The Mile of Flowers Plant-In, a Courtenay tradition since 1967, has been cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The annual event typically draws hundreds of volunteers in late May, planting colourful seasonal blooms in roadside boulevards along Cliffe Avenue.
Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells says there is no way for the event to proceed that would meet physical distancing requirements and maintain the safety of volunteers and staff.
“This is just one more example of how COVID-19 has impacted our community,” notes Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells.
“While we are sad this popular event will not take place this year, our priority will always be health and safety. I’d like to thank all the wonderful volunteers who have come out to this event in past years, and who were looking forward to the event next month. We will miss the flowers this year, but we have the power to add beauty to our community in other ways, through kindness and compassion.”
“I am so proud of how our residents are coming together to support one another – our neighbours, our front line workers and first responders, and our small businesses. Together, we will emerge from this crisis stronger than ever.”
The Cliffe Avenue garden beds are typically filled with flowers but will be covered in a layer of mulch instead to help limit weed growth.
