It was a buggy night on the streets of Maynooth last Tuesday, but it didn’t stop a group of local volunteers as they gathered to plant flowers along the main street, bringing colour and community spirit to the village.
The volunteers say they often communicate via a messaging group, and had previously voted to go with a red and white flower theme—mirroring the Canadian flags that were recently installed on the street’s lampposts in preparation for the upcoming summer season.
“Every year we plant flowers in downtown Maynooth. We put a call out for volunteers, and people come,” said Hastings Highlands councillor and Foxfire Antiques owner Tracy Hagar. “We remove about eight inches of soil from the planters, then replace it with fresh dirt and manure to support new growth for the season.”
The soil from the planters was taken to the site of the old community centre (now called the Maynooth Community Park).
With a four-wheeler and trailer, resident Dwight Pilatski handled the removal and transport of the used soil, while Carla Van Balen Walter, of the Maynooth General Store, followed behind with fresh soil and manure for the new flowers.
Among those pitching in were Wendy Keating, CEO of the Hastings Highlands Public Library; Sharon Watson, a member of the United Church board; Sean Cassidy from Cassidy Antiques; Loree Lawrence of Wildwood Gallery; along with Pilatski and Van Balen Walter.
Keating said the volunteers were happy to help beautify the downtown streets in red and white.
“It feels like it could be a busier season than usual,” she said, noting that a strong US dollar could mean some increased traffic from south of the border.
