LAC LA BICHE - Charmayne and Julian Lemay recently became the winners of the 2023 Rural Beautification Award.
Trees, rock gardens, and pathways
The couple, who live on an acreage about 15 kilometres south of Plamondon, have beautified their property by planting decorative trees, rock gardens, putting in a water fountain, rock pathways, and a large fire pit area. The attention to detail is what caught the attention of the judges on the local Agricultural Service Board.
According to Charmayne Lemay, when she and her husband purchased their property, it was "solid trees" and one of the reasons they loved the location. She said the trees are nicely groomed and maintained, and the lawn is always taken care of.
“We definitely take pride in having a tidy and well-groomed home,” she told Lakeland This Week.
Greenhouses and grain
Julian said there are also two large greenhouses on the property where his wife plants mostly by seed and also starts her own plants.
“She definitely has a green-thumb when it comes to her garden and plants,” he said. “She also has a greenhouse where she plants tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, which she starts by seed.”
The couple has also been involved in grain farming since 2017. Their operation started off with 340 acres and has since grown to 940.
Charmayne says there is always work to be done, but it's really a labour of love.
“Our family worked quite hard to get the yard where it is and to keep it maintained but we love doing it, so it doesn’t seem like work. And to see the outcome, makes it so rewarding," she said.
A sign post and gift certificate
The Rural Beautification Award is an annual honour awarded by the Agricultural Service Board to rural residents of the County (outside of the hamlets of Lac La Biche and Plamondon, who go the extra mile in sprucing up their properties to make them look great. The deadline to submit Award Forms is July 31 every year, and nomination forms can be found on the Lac La Biche County website.
The annual award consists of a rural beautification sign with the year it was won and a sign post which is black in colour and made of steel square tubing. Hardware to attach the sign to the sign post is also included. Furthermore, the winner receives a $500 gift certificate to a store of their choice in Lac La Biche County, .
“We also install the sign post and sign for the recipient unless they would prefer to do it themselves,” said Lac La Biche Countuy's Brennan Scott.
According to Scott, farmsteads and acreages have six categories which they are judged on. Each category is judged on a one to 10 scale, with 10 being the best possible score. The categories which farmsteads are judged on include Shelterbelt, Landscaping, Farm Buildings & Facilities, Farmstead Design, plants, flowers and shurbs, Water Management, and General Overview.
“Three employees of the Agriculture department judge the property independently then tally up the scores and the property with the highest score is deemed the winner,” he said.
The Lemays have been nominated three years in a row for the Rural Beautification Award. This year, the couple was nominated by Lac La Biche County councillor Kevin Pare, who represents Ward 2, and Jacinthe and Stephen Lemay. They were chosen from seven nominees.
“We are honoured to receive the award, we were very surprised as we did not expect to be the awarded candidate,” Charmayne said.
