49th event ends with a tally of 38 billion blooms 

VICTORIA, B.C.  – The 49th edition of the Greater Victoria Flower Count ended on March 13 with a multi-billion bloom bouquet. Community and elementary school engagement was strong, with 38 billion blossoms counted over the week-long event.

For the second year in a row, the winner of “Bloomingest” community is the Town of Sidney, with a total of 17.4 billion blossoms counted. The runner-up community this year is the City of Victoria, with 15.9 billion blossoms counted.

Elementary school participation is a major component of Greater Victoria Flower Count. This year’s winning elementary school class is Joanna Lake’s class at Margaret Jenkins elementary school in Victoria. The grade 4/5 class counted 8.049 billion blossoms and has won a special trip via L.A. Limousines to the ultimate floral experience at The Butchart Gardens.

Flower Count is rooted in a tourism promotion started by the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce in the 1960s. In those days, a delegation would dress in Victorian-era clothing and hand-deliver daffodils to people in Prairie cities. The publicity stunt generated favourable coverage of our region as a desirable destination. The event shifted in 1975 to having residents count flowers, and the fun but spirited contest continues to this day.
 
Quotes:
“Sidney’s community pride is in full bloom today,” Sidney Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith said.  “The Town’s extraordinary number of blossoms reflects our residents who put so much care into their gardens, and our Town staff who beautify the parks, downtown business district, and neighbourhood boulevards. All of these efforts help make Sidney a warm and welcoming community.”

“Congratulations to Margaret Jenkins elementary school and Joanna Lake’s class on winning this year’s Greater Victoria Flower Count and counting the most flowers of any other participating classroom,” said Paul Nursey, CEO of Destination Greater Victoria. “With students’ help, we have once again highlighted the natural beauty of the region that is part of what makes Greater Victoria a destination of choice.”

“We’ve had another successful Flower Count, and I think we all welcome the beautiful blooms that are the first signs that spring has arrived in the city with the mildest climate in Canada, as it will soon for the rest of the country,” Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce CEO Bruce Williams said. “The only thing more impressive than the number of flowers counted, is the enthusiasm and joy this tradition brings to our region. Congratulations to Town of Sidney and the class at Margaret Jenkins elementary school, and thank you to our sponsors and prize donors for making it such a great event.”

 
BACKGROUNDER

Sponsorship and Support:
The 49th Annual Greater Victoria Flower Count is proudly sponsored and supported by Destination Greater Victoria, the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, The Abkhazi Garden (TLC – The Land Conservancy of British Columbia), Used.ca, CHEK Media, Pedego Electric Bikes, The Butchart Gardens, L.A. Limousines, Malahat Skywalk, Royal BC Museum, Tractor Foods, Varsha Indian Kitchen, and Victoria Butterfly Gardens.
 
About Destination Greater Victoria: Destination Greater Victoria (Greater Victoria Visitors and Convention Bureau) has proudly served as our region’s official, not-for-profit destination marketing and management organization for half a century. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2024, we continue to work hand-in-hand with nearly 1,000 businesses and municipalities in Greater Victoria to promote, enhance, and manage our vibrant destination. We look forward to another 50 years of supporting the visitor economy that brings vitality to our region. For more information, visit the Destination Greater Victoria website.
 
About Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce: Since 1863, The Chamber has served Greater Victoria by working together to build good business and great community for all through advocacy, networking, professional development, and innovative services as changing times require. In 2020, the Chamber Champions initiative added a powerful resource to provide leadership and guidance to our organization. Current Champions are: Acera Insurance, BC Ferries, Berwick Retirement Communities, Big Wheel Burger, Camosun College, CHEK Media Group, CIBC, ColdStar Solutions, H2 Accelerator, Knappett Projects, Mike Geric Construction, MNP, PARC Retirement Living, RBC, Scotiabank, Seaspan Victoria Shipyards, Starlight Developments, TD Commercial Banking, TELUS Business, Times Colonist and the University of Victoria. Find out more at victoriachamber.ca.
 
 
MEDIA CONTACTS:
 
Astrid Chang
Executive Director, Corporate Communications and Community Relations
Destination Greater Victoria
250-893-3995
astrid.chang@tourismvictoria.com
 
Jim Zeeben
Policy and Strategic Communications 
Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce  
250-360-3471
communications@victoriachamber.ca

Get ready to count blooms March 6-13
 
Victoria, B.C. – While other parts of Canada are still in the grips of winter, Greater Victoria is gearing up to promote its milder climate with the 49th annual Greater Victoria Flower Count. This year’s count launched this morning at Abkhazi Garden, with the official count beginning Wednesday, March 6. The event is sponsored and organized by local businesses, Destination Greater Victoria, and the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce.
 
In February or March of each year, Greater Victoria Flower Count organizers announce a “counting challenge” to communities in Greater Victoria to become the year’s “Bloomingest” community. Last year’s Greater Victoria Flower Count saw over 33 billion blooms counted across Greater Victoria, with the Town of Sidney winning first place as 2023’s “Bloomingest” community.
 
An important part of engaging the community during the Greater Victoria Flower Count involves elementary school participation. Grade four and five students are encouraged to count flowers and submit entries. This year, the winning class will be awarded a trip via L.A. Limousines to The Butchart Gardens. Last year’s winner was Ms. Jessica Manness’ class at Hillcrest Elementary, with a count of 1.56 billion blooms.
 
Flower counts can be submitted at www.flowercount.ca. Participants can also follow the count from March 6 to 13 on social media through Facebook, X and Instagram (@FlowerCount). Any floral post using the #FlowerCount hashtag on Instagram earns an entry to win a $500 gift card towards your own electric bike, generously donated by Pedego Victoria.
 
Flower Count organizers have also teamed up with sponsor Used.ca to continue the tradition of the daily Find The Hidden Bloom contest, running from March 6 to 13, 2024. Used.ca will hide a flower on their Victoria pages and share a hint as to where to find it on their social channels. If you find the daily bloom, you gain an entry towards winning a local, sustainable goodie bag valued at $100 or more.
 
Worried all the blossoms will be too hard to count?  Here are some flower counting tips:

• A small tree full of blossoms equals 250,000 blossoms.
• A mid-sized heather bush has 1,000 blossoms.
• Trees fully in bloom count for 750,000 blossoms.

 
The number of blossoms counted will be attributed to your community. Submissions will be accepted from 7:00 a.m. on March 6 to 4:00 p.m. on March 13. The Bloomingest community and the class that counts the most blooms will be announced on March 13 by Ed Bain on CHEK News at 5.
 
Flower counters are encouraged to share photos of blooms discovered while exploring Greater Victoria with #FlowerCount and by tagging @FlowerCount on Facebook, Instagram or X.

 
Quotes:
 
“For almost as long as the tourism board has been around, we’ve been proud to participate in the Greater Victoria Flower Count,” said Paul Nursey, CEO of Destination Greater Victoria. “This event invites locals and visitors to enjoy the outdoors as the weather starts to warm and the days get longer, and it highlights the natural beauty of the region that is part of what makes Greater Victoria a destination of choice.”
 
“Flower Count is a fun tradition that is unique to our region,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “It has evolved over the years, but it continues to be an opportunity to share the joy of springtime in Greater Victoria with other Canadians.”
 
 
Sponsorship and Support:
The 49th Annual Greater Victoria Flower Count is proudly sponsored and supported by Destination Greater Victoria, the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, The Abkhazi Garden (TLC – The Land Conservancy of British Columbia), Used.ca, CHEK Media, Pedego Electric Bikes, The Butchart Gardens and L.A. Limousines.
 
About Destination Greater Victoria: Destination Greater Victoria (Greater Victoria Visitors and Convention Bureau) has proudly served as our region’s official, not-for-profit destination marketing and management organization for half a century. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2024, we continue to work hand-in-hand with nearly 1,000 businesses and municipalities in Greater Victoria to promote, enhance, and manage our vibrant destination. We look forward to another 50 years of supporting the visitor economy that brings vitality to our region. For more information, visit the Destination Greater Victoria website.
 
About Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce: Since 1863, The Chamber has served Greater Victoria by working together to build good business and great community for all through advocacy, networking, professional development, and innovative services as changing times require. In 2020, the Chamber Champions initiative added a powerful resource to provide leadership and guidance to our organization. Current Champions are: Acera Insurance, BC Ferries, Berwick Retirement Communities, Big Wheel Burger, Camosun College, CHEK Media Group, CIBC, ColdStar Solutions, H2 Accelerator, Knappett Projects, Mike Geric Construction, MNP, PARC Retirement Living, RBC, Scotiabank, Seaspan Victoria Shipyards, Starlight Developments, TD Commercial Banking, TELUS Business, Times Colonist and the University of Victoria. Find out more at victoriachamber.ca.
 
 
MEDIA CONTACTS:

Astrid Chang
Executive Director, Corporate Communications and Community Relations
Destination Greater Victoria
250-893-3995
astrid.chang@tourismvictoria.com
 
Jim Zeeben
Policy and Strategic Communications 
Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce  
250-360-3471
communications@victoriachamber.ca

VICTORIA, BC – Erinn Pinkerton is the recipient of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Award of Distinction. 

Pinkerton is the first woman to serve as President and CEO of BC Transit, overseeing the delivery of public transit across 130 communities in B.C. The agency has an annual operating budget of more than $420 million, employs a fleet of roughly 1,200 vehicles, and has more than 1,100 employees and 1,700 contracted employees.  

“Erinn is a titan in Greater Victoria’s business community, highly respected in communities across B.C. and across the continent for the innovation she has led,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “It’s always difficult for the award judges to choose one person among the many worthy candidates each year, but Erinn’s success speaks for itself.”

Pinkerton is known as a visionary leader who is modernizing public transit through innovation and technology. This includes transitioning BC Transit’s entire fleet to zero emission vehicles by 2040 and introducing electronic fare payments in 30 transit systems across the province by the end of 2024.  

The Chamber’s Award of Distinction honours a businessperson still active in business who, over a number of years, has made a noteworthy contribution to the Greater Victoria community. This award is in recognition of the positive influence the honouree has had on the economy, business, and the overall community, signifying the achievement, resourcefulness, and determination they have shown. An independent panel of prominent business leaders served as judges. 

“I’m honoured to receive this award from the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, and I share this recognition with everyone at BC Transit,” Pinkerton said. “This award is a meaningful affirmation of our shared commitment to providing safe and reliable service to our customers. I accept it with gratitude, knowing that every member of our team has played a crucial role in achieving this success. Having the support of great partners like The Chamber helps strengthen our ability to meet our goals and ongoing commitment to the community. Together, we will continue to drive positive change and excellence in the world of public transit not only in Greater Victoria, but across the province as well.”

The Chamber’s Award of Distinction, sponsored by the Times Colonist, will be officially celebrated at the 2024 Greater Victoria Business Awards, which feature 14 categories recognizing organizations and individuals that have distinguished themselves through excellent customer service, community leadership, innovation and more. 

In December 2023, James Gatsi was announced as Chamber Member of the Year for 2024. 

The Chamber’s 2024 Business Awards Ceremony will be held in May at the Victoria Conference Centre. Nominations are open until Jan. 18. The 2024 Greater Victoria Business Awards are sponsored by Coast Capital Savings, Royal Roads University, Times Colonist, Air Canada, BCLC, Camosun College, Canadian Tire, Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island, City of Victoria, Grant Thornton, Gustavson School of Business, Harbour Air, Innvo8 Digital Solutions Inc.,  PARC Retirement Living, WorldLine and The Number Creative.  
 
About Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce 
Since 1863, The Chamber has served Greater Victoria by working together to build good business and great community for all through advocacy, networking, professional development and innovative services as changing times require. In 2020, the Chamber Champions initiative added a powerful resource to provide leadership and guidance to our organization. Current Champions are: Acera Insurance, Berwick Retirement Communities, Big Wheel Burger, Camosun College, CHEK Media Group, CIBC, ColdStar Solutions, H2 Accelerator, Knappett Projects, Mike Geric Construction, MNP, PARC Retirement Living, RBC, Scotiabank, Seaspan Victoria Shipyards, Starlight Developments, TELUS Business, TD Commercial Banking, Times Colonist and the University of Victoria. Find out more at: victoriachamber.ca. 
  
Media Contact:  
Jim Zeeben, Policy and Strategic Communications 
Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce  
250 360-3471 | communications@victoriachamber.ca