Welcome to the Greater Victoria Flower Count
March 6 – March 13, 2024
The Greater Victoria Flower Count is an annual light-hearted promotion sponsored and organized by local businesses, Destination Greater Victoria and The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce. The goal is normally to bolster community pride and increase awareness of Greater Victoria as an attractive shoulder-season tourism destination and an incredible place to work, live and play.
Our goal in 2024 is to spread spring cheer to the residents of Greater Victoria and encourage them to stop and count the flowers while out in their communities. This is a great time to #ExploreVictoria
In 2024 we will be counting blossoming blooms from 7 a.m. on March 6 to 4 p.m. on March 13! We invite you to join us in 2024 for the 49th Annual Flower Count.
2023 Counts
2023 “Bloomingest Community”: Sidney: 7,580,503,851
2023 Community Runner Up: North Saanich: 7,558,368,163
2023 Winning School: Hillcrest Elementary
2023 Total Municipal Blooms Counted: 33,386,900,082
2024 Prize Sponsors
Although of course counting flowers in March is its own reward, we have several generous prize sponsors. Thank you to our School Contest and #FlowerCount Instagram Contest prize sponsors.
 |
 |
 |
ㅤ
And to the Used.ca Find the Hidden Bloom Contest prize donors:
Community Challenge
Each municipality across Greater Victoria is encouraged to take up the challenge to be the “Bloomingest Community” of the Greater Victoria area! People reporting flower counts will have their number attributed to their community. Whether they live on the Saanich Peninsula or in Sooke, every flower counts, for their own community and for the overall total. While you’re out counting, don’t forget to share your photos on social media for a chance to win! Details can be found here.
Flower Count History
In the late 1960’s, a committee of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce led by Victoria’s unofficial ‘flower lady’ Norma Fitzsimmons, started a promotion called “Victorian Days” tasked with getting tourists here in the winter. It all began with the simple question, “Where else in Canada would you find flowers blooming in February?”. In late February, they would visit cities such as Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg, handing out daffodils to the general public, radio stations and news rooms.
In 1976, the event expanded to involve Victoria residents and create a fun promotional story through the counting of February’s flowers. The Victoria Flower Count was born. The first flower count “head office” was in a corner window at Eaton’s. Four brave volunteers staffed the phones, as local residents tallied their blossoms and dialed in with their official counts.
The local municipalities have cheerfully battled out who has the most petal power in the region to be crowned the Bloomingest Community of the year. Flower Count has evolved over the years, from phones to online counting, from sending daffodils to sending tweets, but at the heart of it, Flower Count remains the same fun event coaxing Canadians out of their winter hibernation to come visit lovely Greater Victoria and get out in nature to appreciate the beauty around us and welcome spring.
