Goodwill ambassadors from the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce will be handing out more than 4,000 daffodils to residents and visitors downtown over the next week to create awareness of the Victoria Flower Count.
This is the 37th year of the flower count, a lighthearted promotion headed by the chamber, Butchart Gardens and Tourism Victoria. Last year, residents counted more than two billion blooms, ensuring Victoria retained its title as the “bloomingest community” in Canada.
“The annual flower count is all about community pride,” said Bruce Carter, CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce. “It helps raise our profile as an attractive shoulder-season holiday destination while the rest of the country is still shovelling snow.”
He said handing out flowers on the street and in malls will help raise the profile of the event locally. Every year, the chamber distributes bouquets of daffodils to news outlets throughout Canada and the U.S., leading to free airtime to promote local tourism. “It’s our way of saying ‘Come visit us.’ ”
The public can participate in the flower count, which runs today until March 4, by counting blossoms and entering the number, as well as pictures, on the website (flowercount.com). The flower count is weather-dependent, so this winter’s mild weather is good news.
“It’s a very good year from a flower’s perspective,” Carter said.
