Greater Victoria鈥檚 annual boastful bloom count kicks off Wednesday (March 5) with Sidney hoping to hold on to its 2024 title.

The 50th annual Greater Victoria Flower Count, a lighthearted event sponsored and organized by Destination Greater Victoria, runs through March 12.

On Monday (March 3), Astrid Chang, DGV executive director of corporate and communications relations, Bruce Williams, CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce and Victoria Dyson, director of sales and marketing of Fairmont Empress, launched the event at the hotel's front steps.

"Greater Victoria's mild climate is one of the draws for many visitors right across Canada and from around the world, so we're delighted to kick off the flower count and celebrate that beautiful part of what we enjoy so much about living here in the capital region," says Chang. 

"It's always such a treat to have everyone come here to start off this really unique festival that we have going on here," adds Dyson. "Here at the Fairmont Empress, we have a gardening team of over six who plant over 30,000 tulip bulbs in October. There's about 50 different types of tulips that we have." Fairmont Empress is recognized as one of the top 25 magnificent hotel gardens in the world for historic hotels.

In all 38 billion blossoms were registered last year.

Sidney was the bloomingest community in 2024 with more than 17 billion flowers counted; Victoria was runner up at nearly 16 billion. 

The event started in the late 1960s led by the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce as a way to draw tourists to the area in winter. According to Destination Greater Victoria, the city鈥檚 unofficial 鈥渇lower lady鈥� Norma Fitzsimmons started a promotion on the premise: 鈥淲here else in Canada would you find flowers blooming in February?鈥�

In late February, chamber members 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 locals and the Victoria Flower Count was born.

"Well, 50 years ago the chamber decided to remind the rest of Canada that we have this kind of spring," Williams said. "It's another reminder that we live in a beautiful place where the weather is amazing and in the face of all the adversity we are potentially going to face over the next little while with our neighbours to the south, this is a little bit of a chance for us to celebrate who we are and where we live."

The fun competition also tracks counts done by school classes with a cohort from Margaret Jenkins Elementary winning last year.

"There is a great set of prizes this year for those students who count and for the class that counts the most," Chang added. "Thanks to LA limousines and the Butchart Gardens, they get a wonderful field trip for counting the most flowers of all the classes that participate."

DGV invites students in grade 4 or 5 from school districts 61, 62 and 63 to explore the outdoors, appreciate nature and count flowers.

Visit to participate.