Redvers entering Communities in Bloom competitive category in 2026
Redvers Town Council
March 9, 2026, 10:44 am
Nicole Taylor, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
After two years of entering Communities in Bloom in the “evaluated friends” non-competitive category, the town of Redvers has decided to enter Communities in Bloom in the competitive category for 2026.
This means the town will be judged, with the option of competing at a the national level if it receives a high enough bloom rating in 2026.
Redvers entered Communities in Bloom in the evaluated friends non-competitive category two years ago, receiving three blooms in 2024, then entered it again in 2025 and received five blooms.
Inspired by the top-bloom rating in 2025, the town decided to enter the competition competitively in 2026.
CAO Tricia Pickard brought the application forms to the council meeting on February 26.
The town has also applied for the Miracle-Gro Best Garden Selection program, and the Gro For Good Garden Grant Program from Scotts Canada with the hope of receiving a grant to beautify an unused piece of land by Highway 8.
“There is a space by Highway 8 and it’s open and vacant, and we’d like to plant a few trees there, we would like to have a community orchard or walking area with trees—a place to walk and have shade,” says Pickard.
Pickard says the Bloom Committee will have its first meeting to discuss its plans for the 2026 contest on March 24.
Redvers is entered in the population 1,001-2,000 category.
Town approved for accessiblity grant to replace medical clinic sidewalk
Redvers has been approved for $12,000 under the Youth Innovation Component of the Enabling Accessibility Fund.
In order to meet the conditions of the federal grant, the town appointed Katie Eilers as a youth ambassador, and met with Eilers to come up with a list of places in town where there are accessibility challenges.
It was determined that one of the most important areas of town to tackle was the sidewalk in front of the medical clinic.
“It’s in really bad shape. Tthe section we are replacing is really beat up,” says CAO Tricia Pickard.
The town will be replacing part of the sidewalk and repairing a small portion of the street to make the medical clinic more accessible. The total cost of the project is $19,000 with $12,000 being covered by the grant.
Support of SCC playground grant
Council penned a letter of support for the Redvers School Community Council in its application to the School Playground Equipment Grant for the 2025/2026 intake.
Following a recent safety inspection conducted by Suncorp, several existing playground components were identified as having failed inspection standards and they requiring replacement.
The SCC wants to replace the failed equipment with new, inclusive play structures that meet the current Canadian Standards Association Standard for Children’s Playspaces and Equipment, and has applied for the School Playground Equipment Grant to do that. The new design will also enhance accessibility by incorporating wheelchair-accessible and universally accessible features.
Town no longer issuing marriage licenses
Due to time restraints on office staff, the town made the decision not to continue issuing marriage licenses.
CAO Tricia Pickard says it leads to lots of extra paperwork and time, which has been challenging for staff to work in with other town duties.
“If someone else could take that on, it would be great,” she said.
Letter regarding nurse practitioner
Council made note of a letter from the South East Medical Group to Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill and Rural and Remote Health Minister Lori Carr about sponsoring the training of a local nurse practitioner under the agreement that she would return to offer services at the Redvers Health Centre and Tony Day Family Medical Clinic in Carnduff.
The letter said the trainee was planning to finish her education with a practicum under a current nurse practitioner operating out of the Tony Day Family Medical Clinic in August 2026. Upon her graduation she would like to continue to operate out of the Tony Day Family Medical Clinic, the Redvers Health Centre, and the Gainsborough Health Centre.
The South East Medical Group asked that the health ministers consider granting her a contract of the same model as their current nurse practitioner at the Tony Day Family Medical Clinic so that they can continue to put together a stable team of health care professionals within their rural facilities.
Town looking at grain bin gazebo for campground
Council was contacted by Dawn Eilers with Redvers Tourism about replacing the gazebo at the campground. The current gazebo is in disrepair.
Eilers suggested the town look at a grain bin gazebo to replace the existing gazebo. Eilers said she has found someone willing to donate a grain bin.
Council contacted Municode and found out that a building permit would be required for the structure along with engineered drawings for the structure and the foundation. They will be looking at their options for the structure.
Tender accepted for Larsen Road lots
A new business will be coming to Redvers after the town accepted a tender to purchase two lots on Larsen Road where the Western Star hotel used to be located.
The town decided to tender the sale of the lots after they were turned over to the town as a tax title property.
Two tenders were received with the winning tender going to post frame construction company Goodon Industries out of Boissevain, Manitoba for $40,000.
Goodon Industries will construct a 60-foot by 152-foot by 18-foot building on the land.
Request to support wheelchair accessible van
Council received a request from the Redvers Activity Centre to donate toward the purchase of a wheelchair accessible van.
While the town will not donate to the project directly, they have applied for a grant in 2026 for a push button crosswalk and speed bumps near the Activity Centre to help with street safety in that area, and recently received a $50,000 grant to replace the sidewalk in that area.
The town administrative staff will also be donating $500 from their “Casual for a Cause” casual Friday contributions to the project.
School transit program going well
CAO Tricia Pickard reported to council that the town’s pilot project transit van program for school children is going over well. Under the program, students can ride the town transit van and buy a punch card giving them unlimited rides for the month for $40. She told council the van has been well-used by students.
Letter of intent supporting START program
Council approved a letter of intent supporting the START program, should it proceed in the Redvers area.
START stands for Stabilization, Transfer Readiness and Resuscitation Team. Under the program hospital-embedded Advanced Care Paramedics (ACPs) would provide emergency assessment, stabilization, resuscitation, and transfer preparation when no physician is on site. Care would be delivered under virtual physician oversight.
The idea would be to keep rural emergency departments open, even during physician unavailability, and create less service disruptions.
“Subject to regulatory approval and operational feasibility, our organization is interested in exploring funded service delivery models or pilot agreements should the START program proceed,” wrote council in their letter of intent.
