Just because the flowers aren’t blooming doesn’t mean Merrickville-Wolford in Bloom is any less busy. Merrickville-Wolford in Bloom Chair, Chris Scullino, says the committee is committed to the beautification and improvement of the Village all through the year. “Merrickville-Wolford is a year-round destination,” he says. “We don’t just roll up the carpets in the winter.”
The group has just had their election for officers of the committee and Chris says they are excited to get more people involved. “We now have coordinators to coordinate different aspects of the program,” he says. “It will allow us to do more in the municipality.
Merrickville-Wolford in Bloom is also partnering with local organizations to bring several different initiatives and events to the Village over the next few months. In conjunction with Christmas in Merrickville, they are running a Best Decorated Business contest, to encourage business owners to decorate their storefronts for the holiday season. The businesses will be judged on December 1 as part of the Christmas in Merrickville festivities. “The fact that the whole village will be lit up will be nice,” Chris says. “It’s a beautiful town, and we should be showing it off year-round.
The committee is also planning to shine a light on volunteerism in the Village next year. They will be holding a session on volunteer management, where they will share some of the things they learned at the Communities in Bloom symposium in September. They will also be hosting a volunteer appreciation night, where they will be honouring all the volunteers who make Merrickville-Wolford a great place to live and visit. “Merrickville-Wolford runs on volunteerism,” Chris says.
They are partnering with the Anglican Parish of Merrickville to help out with next year’s Garden Tour. The mandate of Merrickville-Wolford in Bloom covers all four pillars of the municipality’s strategic plan. Its main goal is the beautification of the Village year-round, as well as promoting quality of life. “Beautification comes in many forms,” Chris says. “We are a group that has a lot of responsibility, and we are showing that we’re making a difference in Merrickville-Wolford.”
