FORT FRANCES—While spring officially begins tomorrow, the local Chamber of Commerce already has flowers on its mind as it gears up for its annual beautification program, “Project Petunia.”
“We’re already working on it,” Chamber manager Dawn Booth said last week, adding a change to the project this year is the location of some of the flower baskets due to the scheduled sewer and water rehabilitation work in the Central Avenue area.
Normally, the Chamber hangs baskets to brighten up the 400 block of Scott Street, as well as the stretch of King’s Highway from Tim Hortons to Central Avenue, up Central Avenue to the Ontario Tourism Centre, and in the “gateway” area of town on Church Street and Mowat Avenue.
Booth mentioned the relocated baskets this year likely will be further down Scott Street, beyond the 400 block (after all, the Chamber’s beautification project is meant to complement that of the local Business Improvement Association, which includes flower baskets on the 100, 200, and 300 blocks of Scott Street).
“We have had a lot of people in the east end asking [to be part of the beautification project],” she remarked. “Eventually we’re going to make our way all the way down Scott Street [to the river].”
Next year, said Booth, the Chamber plans on having baskets back in the Central Avenue area, as well as further down Scott Street—effectively expanding the beautification area.
Booth said “Project Petunia,” which was sponsored wholly by the Chamber in its first year, has seen generous support from the community over the past few years. It had 65 sponsors in 2007.
“We’re always looking for new sponsors,” she noted. “A lot of our five-year sponsors were up last year, and a lot of them did end up renewing but not necessarily for an additional five years.
“So we would really like to get our five-year sponsors back up there, just so we know that far in advance that we can continue on with the project.
“But if people want to be a sponsor just for one year, that’s fine, too,” she stressed.
Beyond just wanting to help beautify the town, some people sponsor “Project Petunia” in memory of loved ones, or in lieu of giving a gift to someone on birthdays or for Mother’s Day.
“We’ve had a lot of people do that in the last couple years,” said Booth, referring to sponsoring in memory of someone else.
She said sponsors should know that money donated does not go towards a specific basket or planter, but towards the cost of the program as a whole.
The cost is $50 per year, and sponsors can commit for a period of one-five years at a time if they choose. Some businesses and organizations also are multiple sponsors.
For more information on the beautification project or to be a sponsor, call Booth at 274-5773 or drop by the Chamber office at 474 Scott St. (across from Safeway).
As in the past, Booth said “Project Petunia” will be officially launched in early May with some sort of come-and-go event.
Each year of the program, council has agreed to have town employees water and fertilize the flowers during the summer months free of charge to help out.
The Chamber also will be getting flowers from Lowey’s Greenhouses.
Lowey’s also puts the baskets up and takes them down, as well as stores them for the Chamber each winter.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
