Welcome To WinterLights Celebrations

To download the results list in PDF, please click here

 

On March 6, 2010 WinterLights Celebrations honoured thirty-three participating communities from across Canada during the annual WinterLights Celebrations Symposium and Awards Ceremony, held this year in the City of Charlottetown in Prince Edward Island.

 

At the awards ceremony, the winners were announced in their respective categories, and each participating community received a special recognition for an outstanding program or community feature. As well, six communities were recognized for outstanding achievements in selected criteria, and the special Mentoring Award was presented to the Town of Bay Roberts, Newfoundland & Labrador. The “most appealing community display” award for on-site community exhibits was also presented by Municipal World.

 

Now into its ninth edition, WinterLights Celebrations is the winter edition of the popular Communities in Bloom program. During the months of November and December, trained volunteer judges evaluated participating communities on the program’s five criteria: Visual Presentation, Festive Season Celebrations, Winter Pleasures, Goodwill Programs and Tourism & Promotion.

 

Ted Blowes, National Chairman of Communities in Bloom, thanked and congratulated all the participating communities, stating that “In this Olympic year it is gratifying to see the many exciting ways in which proud communities right across Canada are, ‘with both mittens’, celebrating the immensity of our Canadian winters”.

 

WINNERS PER POPULATION CATEGORY

1 – 7,500: District of Chetwynd, British Columbia

7,500 – 30,000: City of Fort St. John, British Columbia

Over 50,000: City of Kamloops, British Columbia

Winner’s Circle: Town of Happy Valley – Goose Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador

CRITERIA AWARD WINNERS 

Home Hardware Goodwill Programs Award

City of Brampton, Ontario

National Capital Commission Winter Festival Award

City of Barrie, Ontario

CN Tower Visual Presentation Award:

North Glengarry – Alexandria Town, Ontario

Ted Blowes Services Ltd Festive Season Celebrations Award:
City of Prince George, British Columbia
BaAM Productions Winter Pleasures Award:

City of Stratford, Ontario

Communities in Bloom Foundation Youth Involvement Award:

City of Vaughan, Ontario

WINTERLIGHTS CELEBRATIONS MENTORING AWARD WINNER

Town of Bay Roberts, Newfoundland & Labrador

 

2009-2010 WINTERLIGHTS CELEBRATIONS RESULTS

 

50, 000 +
Kamloops, BC - Winner 5 stars - Spirit of Christmas with the Kamloops Heritage Railway
Barrie, ON - 5 stars - Barrie Winterfest and Festival of Ice
Brampton, ON - 5 stars - Winter Wonderland at Chinguacousy Park
Halifax Regional Municipality, NS - 5 stars - Dartmouth Crossing
Kingston, ON - 4 stars - Downtown Kingston B.I.A.
Prince George, BC - 5 stars - Grant Enhancement Program

7,500-30,000
Fort St. John, BC - Winner 5 stars - Winter Wonderful City
Brooks, AB - 5 stars - Regional Cooperation for Sports and Recreation Facilities
Carleton Place, ON - 5 stars - A Community that Cares
New Tecumseth, ON - 5 stars - Creating Unity in the Municipality
Trail- 5 stars - Winter Pleasures - Sports Facilities and Programming

1-7,500
District of Chetwynd, BC - Winner 5 stars - Greenspace Trail Systems
North Glengarry - Alexandria Town, ON - 5 stars - Alexandria Festival of Lights
Carbonear, NL - 5 stars - Historical Preservation ~ Rorke Store Museum
Rossland, BC- 5 stars - Western Regional Pond Hockey Championships
Torbay, NL - 5 stars - Friends of the Gully ~ Hug a Mug Project
Valemount, BC - 5 stars - Cranberry Marsh Conservation

Winners Circle
Happy Valley Goose-Bay, NL - Winner 5 stars - Municipal Support in Winter Programs
Armstrong, BC - 5 stars - Churches Involvement in Festive Season Celebrations
Miramichi, NB - 5 stars - Student Involvement in Community Programs

Circle of Excellence
Bay Roberts, NL - 5 stars - Residential Lighting Displays
Charlottetown, PE - Non Evaluated
Metro Moncton, NB - Non Evaluated
Stratford, ON - 5 stars - Community Involvement in Hockey Day in Canada
St. Marys, ON - Non Evaluated

Networking
Cow Head, NL - Non Evaluated
Edmunston, QC - Non Evaluated
Gravenhurst, ON - Non Evaluated
Ingersoll, ON - Non Evaluated
Vaughan, ON - Non Evaluated
SDC Vieux-Montréal, QC - 5 stars - Engagement of Local Hotels in Goodwill Initiatives
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, AB - 5 stars - Youth Leadership in Goodwill Programs
Woodstock, ON - Non Evaluated


For more information, please contact Vivian Shum at 514-694-8871 or programcoordinator@cib-cef.com



WinterLights Celebrations – the winter edition of Communities in Bloom – is a national program focussed on community efforts that sustain and promote environmental, visual, economic and programming leadership throughout the winter months, with special attention to community involvement and outreach. The program encourages all Canadians to join in their local community events and activities, and to experience the beauty and thrill of winter.

Thirty-three communities from across Canada are participating in this 9th edition of the program, with trained volunteer judges evaluating the participants between November 25th and December 16th 2009.

 


The communities participate by population category, with a special Winners Circle category for previous winners, as well as the Circle of Excellence for previous champions of the Winners Circle. Each community is awarded a star rating (1 to 5) and granted a special mention for an outstanding winter component or event in the community. The involvement of the entire community – citizens, volunteers, local government, service organizations, businesses – are evaluated based on the following criteria:

- Visual Presentation, which includes decoration, use of natural materials and responsible illumination throughout the community.
- Festive Season Celebrations, including indoor and outdoor festive, heritage or family events held during the holiday season.
- Winter Pleasures, which considers indoor and outdoor activities and events such as winter festivals, carnivals, ice sculptures, winter sports competitions, family and youth activities, etc.
- Goodwill Programs, focussed on the overall betterment of quality of life and enhanced lifestyles through the development of and participation in goodwill programs by all sectors.
- Tourism / Promotion, which focuses on “Showcasing your Community” to encourage local residents and tourists to enjoy all that the winter season has to offer in the community.

Criteria Awards are also presented for all of the above criteria, as well as for the following:

- Youth Involvement: this award is presented to the community who demonstrates how youth can become involved through specific projects or general involvement in the program and community.
- Winter Festival: communities participate by submitting a documented presentation of their Winter Festival or Special Event (this award is open to all communities, participating or not in WLC).
- A special Mentoring Award may also be presented to recognize outstanding leadership and networking by a community.

For more information, please contact Vivian Shum at (514) 694-8871 or programcoordinator@cib-cef.com.

Thank you to our sponsors and partners