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Town of Millet declared Best Blooming Community

The Town of Millet is being recognized for their efforts to meet the challenges of 2020.
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Photo submitted/ Millet In Bloom

The Town of Millet is being recognized for their efforts to meet the challenges of 2020.

The Best Blooming Community Award was specifically created this year and during the Oct. 8, 2020 virtual Communities in Bloom (CIB) awards was presented to the Town of Millet.

The Millet Museum and Millet in Bloom worked together to submit the application for the one-time award; creating a promotional video of the town which was displayed at the national CIB symposium.

“We were surprised and ecstatic to have won this award out of all the other municipalities across Canada who competed for this award; many of which are much bigger than Millet,” said Maggie Peterson of the Millet & District Museum. “We are so proud of our little town and the inspiring community spirit of its residents!”

Since the start of the pandemic in Alberta the citizens, businesses and organizations have stepped up to help each other.

Some of the actions highlighted in the application for the award that contributed to the Town of Millet’s win included:

• Residents immediately created a Facebook page designed to help individuals in isolation get groceries, mail, and other necessities. Residents used this page to share information, help people track down elusive supplies, hold Zoom dance parties, as well as arranging trips so only one person would go into Leduc or Wetaskiwin to bring back groceries for several other people.

• Millet residents participated in the Sponsor a Child fundraiser, busing reusable water bottles for school children with no access to water fountains due to COVID.

• The Millet Fresh Marked staff worked tirelessly to keep essentials such as meat and toilet paper stocked and reasonable priced as well as initiating a seniors shopping hour at the beginning of each day.

• Millet Arts N’ Crafts Guild members mended hospital gowns and sewed reusable cloth masks.

• The Millet Fire Department held multiple birthday parades.

These are just a few of the many reasons submitted that Millet has risen above the challenging circumstances that COVID-19 has brought to the community.

The Town of Millet also faced a large challenge of piecing the community back together when a tornado-like storm ripped through the town on July 16, 2020. The storm swept through Millet with straight-line winds of up to 210 km per hour causing extensive damage to the Town and private properties.

Millet residents didn’t let this faze them. They quickly came together letting other residents use their power and spending days cutting and mowing downed trees from yards and public spaces.



shaela.dansereau@pipestoneflyer.ca

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