CNLA Newsbrief | June 2010 by Canadian Nursery Landscape Association

Sustainable Sites Pilot Projects Announced

Green Industry News May-June 2010 Vol. 19 Issue 4 What’s inside: • BCLNA welcomes new executive director

Champions in Landscaping

Celebrating Earth Week

Innovative living wall

• Insurance discounts with GPS • Landscape Nova Scotia works with government on pesticide ban • Landscape Ontario’s ViaRail Garden Tours

A living, breathing example of innovation is growing at Nova Scotia Community College’s (NSCC) Centre for the Built Environment at the Waterfront Campus in Dartmouth, NS. A living wall filters air, creates habitats and adds beauty and vitality to a building’s design. "This living wall demonstrates the capacity of the Centre for the Built Environment to help Nova Scotians study the renewable energy and green technologies that are essential to our sustainable future," said Dr. McArthur-Blair, who assisted students in completing the first, permanent, exterior living wall. Sue Sirrs, owner of Outside! Planning and Design Studio was responsible for investigating the feasibility of creating the wall, while students and faculty at NSCC planned, designed and built the living wall. "I visited other living walls around the world and not a single existing structure would do the job here," said Ms. Sirrs. "Over two years, we tested five planting systems using 85 different plant species. We ended with a completely made-in-Nova Scotia solution that we will continue to learn from as it grows."

"This remarkable project brought together and tested all of the knowledge and experience I’ve gathered over many years about design, soils, climate, irrigation systems and the plants themselves," said Tim Amos, faculty with NSCC’s Horticulture program. The 7,000 plants that make up NSCC’s living wall offer a variety of colours, textures, flowers and berries, providing a living piece of art that will change with the seasons. "I helped propagate the very first plants for this project when it was still just an idea and now, here we are, seeing it come to life," said Roelof van der Merwe, a secondyear horticulture student. "It’s amazing." For more information about NSCC’s living wall, contact Stacey Baillie, Manager - Media & External Relations, NSCC at (902) 491-6781 or Stacey.Baillie@nscc.ca.

CNLA Newsbrief

May-June 2010

sponsored by:

INDUSTRY NEWS EXECUTIVE BOARD:

President Past President First Vice President Second Vice President Treasurer

Cary van Zanten - BC Michael Murray - NL Bill Stensson - ON Christine LeVatte, CLP - NS Rene Thiebaud, CLP - ON

DIRECTORS: LOHTA Representative, Gerald Boot, CLP - ON Insurance Chair LNS Representative Jeff Morton, CLT - NS BCLNA Representative Michael Kato - BC Human Resources Chair Harold Deenen, CLP - ON Environment Chair Bill Hardy, CLP - BC Landscape Canada Chair Bruce Hunter, CLT, CLD, CLP - BC Government Liaison, COHA Chair, Vic Krahn, CHT - SK SNLA Representative AQPP Representative Pierre Lavallée - QC Planning & Government, Bruce McTavish - BC NAPPO Chair LNB Representative, Darrell Nameth, CLP - NB Member Services Chair Garden Centre Canada Chair Anthony O’Neill - NL National Certification Chair Terry Nicholson, CLT - ON Landscape Canada Vice Chair, Phil Paxton, CLT, CLP - AB LANTA Representative LM Representative, Owen Vanstone - MB Growers Canada Chair LNL Representative Don Barry - NL

STAFF: Executive Director Member Services Manager Professional and Business Development Manager Manager of Provincial Relations Growers Manager Landscape Priorities Manager Certification Services Minor Use/IPM Co-ordinator Member Services Co-ordinator Communications Co-ordinator Executive Assistant Bookkeeper

Victor Santacruz, CAE, CLP victor@canadanursery.com Joseph Salemi, CAE joseph@canadanursery.com Joel Beatson, CAE, CLP joel@canadanursery.com Rebecca Wetselaar, CAE rebecca@canadanursery.com Rita Weerdenburg rita@canadanursery.com Liz Klose, B.Sc., (Agr), CLP liz@canadanursery.com Julia Ricottone, CEPIT julia@canadanursery.com Peter Isaacson, B.Sc., MPM peter@canadanursery.com Agnes Zawartka, CAE, CLP agnes@canadanursery.com Kim Burton kim@canadanursery.com Cheryl Gall cheryl@canadanursery.com Sheena Falzon sheena@canadanursery.com

Printed on recycled paper using vegetable based inks by: Harmony Printing, 50 Woodbine Downs Boulevard, Toronto, ON M9W 5R2

The Sustainable Sites Initiative™ (SITES™) Announces Pilot Projects On May 25, 2010, SITES™ announced the pilot projects selected to evaluate and test the new points rating system, created by leading experts, scientists and design professionals, with input from both the public and organizations. Sustainable landscapes can clean water, reduce pollution and restore habitats, while providing significant economic and social benefits to land owners and municipalities. Three Canadian sites were chosen from over 150 international projects: • Alderwood Rest Home, Baddeck, Cape Breton Island, NS was selected based on its extensive environmentally-friendly practices including site protection, restoration, naturalization and environmental mitigation. The landscape was designed by Ed Versteeg of Ekistics Planning & Design, Halifax, NS and installed by Christene LeVatte, CLP, with Highland Landscapes for Lifestyle, Sydney, NS. Christine Bales, LEED Coordinator with WHW Architects, also a Halifax firm, is the Architect on this project. “I believe the Alderwood Project may have just set a new benchmark for commercial landscape installation,” stated Christene LeVatte, CLP, and second Vice President of the CNLA. www.highlandlandscapes.ca • The Humber Arboretum Centre for Urban Ecology, Toronto, ON a venue for education and research on urban ecology, was selected for its existing environmentally-friendly elements, such as a ‘green’ roof, use of trees and green walls for cooling, a rainwater collection cistern for irrigation, and a biofilter system for sewage and grey water treatment. As well as its potential to implement and model new sustainable technologies, The Centre’s architectural features incorporate high performance windows, a high-efficiency gas furnace and locally sourced, environmental building materials. Melanie Sifton, Director, Humber Arboretum, stated, “We will take this opportunity to enhance the ecosystem services that our beautiful public garden site provides and educate our students and visitors in the living processes that are so vital to healthy urban communities.” www.humberarboretum.on.ca • Wildflower Farm Inc., Coldwater, ON

includes the establishment and growth of a native plant nursery, demonstration gardens and seed production fields proving low maintenance and sustainability of native wildflowers and grasses on a commercial scale without the use of any irrigation. Launched by Miriam Goldberger and Paul Jenkins, Wildflower Farm Inc. is a trailblazing nursery and natural garden centre supplying hardy, native perennial plants, seeds and site-specific wildflower seed mixes to homeowners, landscape contractors, municipalities and corporations. www.wildflowerfarm.com SITES will use feedback from this and the other selected projects during the pilot phase, which runs through June 2012, to revise the final rating system and reference guide by early 2013. For more information visit www.sustainablesites.org.

HortProtect provides insurance discounts For All Your Insurance Needs

Recently, Houston Landscapes of North Vancouver, had a mini excavator stolen from a job site. Through the machine’s GPS tracking system, they were able to track the stolen item and report its location to the police. When this story was relayed to the insurance company, Houston Landscapes was awarded an $1,800 discount per year on their machine insurance policy. The CNLA HortProtect Insurance program offers a discount for having GPS installed on valuable equipment. HortProtect was developed by CNLA to offer a comprehensive group of insurance products designed specifically to meet the needs of individuals and companies operating within the horticultural industry. Through the CNLA Insurance Committee (made up of association members and CNLA staff), the products and pricing are closely monitored to ensure members are receiving the best possible policies. By using these industry-designed products, members not only purchase quality coverage, they also support the association.

Canadian Nursery Landscape Association / Association Canadienne des Pépiniéristes et des Paysagistes 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton, ON L9T 2X8 | Toll Free: 1-888-446-3499 | Toll Free Fax: 1-866-833-8603 | Email: info@canadanursery.com | www.canadanursery.com

CNLA Newsbrief

May-June 2010

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Travel to Cuba By W. Michael Thomas Effective May 1, 2010, all visitors travelling to Cuba require proof of out-of-country travel health insurance upon landing. If visitors do not hold insurance from an approved carrier/assistance provider at the point of entry into Cuba, they will be required to purchase insurance for the duration of their stay. The CNLA HortProtect Group Insurance Plan provides unlimited out-of-country (and province) emergency medical and travel assistance coverage through Mondial Assistance, Manulife’s out of country provider. Mondial has a contractual agreement with the Cuban assistance company ASISTUR, and is a recognized third party assistance provider. Plan members are encouraged to carry their provincial health card as well as a copy of their Emergency Travel Assistance (ETA) card, and letter from Mondial Assistance confirming its eligibility, available at http://groupbenefits. manulife.com/canada/GB_v2.nsf/Public/ homepage or by request at 1-800-6675165. If you have any questions or require additional information, please call.

New faces at the CNLA office

CNLA recently welcomed two new staff members to the office. Cheryl Gall joined CNLA in the role of Executive Assistant, having a background in finance, project management, executive administration and strategic marketing. Communication and organization are key to Cheryl’s position with CNLA. She looks forward to learning more about the industry and is glad to be part of a team that is passionate about the environment and works to improve it. And to top it all off, Cheryl is an avid gardener.

Sheena Falzon is a graduate of Sheridan College in Business Administration and Accounting, and is in the process of achieving her Certified General Accountant (CGA) certification. Sheena finds her new position challenging, but continues to familiarize herself with the many new elements of a not-for-profit association and grow into her role as bookkeeper.

proDUctIVIty rUnS In the famIly.

W. Michael Thomas is a partner with The Investment Guild, endorsed provider of the CNLA Group Insurance Program www.hortprotect.com.

REMIN ForeignDER

Help Save Worker Programs

Deputy Minister Rick Dykstra has requested that industry share success stories to help the government defend the Foreign Workers Program. Stories about the positive impact of this program and its effectiveness on your business, particularly small, familyrun operations are requested. This program has often been described as Canada’s best foreign aid initiative. CNLA wants to collect success stories from our members who have used the foreign worker programs, such as workers returning over 20 or 30 years; generations of one family returning to the same farm; lifestyle improvements in the country of origin and educational opportunities. Please forward your success stories to Joel Beatson at joel@canadanursery.com or by fax to 1-866-833-8603.

Whether your work is rock-solid, tough or needs a lighter touch, your Cat ® dealer has the broadest offering of loaders to fit your business. Skid Steer Loaders offer muscle and versatility, while the tracked Multi Terrain Loader brings brawn with a light footprint for treading over finished surfaces. The latest addition to the family is the C-Series Compact Track Loader. It features a Cat designed, fully suspended steel undercarriage and standard Two-Speed. That adds up to the smoothest ride around, more efficient movement at the jobsite and better material retention. Only your Cat dealer can offer all these choices for purchase or rent, plus a full line of Cat Work Tool attachments to help you get the most from your machine. Be part of the legacy.™ cat . com / legacy | 1-888-own-a-cat | 1-800-rent-cat

©2009 Caterpillar Inc. Allrights reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow” and the POWER EDGE trade dress, as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

Canadian Nursery Landscape Association / Association Canadienne des Pépiniéristes et des Paysagistes CAT-114.indd 1 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton, ON L9T 2X8 | Toll Free: 1-888-446-3499 | Toll Free Fax: 1-866-833-8603 | Email: info@canadanursery.com | www.canadanursery.com

3 2/11/09 11:05:19 AM

CNLA Newsbrief

May-June 2010

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

LNS is working with government on province-wide pestcide ban Landscape Nova Scotia understands that the use and safety of pesticides is an issue of concern for Nova Scotians and that Bill 61 is an effort to address these concerns. While we disagree that the use of pesticides for lawn maintenance is non-essential, we do support laws that protect the health of Nova Scotians. Our industry has a simple goal — to help Nova Scotians keep the landscape around them beautiful, functional, sustainable and safe. LNS understands that Nova Scotians want to do this in an environmentally sustainable manner, and in a manner that respects the health and safety of

people and animals. LNS shares these goals and is prepared to work with the government on this legislation to ensure its goals are met, but in a way that still allows Nova Scotians to maintain their greenspaces in a safe, effective way. Landscape NS continues to meet with government policy makers and politicians on how to make this ban work effectively and safely for all Nova Scotians.

LNS is busy with upcoming events!

The 2010 HortEast committee, made up of volunteers from LNB, LNS and LNL, is gearing up for this year’s show — with an industry tour, two workshops for landscape construction and maintenance companies, certification opportunities, networking opportunities, including our regular kitchen party, a trade show with 120 booths, and a wide variety of speakers. Members of the horticulture industry in Atlantic Canada will benefit from this year’s show and should plan to attend! HortEast is taking place at the Cunard Centre in Halifax, NS on November 22-24th, 2010. Visit www.horteast.ns.ca for more information. In March of 2010 Landscape Nova Scotia hosted its annual Garden & Patio Show. It was our biggest show yet and every booth was sold out! Due to such a large and positive response, plans to expand next year’s show are already underway. LNS is hosting its annual golf tournament on August 5th, and its first annual softball tournament on July 17th. Call LNS for more information or visit landscapenovascotia.ca.

Planting trees to Celebrate Earth Week Atlantic Gardens in Bedford, Nova Scotia worked with elementary schools to teach them the importance of planting trees. They contacted schools in Bedford, Sackville and the suburbs of Halifax to donate tree seedlings to their students. Ten schools participated in the program and were each also given an Acer rubrum maple which was planted at Earth Day ceremonies at each school. About 5000 seedlings were donated by Atlantic Gardens. The seedlings went out with burlap bag and included a 'Happy Earth Day' tag with a link back to the Atlantic Gardens website on the seedlings’ planting instructions. The seedling donation and tree planting was such a success that Teaching children to plant Atlantic Gardens had phone calls from trees encourages them Dartmouth and Halifax schools asking if to be responsible they could participate next year. for their environment. BCLNA members came together on Earth Day, April 22nd, to initiate the only Canadian activity in honour of the Professional Landcare Network’s (PLANET) Day of Service. Held annually, PLANET Day of Service is a grassroots event allowing lawn and landscape professionals to organize volunteer projects to beautify schools, parks, playgrounds, senior centers, shelters, and anywhere that people enjoy green spaces and to educate the public on the importance of caring for our green spaces. Despite the early and frenetic start to the season, Sherilyn Gale and partner Rob Turner from Beneath

CNLA Newsbrief

May-June 2010

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ASSOCIATION NEWS Your Feet Landscaping rallied a crew of landscapers — Blasig Landscape Design & Construction, Golden Ears Landscaping, Janzen & Co. Landscaping, and The Green Man Landscape Services — to provide site-wide cleanup and beautification. With donations and equipment loans from Meadows Landscape Supply, Pickett’s Nursery, and Avenue Machinery (plus sustenance from the local Tim Hortons, KFC, and Mona’s Pizza) the group also refreshed plantings and hardscapes. BC Magnetic Signs even supplied signage for the day.

Despite it being the busiest time of year, a crew of landscapers volunteered their time and expertise to beautify their local public green spaces.

During last year’s inaugural event, PLANET members completed more than 280 projects in 43 states and provinces, with nearly 2,000 volunteers donating more than $400,000 in time and services; the count is still being tabulated for 2010. For more details, visit www.planetdayofservice.org. BCLNA is pleased to promote the PLANET Day of Service, and is proud of the ongoing partnership enjoyed between CNLA and PLANET, which allows the Landscape Industry Certified program to be internationally recognized.

BCLNA welcomes Lesley Tannen Following a lengthy search and interview process, BCLNA is pleased to announce the hiring of Lesley Tannen, B.Sc Agriculture (UBC), MBA (SFU). Ms Tannen joins the team as BCLNA’s Executive Director, having served most recently as the executive director of the Downtown Surrey Business Im-

provement Association, as well as a consultant and strategic leadership facilitator for COR Management Consulting Inc. Said President Ruth Olde, “We are excited to welcome a new executive director, and confident that the BCLNA will benefit from Lesley’s combination of skills which feel like an ideal fit. Her strengths match our association’s needs well — the hiring committee was particularly impressed with her background in working with elected officials and her strategic planning and implementation ability. These are two skills BCLNA can put

to use immediately with regard to our most pressing initiatives.” “I am looking forward to working with the directors, professional staff and members of BCLNA,” commented Tannen. “It will allow me to combine my education in science and business with my experience... I applaud the association’s goals of increasing professionalism, plant health and pro-actively addressing public concerns, including pesticides. I am also keen to ensure that BCLNA is widely recognized as the leading organization representing the green industry in B.C.”

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Visit http://dealerlocator.deere.com to find a location near you. Discounts available at participating dealers only. Offer subject to availability and may be discontinued or modified at any time. Prices and Product may vary by dealer. Discounts vary by product. Purchaser must be a member of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association and show proof of membership to obtain discount. Attachments and implements sold separately. See dealer for details. John Deere’s yellow and green colour scheme, the leaping deer symbol and JOHN DEERE are trademarks of Deere and Company.

CNLA Newsbrief

May-June 2010

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ASSOCIATION NEWS LO unveils fifth season of VIA Rail garden tour

Now in its fifth year, the VIA Rail Garden Route program, organized by Landscape Ontario, highlights some of Canada’s most magnificent feature gardens along VIA’s Halifax to Vancouver Island network.. “To enable travelers to enjoy the beauty of a variety of gardens in each city they visit, we have added three new feature gardens and garden attractions to the program,” said Tony DiGiovanni, executive director of Landscape Ontario. In 2010, Edmonton’s Muttart Conservatory, Oshawa’s Parkwood Estate and Sainte-Croix’ Domaine Joly-De Lotbinière have been added to the route. From June 12 to September 6, visitors to each participating feature garden along the Garden Route and the 2010 Communities in Bloom destinations can enter a contest for the chance to win a round-trip for two in either business or sleeper class to Ottawa in the spring of 2011 to the Canadian Tulip Festival. For a complete listing of feature gardens, local garden attractions and Communities in Bloom destinations, visit www.viarail.ca/garden.

CNLA has a winner!!!!

Tyler Garrard — CNLA’s co-op student placed first at the Ontario Technological Skills Competition. Tyler trained on his own for the Landscape Gardening competition, since Milton District High School where he attends has no landscaping division. A special thank you those who contibuted their industry expertise and guidance, particularly Stephen Anderson at STIHL, Russ Springer and his team at Legends Landscape Supply, along with both the CNLA and LO staff for their efforts in helping Tyler achieve his victory. Tyler will be spending his summer employed with Tyler proudly displays his Landscape Ontario and gold medal. pursue his landscaping career at Fanshawe College in September 2010. He is enrolled in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program and is passionate about his future as a landscape industry certified professional.

Landscape Ontario joins Ontario Water Conservation Alliance Landscape Ontario has joined a diverse coalition of environmental, industry, labour and community organizations under the name of The Ontario Water Conservation Alliance, in a campaign to encourage the provincial government to include strong conservation and efficiency themes in the proposed Water Opportunities Act. “Most of the Alliance’s goals resonate with the green industry,” says LO’s executive director Tony DiGiovanni. “We have to make sure that in an effort to conserve, everyone is aware that water is life and using it for growing purposes brings huge societal benefit. Our industry also has the tools to assist in the conservation effort...we need to ensure there is a sensitivity for the need to water landscapes.”

The Alliance’s platform is built on three key themes: • Setting meaningful targets and measuring performance. • Requiring conservation plans, establishing efficiency standards and supporting green infrastructure. • Fostering market transformation and a culture of conservation. The revenues of the world’s water-related businesses are expected to nearly double to $1-trillion by 2020 and global water shortages will drive the need for innovations that emphasize efficiency, reuse and source diversification. The Alliance’s complete list of partners and opportunities for public engagement are available at www.conserveourwater.ca.

Social Events for the Summer Season!

Golf tournaments are an excellent networking opportunity with those in the industry, meet and mingle with industry suppliers and a great way to thank your employees for their hard work. Saskatchewan Nursery and Landscape Association‘s tournament is set for July 22, 2010 at Moon Lake Golf and Country Club. Registration includes 18 holes of golf, golf cart, BBQ lunch, dinner, drinks and prizes! Discounts are offered for members who bring a non-member guest or suppliers who bring a customer. For more information contact Rebecca at 1-866-383-4711 or rebecca@canadanursery.com. Landscape Manitoba will be hosting a summer golf tournament on August 3, 2010 at Bridges Golf Course in Starbuck, MB; Manitoba’s finest venue for golf events. The day’s events include a BBQ lunch, 18-holes of golf, a cart, dinner and a $10,000 Hole-in-One prize! For more information and registration visit www.landscapemanitoba.com.

Conservation Halton recognizes environmental champions at Conservation Awards of Excellence

The 28th annual Conservation Awards of Excellence ceremony was held on June 3, 2010, recognizing people and organizations that make outstanding contributions to conservation in the Halton watershed, including Halton, Peel, Hamilton and Puslinch. The Stewardship Award was presented to Nathan Helder of Gelderman Landscaping. The company was hired by a homeowner, who had discovered that their property contained a natural wetland adjacent to the Lake Medad Valley Swamp and Grindstone Creek Watershed. Gelderman Landscaping’s work included: removal of a mulch pile that was within wetland jurisdiction; planting of native shrubs and grass seed, including bulrushes, to encourage Nathan Helder, Gelderman natural erosion control; a rock wall to define the boundary and prevent physical and human damage to wetland; along with two Landscaping with Conservation wood duck nesting boxes to promote wildlife. To raise awareness, Halton Chair Brian Penman. signage will be erected on the property visible to the public, to celebrate the partnership between Conservation Halton and Gelderman Landscaping. More recently, Nathan Helder also received the “green award” from the Flamborough Chamber of Commerce.

CNLA Newsbrief

May-June 2010

landscape industry

certified

Changes to Recertification

Following the launch of the new recertification program late last year, we have received a lot of good feedback on the changes. Those comments addressed several areas that were overlooked in the original development of the new criteria. Following consultation with the certification councils and various certification standards organizations, some changes and additions have been made that are effective immediately: • The college/university credit has been increased to 15 CEU’s per credit hour. This is for credit course work towards a diploma or degree. A 16-week semester course would generally qualify for three credit hours or the equivalent of 45 CEU’s. Continuing education programs will continue to be covered in a separate category. • All education and service credits now qualify if they are related: a) to your certification or b) to your current position. i.e. a course in customer service would now qualify towards Turf Maintenance Technician. • The addition of teaching/presenting credits is broken down into two categories. The first credit under education is for creating or developing courses or seminars and is awarded one CEU per hour of preparation. The second CEU per hour is awarded in the service category for presenting. This is the actual in-class time. The same seminar can only be counted once per recertification cycle. An additional form will be required to account for teaching credits. • Self-study and/or research has also been recognized as a valid form of continuing education. To account for this, credits are now allowed for writing and reading industry related articles. Those who write articles for trade or consumer publications will be able to claim one CEU per article, while those who publish books qualify for 10 CEUs per book. Self-directed learning is now counted at one hour per CEU and must be recorded using the book reporting form available online. • Emeritus Status has also been added to ensure retired individuals retain their certification status as a thank you for their years of service and to help inspire future generations. Landscape Industry Certified individuals may request

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Certification Corner emeritus status if they are age 60 or over, are retiring from the green industry and have maintained certification for at least six years prior to retirement. Certificants who intend to continue work in the green industry (perhaps as a consultant or lecturer) are not considered retired and are not eligible for emeritus status. Details on the process can be found on the new recertification form. An updated recertification form is available online at www.landscapeindustrycertified.org or by calling the CNLA office. Most certified people have already begun earning credits towards their next recertification deadline in two years. Please be sure to ask in advance if you have any questions whether a certain activity qualifies.

Certification Testing is Growing

The start of the 2010 Landscape Industry Certification testing has seen some dramatic growth. Test sites in Alberta and Nova Scotia approached record numbers with test candidates. Final numbers of those testing for certification are still being compiled, but the current results show the trend for more and more people getting certified. In addition, the inaugural Technician practical exam was held in Newfoundland in early May, and several other new test sites are in the works, including Montreal and Windsor. ‘Certification continues to grow’. For a full list of upcoming exam sites in 2010 please see the back cover of the Newsbrief or visit www.landscapeindustrycertified.org.

New Marketing Materials

Certified individuals should be receiving their new certificate, lapel pin and confirmation of their recertification very shortly. With the launch of new brand, all materials are being freshly developed and the success of this branding initiative will rely on certified individuals and their companies to help market the program and its value.

materials being left unused. Crests can be sewn on or we can send you the embroidery file to have your local clothing company add it to your shirts and jackets. The decal can be put anywhere, from the front door to checkout counters at your retail location. The bumper stickers and window clings are great ways to show off your certification on your corporate fleet of vehicles. There are also digital logo packages available at no cost for all your custom work from websites, ads and business cards. With almost 1500 certified people across Canada, Landscape Industry Certified will be on the lips and minds of customers. Think of the possibilities of tens of thousands of impressions a day across the country. Even with a budget of millions, we could not have the same impact as co-branding with you and your company to promote professionalism through certification. The new order form will be included with your certificate and lapel pins or is available online at www.landscapeindustrycertified.org.

Recently Certified Oliver Baarz, CLT Daryl Beck, CLD Lee Benson, CLD Mark Coleman, CLT Jason Collins, CLT April Cotroneo-Young, CLD Frank Galdon, CLT Tyler Grant, CLT John Hewson, CLP Aaron Lauritsen, CLT Darcy McLachlan, CLT Paul Poirier, CLP Rachel Quinn, CLT Chris Rawlinson, CLT Sheri Reynard, CLP Lisa Robinson, CLD Jeffrey Rowan, CLP John Stewart, CLP Aaron Tencer, CLT Brent Tripp, CLP

A variety of materials are now available for order at a cost, including crests, decals, window clings, and bumper stickers. In the past, everyone automatically received the materials, with the option to order more at a small markup as needed. In a change of philosophy, we want to encourage you to order what works best for you and avoid

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*as of June 2010

CNLA Newsbrief

May-June 2010

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Growers Corner/Coin de producteurs By rita weerdenburg

Growers Beware! Trucks are being unloaded at the border It has been brought to the attention of the CNLA that occasionally trucks loaded with nursery stock, destined for the US are being unloaded for additional inspections. These additional inspections, which are ordered by the US Customs and Border Protection, appear to be random in nature, and nursery stock or floriculture product is not being specifically targeted. In all instances, all paperwork requirements, including phytosanitary certificates, etc. have been acknowledged to be completely in order. Most of this activity is taking place in BC at the Oroville and Sumas border crossings, although we have received anecdotal information that this practice has occurred at certain Ontario border points as well. The reason cited for the complete de-vanning of trailers relates to the health and safety requirements of the inspectors, as they are not otherwise able to complete full inspections in a safe manner. The reloading of trucks is at the full responsibility and cost of the nursery and/or greenhouse. Although these extra inspections are not related to the actions of CFIA or USDA-APHIS, the staff of CFIA and AAFC have been extremely helpful in assisting CNLA to determine the cause of these actions. Further, we have had the opportunity to make the agricultural post at the Canadian Embassy in Washington aware of this situation. If your company is targeted for extra inspection, you are requested to collect and submit to CNLA as much information as possible on the incident. Further actions are not possible without detailed and documented information. Contact: rita@canadanursery.com 1-888-446-3499, ext. 8686.

Attention producteurs! Les douaniers déchargent vos camions à la frontière L’ACPP a appris qu’occasionnellement, les camions de produits de pépinière destinés aux É.-U. sont déchargés et inspectés de nouveau. Ces inspections supplémentaires, faites à la demande des douanes américaines (US Customs et Border Protection) semblent être faites au hasard et les produits de pépinière ou de floriculture ne sont pas particulièrement visés. A chacune des ces occasions, il a été confirmé que tous les documents exigés, incluant les certificats phytosanitaires étaient en bonne et due forme. La plupart de ces activités ont eu lieu en C.-B. aux postes frontières d’Oroville et Sumas et nous ayons reçu de l’information que ceci avait aussi lieu à certains postes frontières en Ontario. On indique que le déchargement des remorques est nécessaire pour assurer la santé et la sécurité des inspecteurs qui ne pourraient compléter leur inspection autrement. Les pépinières et les serres sont responsables du rechargement des remorques et des frais encourus. Bien que cette situation n’ait rien à voir avec les actions d’ACIA ou d’USDA-APHIS, le personnel de l’ACIA et d’AAC ont fait tout leur possible pour aider l’ACPP à déterminer les causes de ces incidences. De plus, ils ont eu l’occasion d’aviser l’attaché agricole de l’ambassade canadienne à Washington de la situation actuelle. Si votre compagnie est sujette à une inspection supplémentaire, nous vous demandons de collecter et soumettre le plus d’information possible à propos de ces incidents à l’ACPP. Il est difficile d’adresser cette situation sans avoir de l’information documentée et précise. Contact: rita@canadanursery.com 1-888-446-3499, local 8686.

Nisco National Leasing

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Laura Catalano is available 13-3245 Harvester Rd., Burlington, ON L7N 3T7 to find the right equipment Ph: 905-634-9559 Fax: 905-634-8219 lcatalano@niscocanada.com for your job e-mail: — just call Laura Catalano An associate member of Landscape Ontario is available to find 1-888-634-9559 • New/used vehicles, any make/model of truck the right equipment (throughout Ontario) for your job — just call including cab and chassis 1-888-634-9559 • Equipment used by landscape industry Endorsed supplier (throughout Ontario) • Terms as flexible as necessary 13-3245 Harvester Rd., Burlington, ON L7N 3T7

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CNLA Newsbrief

May-June 2010

sponsored by:

Garden Centres Corner Invitation to National Plastic Recycling Week

Don't miss out! Visit garden centres in Japan this Fall! Join over 170 garden centre industry members from 15 countries at this years International Garden Centre Congress on October 10th-15th, 2010. Twenty six Canadian delegates have already signed up for this incredible learning opportunity to gain new ideas and inspiration for their garden centres, share information, network with some of the best garden centre operators around the world, and experience a culture like no other. A study tour is also available at a special rate for individuals under 40 years of age. There is still time to register, but space on the tour is running out — visit www.igcacongress2010.com for more information and to register today!

June 28- July 5, 2010 Garden Centres Canada’s members will be hosting ‘National Plastic Recycling Week’, and encourages all provincial associations June 28-July 5, 2010. The event will be promoted to all members, as well as the general public, demonstarting the associations’ environmental leadership. Provincial associations and ic members garden centre your plastg pots, eninto collect are invited rd ic a st g la p your trays g pots, tags and horticultural plastics, such d gardenin trays Ontario an ndscape La ry rse d dian Nu as trays, and tags at n tags an tario and the Cana pots tio Associa On Landscape g National Landscape n Nursery hin k. are launc cling Weelocations, dia participating n the Cana cy tio Associa Plastic Re Landscape g National hin astic pots, to be Brrecycled. are launc cling Week. ing your pl d traVolunys to cy Plastic Re tags an rio ape Onta pots, sc tic nd teers will be needed to as La pl , from ng Bring your and trays to cli cy for re 2010. tags 5, rio ly ta Ju to e On help at the recycling June 28 Landscap , from ng for recycli ly 5, 2010. io Ju e Ontar event to collect and Landscap June 28 to at is located S., Fifth Line 56 78 io tar sort the plastic items. On io e tar Landscap Milton, On at is located Line S., 7856 Fifth tario Milton, On

tion For informa ng ycli on the rec tact con program noff at Iva e . 2366, Lorrain ario.com -5656, ext 1-800-265 aine@landscapeont or email lorr

The CNLA, partnering with our provincial associations, is providing an environmentally responsible method of disposing the post-consumer plastic waste. BCLNA’s recycling leader is Renata Triveri, working with Westcoast Plastic Recyling, while LO’s leader for this project is Lorraine Ivanoff, working with R&R Plastic Recycling. the and LO have already committed to participating and now we are hoping that the other provincial associations will join us to make this a truly national event. tion For informa ng ycli on the rec tact con program noff at Iva e . 2366, Lorrain ario.com -5656, ext 1-800-265 aine@landscapeont or email lorr

This event results in the diversion of hundreds of metric pounds of previously non-recycled plastics from landfills, to be manufactured into Canadian-made recycable products such as blue boxes, and demonstrates our sector’s commitment to being the ‘green’ industry and lessening our carbon footprint. If you are interested in participating, please contact Agnes Zawartka at agnes@canadanursery.com or call 1-866-446-3499.

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Contact JVK today to plan your progress towards a more sustainable Garden Center and marketing message for 2011. Coming Soon: Expanded line-up of biodegradeable pots including biodegradable packs Expanded plastic recycling services — where available Unique planters within a wide range of recycled paper-based products Sustainable retail media options for consumers Marketing tools to get out the message — You’re a Green Garden Center .

CNLA Newsbrief

May-June 2010

sponsored by:

Landscapers Corner Youth Champions in Landscaping Skills/Compétences Canada is a national organization that promotes skilled trades and technology careers to youth by engaging them in experiential learning opportunities and competitions, testing their skills and competences in the trades. As a National Secretariat Partner of Skills/ Compétences Canada, CNLA was invited to showcase a “Landscape Gardening Competition” at the Ottawa Home and Garden Show from March 25 to 28 at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, Ontario. A team of four students from Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, Mark Adema, Matthew Meade,  Brad Devries and  Michelle Dore, lead by Ken Nentwig, CLD, CLP and Fanshawe College Instructors Ron Koudys and Darcy DeCaluwe, built a complete garden with both hard

Live landscaping demonstration at the Ottawa Home and Garden Show.

and softscape aspects, over the course of the four day show. Volunteers from Fanshawe and Skills/Compétences Canada promoted the landscape trade to over 30,000 visitors who stopped to watch the design evolve into reality. “The show was a wonderful opportunity to showcase our industry and encourage people to consider careers in landscaping,” said Ron Koudys, CLD, Professor and Coordinator of the Landscape Design Program at Fanshawe College. These types of projects add an excellent dimension to the student’s academic experience.” Nancy Carrier, Show Manager, said “Great partners is what made the difference”: Landscape Ontario (Tony DiGiovanni, CLT; Denis Flanagan, CLD; Sally Harvey, CLT, CLP and Beth Edney CLD); Canada Blooms (Charlie Dobbin, for the plants used from Canada Blooms); the team from Garden

Creations of Ottawa Ltd, who did an amazing job of sourcing materials, transporting plants from Canada Blooms and tear down; Tim Kearney, CLP; Ryan Kearney, CLT; Grace Poljanec, Tim O’Brien and Ryan Kelly; Permacon and Artistic Landscape Design. “It was a pleasure to work with the students, and the many industry, Skills and show personnel who assisted in this remarkable and worthwhile project,” said Ken Nentwig, CLD, CLP. “The students did an excellent job, worked extremely well as a team, and we had great comments on the display. More opportunities to showcase the dedication of the Landscape Gardening student competitors across the country would be beneficial to the landscape industry.”

Ontario Technological Skills Competition (OTSC)

On May 17-18, 2010, at RIM Park in Waterloo, ON, 15 high school teams competed in the OTSC Landscape Gardening Competition, with the landscape project designed by Beth Edney, CLD. This event hosted 1800 competitors, 30,000+ spectators and 60+ skilled trade contest areas for elementary, secondary and post secondary students (with the exception of the Ontario Provincial post-secondary Landscape Gardening event which is held at Canada Blooms each year). Congratulations to the three champion teams: Gold - Halton District School Board’s Tyler Garrard and Joseph Isaak (Tyler was a co-op student with the CNLA and is now completing his co-op term with Landscape Ontario); Silver - Halton Catholic District School Board’s Jake Daoust and Kyle Mifsud; Bronze - Waterloo Region District School Board’s Benjamin Warner and Ray Knechtel. Thank you Landscape Gardening Sponsors: Skills Ontario, Connon Nurseries NVK, Battlefield CAT Equipment Rental, Stihl, Permacon, Greenhorizon Group of Farms Ltd (sod), Steed Evans, Valleybrook Gardens/Heritage Perennials, Dirt Cheap (mulch), Martek Corporation Landscape and Construction Products, E&E Seegmiller, and Landscape Ontario. Thanks as well to the judges: Sally Harvey CLT, CLP; Rachel Burt; Darcy DeCaluwe, and Chris Huebert who had a challenging task with such a close finish among the top ranking teams! Presently there is no national competition for the high school Landscape Garden-

By Liz Klose BSc. Agr, CLP

ing competition. If you are interested in helping your province advance Landscape Gardening to a national secondary school level, contact your provincial Skills Canada office at www.skillscanada.com/index. php?option=com_content&task=view&id =42&Itemid=66.

National Skills Competition

The Canadian Skills Competition (CSC) was also held at RIM Park in Waterloo from May 20-23, 2010. Started in 1994, the CSC remains the only multi-trade and technology competition event of its kind; bringing together approximately 500 young Canadians to compete in over 40 trade and technology areas. The competition provides an opportunity for those studying a skilled trade or technology to be tested against exacting standards. Students vie to be crowned the best in their chosen discipline. Five teams of two, post-secondary students, travelled from Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Ontario to test their knowledge and practical skills in interpreting, building and installing a landscape design by Ken Nentwig, CLD, CLP, for this competition. Their challenge: to build a garden to specification, in 12 hours. Congratulations to the top three teams who did an exemplary job: Gold - Derek Schmidt and Darren Alford, Winnipeg MB; Silver - Dominic Fortin, Québec City QC and Simon Laflamme, St-Augunstin QC; and Bronze - Christopher Mammel, Airdrie AB and Gary Augustine, Calgary AB. Thank you to our judges Dave Wright, CLP, Rob Tester and Hank Gelderman, CLT, who evaluated the students technical skills during the construction and installation of hardscape and softscape elements according to the design. A great thanks to the Landscape Gardening Sponsors: Skills/Compétences Canada, Skills Ontario, Connon Nurseries NVK, Battlefield CAT Equipment Rental, Stihl, Permacon, Greenhorizon Group of Farms Ltd (sod), Steed Evans, Valleybrook Gardens/Heritage Perennials, Dirt Cheap (mulch), Martek Corporation Landscape and Construction Products, Milwaukee Tools, E and E Seegmiller Ltd, Landscape Ontario and Canadian Nursery Landscape Association. Thanks as well to the NTC team of champions responsible for ensuring everything was to spec for the competition: Sally Harvey, CLT, CLP; Ken Nentwig CLD, CLP, Ontario; Dave Moroz, Pacific Region;

CNLA Newsbrief

May-June 2010

sponsored by:

Gord Bone, Western Region; Jean Loiselle, Québec; and Doug Conrad, Atlantic Region. CNLA also hosted “Try a Trade” at the National Skills Event — a “plant by number” with Heritage Perennials Jeepers Creepers line of plants, and was invited to help present the awards along with Mike Holmes, of Holmes on Homes fame, for the gold, silver and bronze winners in the Construction Category, which included Landscape Gardening. Due to age limitations at the World Skills in the UK in the fall of 2011, the team from Quebec will represent Canada, however Manitoba’s team remains national champions.

Luke Serbina competed in Woody Plant Identification and also landed a top 10th place in Exterior Landscape Design. A great finish when most of the events had over 50 competitors. The Niagara Parks School of Horticulture is the only three-year landscape horticulture academic and practical program of its kind. It was the first, and remains the only, Canadian college to receive the equivalency of a four-year Bachelor Degree status by PLANET. For more information on the Student Career Days, visit www.landcarenetwork.org/cms/studentcareerdays. html and for the School of Horticulture, visit www.schoolofhorticulture.com

Canadian College first to compete at PLANET

CNLA 4-H ‘Green for Life’ Proposal gets approval

The 34th Annual Student Career Days (SCD) was held at Chattahoochee Technical College, North Metro Campus, Atlanta, Georgia from April 8-11, 2010. Hosted by The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), it is a four-day competitive event for students enrolled in college or university landscape horticulture programs. The SCD also hosted a Career Fair, which gave students the opportunity to meet prospective employers in the industry. A total of 883 students from 68 colleges participated in 28 individual and team competitions directly related to the skills necessary for a career in the green industry. This year the event was international with a team from the Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, and one from Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, England. “We were very proud to represent the Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture and Canada,” said Darrell Bley. “This was an excepNiagara Parks School of Horticulture tional experience student competitors Luke Serbina for students and and Jackie Van Der Heyden and faculty. One has Instructor, Darrell Bley to experience the efforts, teamwork, organization, generosity and the commitment of the participants, to really appreciate the hard work and hours of dedication that go into this event. As the new kids on the block, we were received with open arms and were coached along the way by other teams and faculty.” Second year student, Jackie Van Der Heyden competed in Sales Presentation and Perennial Identification and ranked in the top ten in Leadership Skills. Third year student

The CNLA 4-H Green for Life proposal has the green light to go ahead! Aligned with 4-H strategies and their motto, “Learn to do by doing®”, the new program involves developing a cluster of four landscape horticulture educational modules. Here’s a brief overview: 1. Container Design - “Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers” will have participants “urning” to express their creativity and enable application of skills acquired by creating decorative urns and containers of their own. It is an innovative “how to” for every season: spring, summer, fall and winter (exterior and interior); lends itself to tour local greenhouses and nurseries (with potential sponsorship of materials); teaches skills to be used later in life and lends to a potential for a club fund raising activity (eg. pots of flowering bulbs to beautify the indoors during winter) 2. Tree Rodeo: whose goal is to learn 25 trees of Canada and “round up” leaf and twig samples (flowers, keys, and cones, where applicable). This module goes beyond the primary school leaf collection to learn how to key out, press, mount and label the samples. These exhibits can then be donated to a youth horticultural community club, library or school, promoting the fun educational projects of the local 4-H club. 3. “What’s Bugging You?” The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: The learning outcome is to learn to identify, collect, mount and label 20 “bad bugs” in the garden and to identify, but not collect five “good bugs”. This is a great means of getting “up close and personal” with the plants and nature that surround students in their own back yard or local park. A fun group activity!

4. Cutting Edge Turf Tips: Safety is first and foremost in this module, including safe equipment operation, maintenance, job procedures and training manual provided. Many youth engage in part-time jobs cutting lawns, learning proper safety skills is a must. With additional training and practice, this module introduces Landscape Industry Certification as a future goal. Jim Landry, executive director for Landscape New Brunswick says, “I am really looking forward to working with the 4-H program in some capacity. It’s always exciting to watch synergies develop and I think that the CNLA is doing a great thing by moving this forward. It fits in well with our objective of getting young people to consider a career in Landscape Horticulture – and that is great!”. Walt Pinder, Project Manager, Specimen Trees Wholesale Nurseries, emailed these comments, “As a BC 4-H alumni and a past adult club leader, encouraging and supporting 4-H is very dear to my heart. I see huge value to today’s youth in 4-H. This program will encourage youth on the road to life success. I am looking forward to being involved with this exciting project.” 4-H h   as been helping to develop wellrounded, responsible and independent rural and urban youth, since 1913, engaging them in technical and life-skill development to inspire them to become contributing leaders in their communities. The 4-H pledge defines the four ‘H’s” in the four leaf clover symbol: “I pledge my Head to clearer thinking, my Heart to greater loyalty, my Hands to larger service and my Health to better living, for my club, my community, my country and my world”. The 4-H continues to strive to help the 35,000 members and 10,000 leaders across Canada, while worldwide, there are over seven million members in 80 countries that belong to the 4-H program. For more information, visit www.4-h-canada.ca.

Klosing Comments

Submissions for the provincial association landscape awards programs will soon be required, with winning landscapes advancing to the national level, so choose your projects and take pictures NOW! If you have volunteered in a Skills event, tell us about it so that we can increase the awareness of Skills Canada and Landscape Gardening with youth. If you were a 4-H youth member or club leader, this is your chance to become involved again! Email me at liz@ canadanursery.com to get involved in the “Green for Life 4-H Team”.

CNLA Newsbrief

May-June 2010

sponsored by:

Certification testing British Columbia July 16-17, 2010 CHT, CLD, CLP Langley, BC October 22-23, 2009 CHT, CLD, CLP Langley, BC

Ontario July 8-9, 2010 CHT, CLD, CLP Milton, ON September 16-17, 2010 CHT, CLD, CLP Ottawa, ON

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September 29-30, 2010: CANWEST Hort Show, Vancouver, BC: Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building: www.canwesthortshow.com October 19-20, 2010: EXPO 2010, Toronto, ON: Toronto Congress Centre. www.loexpo.ca November 22-24, 2010: HORTEAST 2010, Halifax, NS: Cunard Centre www.horteast.ns.ca

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