City Council is not supporting a bid for Trail Communities in Bloom to host the 2026 National Symposium.
The group’s submission has to be in by Monday.
City Council’s representative on the Communities in Bloom Committee says the letter requesting support didn’t contain the necessary information for council to make an informed decision.
Nick Cashol feels funding needs to be justified and the group should provide a revenue projection from the event.
“For something of this scale which could have up to 220 registrants with an estimated budget of up to $125,000, I would expect that this request should be made by a delegation to this council,” Cashol stated.
Councillor Thea Hanson says 2026 is already jam packed with events around the city.
“We have the 125th anniversary, there is little league (provincial championships), there is BC Winter Games, there is a lot of staff time,” Hanson explained.
“I think the most reasonable thing would be to not put any additional pressure on staff for all of the things that are already going on in the community,” she added.
Councillor Terry Martin suggested Communities in Bloom could apply to host the event sometime in the future.
Council has also asked staff for a report into the city’s future relationship with the group.
The report will examine the potential benefits and challenges of participating in the Communities in Bloom Program, as well as the estimated costs and resources required.
It will also examine how comparable cities approach their relationships and determine the feasibility of remaining involved.
City Council wants to have the report for their Sept 8 meeting.
Meanwhile, the Communities in Bloom executive continues to work on an internal restructuring plan.
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