For the third year in a row, the community of Niverville received top honours from the Manitoba chapter of Communities in Bloom for its beautification efforts this past summer.
The score, which came after a fall visit by provincial judges, resulted in an overall rating of 85.80 percent, or five blooms, the highest ranking any community can receive.
That score is derived from individual rankings in six categories.
Based on overall community appearance, Niverville ranked 88 percent. Another 86 percent was received for the town’s heritage conservation efforts. Landscaping, as well as plant and floral displays, achieved 85 percent. Tree management and environmental action ranked at 84 percent.
Communities in Bloom is a Canada-wide volunteer-driven charity. Established in 1995, it was inspired by international organizations such as Britain in Bloom, Tidy Towns of Ireland, and France’s Villes et Villages Fleuris. There were 29 participating Canadian communities in the organization’s first year.
Today, the Manitoba chapter has as many as 60 community participants per year. The organization’s goal is to inspire individuals to actively enhance their quality of life and environment in ways that create community pride.
Shirley Hoult is the chairperson of Niverville Communities in Blue, which is over a decade old. She was thrilled by this year’s results.
“Overall, both judges were very impressed with the community, the large group of volunteers that make up the NCiB committee and their efforts, [as well as] the town beautification team.”
More specifically, Hoult says they judges were impressed with NCiB’s annual tree-planting initiative, which takes place along residential streets in cooperation with residents. Sixty new trees were added to the town’s canopy in 2025.
The judges were equally impressed with the town’s recreation options.
Other highlights included the Town of Niverville and Chamber of Commerce’s signage, the installation of garden boxes at the elementary school for students to plant and tend, and the innovative Main Street flower planters that were outfitted last spring with self-watering mechanisms designed by Terry Martin.
“The community has improved so much in all the evaluated categories since NCiB began,” Hoult says. “The town [staff] have made great efforts to create and maintain a more interesting and greener community.”
With eight official NCiB members and a host of unofficial volunteers pitching in to help, there’s barely an area of the community that hasn’t been affected. A few examples include the descriptive historical picture boards along Main Street as well as the ironwork art at the Niverville Credit Union.
The seniors living at the Heritage Centre can stroll through impressively staged memorial gardens thanks to NCiB, and the Memorial Forest was established in Hespeler Park to provide space for people who plant trees in memory of lost loved ones.
The south-facing wall of Hespeler Park’s picnic shelter hosts a creative collage featuring hand-painted tiles made by Niverville residents of all ages.
In 2025, NCiB hosted two well-attended workshops which taught the basics of growing food and maximizing yields, along with festive table centerpiece making.
The organization closed out the year with some memorable experiences for all.
“The Light Up Niverville live map was developed by NCiB member Erin Reimer,” says Hoult. “And we held a candlelight community carol-singing and tree-lighting in the Heritage Centre gardens in December.”
The organization was also instrumental in raising funds and awareness for Niverville’s new mobility van.
Going into 2026, Hoult says that work will continue on a new art installation just east of the railway tracks. Like the mosaic wall, this one will feature hand-painted wooden discs attached to a fence, providing one more way for residents to publicly display their creativity.
“We would like to see businesses join us in the placement of more community artwork and heritage displays at their locations,” Hoult adds. “It can help to differentiate us from other communities and may attract visitors and increase population.’
Also in 2026, Niverville will play host to the annual Manitoba Communities in Bloom fall conference.
To keep the NCiB actively operating well into the future, Hoult says they are willing to take on new members in any capacity. Ideas for future beautification projects are always welcome.
As proof that NCiB is indeed helping to foster a sense of community pride, locals of all stripes have responded enthusiastically over the years to interactive programs such as Green Thumbs, Bloomin’ Businesses, and the Main Street Christmas planters.
NCiB also works closely with town council, encouraging and assisting in investing in greenspaces and community activities as well as developing means for heritage preservation.
The team networks with other participating communities to share project ideas, access grants, and discover new ways to encourage connection between residents as their towns grow.
“We have found that NCiB encourages community participation in making Niverville a better place to live,” says Hoult.