public education and engagement program has nurtured a strong volunteer base, established a number of successful initiatives, and built strong, positive relationships with key City departments. LITTER MANAGEMENT This component of CCCU addresses behaviours related to litter in the community. This program continues to improve with increased participation by Edmontonians at all levels as participants, volunteers, school and community associations and corporate sponsors. #CleanCanadaTogether Edmonton has joined forces with other communities across Canada to see how much litter and debris we can all clean up this spring a part of #CleanCanadaTogether. Big Bin Events These events, which take place over 12 weekends from May to September, encourage residents to dispose of large, bulky items for free and thereby discourage illegal dumping. The 2018 Big Bin Events had 11,723 visitors and accepted 1,813 tonnes of material (up from 1,765 tonnes in 2017). Community Bin Grants Grants, to a maximum of $600, help community groups organize “mini” Big Bin events in their community to get rid of large, bulky garbage items. EDMONTON IN BLOOM: TIDINESS 09 Junior Wildlife Ambassador Program In partnership with the Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Edmonton, Capital City Clean Up provides an innovative school program that shows children how