Streets Alive will display native Ontario flowers in downtown Orillia this summer.
Streets Alive founder Leslie Fournier says there are 60 flowers of three shapes made from exterior-grade MDF boards this year. Once they are painted by local artists, they will be attached to downtown street poles from early June to Thanksgiving weekend.
"The idea is to get people thinking about planting native Ontario flowers that attract pollinators," Fournier explained. "Supporting local farmers and doing things that help the natural ecosystem is really important."
She says learning more about environmental challenges inspired her to choose this year's theme.
"The loss of farmlands, the decreasing number of bees, and those types of things are something we are hearing more about," she said. "That's where the idea for this year's theme was planted."
When Fournier unveiled the project on Facebook, local artists immediately jumped on board.
"The response was faster and greater than any other project we've announced," she said. "I was surprised to see right away how engaged people seem to be about this particular theme."
The name of each flower will be on each piece downtown so people can be educated on what flowers are native, can be planted, and are the best for pollinators.
Fournier says people are more aware than ever of environmental degradation and challenges surrounding climate change, which is why all 60 flowers were spoken for immediately.
"I think there are a lot of people who are aware of the importance of planting native flowers as opposed to other varieties. It really helps our natural ecosystem," she said.
This year's Streets Alive project in conjunction with The Northern Joinery, the Downtown Orillia Management Board, the Mariposa Pollinators Group, and Green Orillia will enhance the downtown, Fournier says.
"We are also going to plant native Ontario flowers in some of the big city planters downtown," she said.
After Thanksgiving weekend, artists can keep their flowers or donate them back to Streets Alive to be sold. All proceeds will be put toward the next Streets Alive project.
Fournier says Streets Alive is a "fabulous example of community."
"Streets Alive is artists, the downtown business community, sponsors, and visitors," she said. "It reaches everybody."
