By Alex McCuaig

Daffodil Project

Highway beautification project reaping what it sows

Sep 21, 2019 | 5:52 PM

Medicine Hat, AB – Halfway through a decade-long beautification project along the Trans-Canada Highway, what started as a small-scale effort has blossomed into a full-blown floral tribute.

This fall is the fifth planting of bulbs for the Daffodil Project – an effort to plant a million of the flowers along the highway from Redcliff to Dunmore.

The effort is the brainchild of local resident Gillian Slade who says every year has seen more volunteers show up to sow who end up reaping the sight of blooming daffodils each spring.

“We just wanted to have the areas along the Trans-Canada Highway in the region look prettier in the spring – have some early spring flowers to just cheer people up,” said Slade.

Slade says the effort has evolved over the years with people looking at the opportunity to take part to honour loved ones.

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“We’ve planted more than 100,000 (bulbs) and the number of volunteers – it’s almost uncontrolable. Last year we had almost 50 on-site and we thought that was amazing. We’ve had 100 for several hours (on Saturday).”

The Daffodil Project has a goal of planting one million bulbs by 2025 and while Slade said they are not quite there, “our goal is to shoot high and aim for that.”

The volunteer planters will be out again on Saturday Sept. 28 at Len Mitzel Meadows.

Full details can be found at the Daffodil Project website.