Courtenay - Mile of Flowers Volunteers

The boulevards of Cliffe Avenue in Courtenay will soon be filled with people - and colorful blooms.

The Mile of Flowers goes tonight and residents are invited to bring along some gardening gloves and  trowel or a spoon - and start planting.

This year’s plant-in marks 57 years of the Mile of Flowers, a tradition dating back to 1967, when Kathleen Kirk set out to commemorate Canada’s centennial year. That year she planted 7,800 seedlings as a welcome to tourists. What began as the initiative of one woman now involves hundreds of volunteers and around 30,000 flowers.

The Plant-in starts at 5pm and goes til around 7pm. Volunteers are invited to fill the garden beds on both sides of Cliffe Avenue from 8th to 21st Streets with summer flowers provided by the City.

Typically, between 200 and 500 volunteers are needed. 

Mayor Bob Wells encourages residents to join the Plant-in. “The Mile of Flowers Plant-in is a wonderful opportunity to connect with the community. We’ll often see multiple generations of Comox Valley residents who have made volunteering at this event an annual tradition.” said Wells. “We’re hoping for another great turn-out this year and encourage everyone to come out and join in the fun, it’s a beautiful way to spend the evening.”

The City of Courtenay maintains the flower beds, watering as needed. Water-efficient drip-irrigation systems have been installed in a number of beds. Some have also been converted to water-efficient perennial blooms and shrubs.

For more information, please visit www.courtenay.ca/mileofflowers