2010/2011

The winner of Chatham-Kent’s 9^th annual Schools in Bloom contest, Ecole Sainte-Catherine (Pain Court) has been awarded a $500 gift certificate generously provided by the Downtown Chatham Centre. With a national slogan of “People, Plants, and Pride …Growing Together”, Communities in Bloom (CiB) promotes the involvement of all ages. By annually inviting all elementary and secondary schools to participate in this competition, Chatham-Kent CiB successfully uncovers numerous local innovative programs, projects and events throughout the municipality.

All participating schools were judged on their Clean-up & Tidiness Effort, Environmental Awareness, Student & Community Involvement, Schoolyard Greening & Gardening, and Curriculum Integration of Outdoor Spaces.

“The staff, students and families of Ecole Sainte-Catherine are to be applauded for their hard work and exceptional efforts in fulfilling all of the five Schools in Bloom criteria,” said municipal CiB coordinator, Monica Moore.

Ecole Sainte-Catherine students were particularly commended for their school yard cleanliness and maintenance programs, as well as their choice of non-invasive plant species and their efforts to increase their number of shade trees.

Congratulations are also in order for Chatham Kent Secondary School in Chatham, which received $100 compliments of Sherry’s Perennials of Cedar Springs, and for Dresden Area Central School, which received $100 from All Seasons Nursery and Flowers in Wallaceburg. The awards will be used to enhance their properties. Next fall, all participants in this contest will also receive trees to plant throughout their school yards.


As the 2010 National CiB Winner, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent is entered in this year’s Circle of Excellence category. The entire community, including residents, businesses, service groups and the municipality are asked as always, to put their best efforts forward throughout the season and especially mid-summer for CK’s CiB Showcase Bus Tour. Each year, the many outstanding school initiatives are highlighted as an important part of Chatham-Kent’s overall CiB entry. At the same time it is an opportunity to showcase the entire community’s efforts in environmental and heritage preservation as well as overall beautification and tidiness.