2026 - March: Blenheim BIA Meeting Minutes

Mar 4

Date: March 4th, 2026
Location: Blenheim Funeral Home
Chair: Sam May
Minutes Prepared By: Jackie Patterson

1. Attendance

Sam May
Andrew Tompsett
Kim Wakeman
Tinna Doyon
Lisa Lucio
Andrew Petley
Adam Brookes – Craves Poutinerie
Melissa Brookes – Mobile Bar Business

2. Community & Event Updates

International Women’s Day Video

The International Women’s Day promotional video has been completed and will be posted on social media next week.

3. Christmas Parade 2026

The Christmas Parade date has been moved from Friday to Saturday to align with additional holiday programming.

Event Details:

Date: December 5, 2026
Start Time: 5:30 PM
Theme: Cartoon Christmas

The parade will now coincide with:

Festival of Lights launch
Christmas Market

Planning will continue through the Parade Committee.

4. Cherry Fest Planning Updates

Significant progress has been made in planning for Cherry Fest.

Event Organization

Mike has secured Bernice Smith (Midland Tart Lady / Butter Tart Lady) to assist with organizing the event.

Entertainment

Karen has bands lined up for the festival.
Kyle is organizing a Battle of the Bands, featuring performers from Blackcomb.

Vendors

Vendor applications are now open for Cherry Fest.

Marketing

The Cherry Fest social media accounts and Cherry Fest-specific Facebook event page have been updated.

Volunteers

Mike is still looking for additional volunteers to assist with Cherry Fest planning and execution.

Alcohol Service

Bayside Brewery will once again be serving alcohol during the Cherry Fest event.

5. Downtown Beautification

Spring Flowers

The downtown spring flowers are currently growing and will be ready for planting soon.

Tree Grates

Discussion took place regarding reinstalling the tree grates around downtown trees.

Dave O’Brien may assist with reinstalling them.
Anthony will confirm if the grates can be put back in place.

6. Downtown Infrastructure Updates

Town Clock

The downtown clock issue is currently being addressed by the manufacturer.

Anthony is assisting in coordinating and leading efforts to resolve the issue.

Downtown Wi-Fi

Andrew Tompsett noted that downtown Wi-Fi had previously been installed but was not functioning effectively, which led to it being shut down.
Anthony noted that Rogers service in the area has improved, which may offer better connectivity options moving forward.

7. Waste Management Concerns

Petley’s Laundry raised concerns about garbage bins filling up quickly, which is leading to overflow and debris spreading onto the roadway.

Anthony will confirm whether garbage collection can be increased to twice per week to address the issue.

8. BIA Governance Discussion

Boundaries and Levy Adjustments

A discussion took place regarding potential adjustments to BIA boundaries and levy changes. Further discussion and analysis will continue at upcoming meetings.