Gore Street gets flower bombed (12 photos)

Gore Street was abuzz with activity Saturday afternoon as music and the smell of fresh flowers filled the air.

The Gore Street Flower Bomb, a collaboration between Taking Back Downtown and the Neighbourhood Resource Centre, saw an army of volunteers give the area between Queen Street East and Albert Street a facelift with new paint, a thorough cleaning, and a sea of freshly planted flowers.

Kathleen Lannigan and Katherine Geroux both reside in the Gore Street area and have volunteered with the flower bomb initiative since it began.

"It makes the area feel more inviting," Lannigan told SooToday. "I though it was a great idea from the start and needed to be here."

Geroux told us the restoration adds a friendly vibe to the otherwise neglected area of downtown.

"I like to come out an volunteer and I find that in this area, they need more help," she told us.

Following the day's events, which included live entertainment from DJ Seith and a kid's area with crafts and activities, volunteers were treated to lunch courtesy of Low n' Slow and the Neighbourhood Resource Centre.

This year's flower bomb was the third such event to happen in Sault Ste. Marie, and the second time it has taken place on Gore Street.

The inaugural local flower bomb took place in 2013 in the James Street area.

The revitalization project would not have been possible without the support of the Neighbourhood Resource Centre, Low n' Slow, The Gore St. Cafe, Metis Nation, Lyons Timber Mart, Downings Greenhouse, CTD Designs, and numerous individual and private donations.