CNLA Newsbrief Magazine Spring 2023

$250K FUNDING FOR GREEN CITIES

NATIONAL LANDSCAPE DESIGNER COMMITTEE

EUROPEAN LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION

HEADS TO CANADA’S WEST

CANADIAN NURSERY

WINS 2023 AIPH GROWER OF THE YEAR

LOOKING AHEAD AT THE ROLE OF COPF

NEW CNLA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NEW PROGRAM LAUNCH!

EXECUTIVE BOARD

President Bill Hardy, CLHM - BC

Past President Anthony O’Neill - NL

Vice President, Anita Heuver - AB Communications Committee Chair

Second Vice President Alan White - ON Climate Change Adaptation Chair

Treasurer, Professional Jeff Foley, CLHT, CLHM - BC Development &, Human Resources Chair

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BCLNA Heike Stippler, CLD - BC

Landscape Alberta Jeff Oudyk - AB

Landscape Saskatchewan Leslie Cornell - SK

MBNLA Guy Dowhy, RSE, CLHT, CLHM - MB

Landscape Dave Wright, CLD, Ontario CLHM- ON

Landscape Nova Scotia David Thompson - NS

Garden Centres Robin Godfrey - NS Canada Chair

Landscape NB/PEI, Kevin Nauss, CLHM - NB

GREENIUS IS THE LEADER FOR EDUCATIONAL TRAINING VIDEOS FOR landscape professionals in North America and is now offering all Canadian Nursery Landscape Association members across Canada two months of free access to their software. This offer includes unlimited free users, unlimited courses and free Greenius Software implementation ($697 in savings). Greenius offers hundreds of courses in both English and Spanish, with new videos added every year. Greenius provides courses on a variety of topics important to the green industry, including but not limited to maintenance, construction, snow, safety, equipment, supervisor training and more.

Many companies in the industry continue to be challenged by skilled labour shortages. The Greenius platform provides training and tools to help develop the skills of new team members, and to help retain employees and foster team member growth within their organizations. London, Ontario-based Greenius is an industry leader with a proven track record of delivering exceptional employee development tools for landscape professionals.

To get started, please access to the membership portal at www.cnla.ca/login

If you require a login, or more information on member programs like this, please contact the Member Services Team at memberservices@cnla-acpp.ca

For circulation or content please contact communications@cnla-acpp.ca

Member Services Chair, Insurance Chair

Landscape NL Peggy Head - NL

Landscape Canada Peter Guinane - ON Committee Chair

Research Chair Vic Krahn, CLHT - SK

Government Relations Christene LeVatte - NS Chair

Growers Canada Chair Jeff Olsen - ON STAFF

Executive Director Victor Santacruz, CLHM, CAE, victor@cnla-acpp.ca

Deputy Executive Rebecca Doutre, CLHM, CAE, Director rebecca@cnla-acpp.ca

Finance & Cheryl Gall, CAE

Administration Manager cheryl@cnla-acpp.ca

Growers Sector Jamie Aalbers Specialist jamie@cnla-acpp.ca

Communities in Bloom Sonia Parrino Program Specialist bloom@cib-cef.com

Landscape & Anne Kadwell, CLHT

Retail Sector Specialist anne@cnla-acpp.ca

Industry & Government Leslie Sison, CAE Relations Specialist leslie@cnla-acpp.ca

Communications Dave Mazur Specialist dave@cnla-acpp.ca

Communications Lauryn Mullan

Coordinator lauryn@cnla-acpp.ca

Media Stuart Service Coordinator stuart@cnla-acpp.ca

Member Services Teagan Schroeder Specialist teagan@cnla-acpp.ca

Member Services Cathy Lam cathy@cnla-acpp.ca

Member Services Nicole Xavier Coordinator nicole@cnla-acpp

Certification Edith Oyosoro Coordinator edith@cnla-acpp.ca

Environmental Policy Frydda Sandoval Coordinator frydda@cnla-acpp.ca

Minor Use/IPM Peter Isaacson B.Sc. MPM Coordinator peter@cnla-acpp.ca

NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE CNLA

BY STUART SERVICE

POSITIONS ON THE CNLA EXECUTIVE BOARD changed at the association’s Annual General Meeting on February 7, with Board of Directors meetings taking place February 7-9 in Victoria, BC.

Acclaimed to the position of CNLA president is Bill Hardy, owner of Grow & Gather (Trice Farms Ltd.) in Maple Ridge, BC. Bill is a Landscape Industry Certified Manager with more than forty years experience in retail and management environments.

Acclaimed to the position of 1st Vice President is Antia Heuver, an owner and the manager of Eagle Lake Nurseries Ltd. in Strathmore, AB, where she has worked for more than 25 years. Anita studied horticulture at the University of Guelph, where she graduated with her Associate Diploma in Horticulture, and she is also a Certified Landscape Horticulture Apprentice. Anita is now Chair of the Communications Committee.

Acclaimed to the position of 2nd Vice President is Alan White, owner of Turf Systems Inc. in Burlington, ON, who is a strong advocate for connecting plants and people for a cleaner, healthier urban climate. Alan continues in his roles as Chair of the Green Cities Foundation and as Chair of the Climate Change Adaptation Committee.

Acclaimed to the position of Treasurer is Jeff Foley, owner and operator of Para Space Landscaping Inc. in Vancouver, BC. Jeff is a Certified Landscape Manager, Certified Landscape Technician, Certified Arborist and Red Seal Landscape Horticulturist. Jeff is passionate about the industry and volunteers provincially, nationally and internationally. He is Chair of the Professional Development & Human Resources Committee.

Anthony O’Neill has now moved to the role of Past President and will Chair the Governance Committee. Anthony brings an extensive knowledge of the CNLA board operations to this new role. We would like to thank Phil Paxton for his 17 years of service, from 2006-2023, on the CNLA Board of Directors, as his term of Past President was completed. Phil will remain engaged as the Chair of the Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance (COHA).

Bill Hardy President

Anita Heuver Vice President

Alan White 2nd Vice President

Jeff Foley Treasurer

Anthony O’Neill Past President

A Past Presidents Committee was formed at the Board of Directors meeting. This new committee will be advisory in nature and aims to provide updates to past CNLA presidents, keeping them informed of the association’s activities and direction. We would also like to thank Michael Kato for his 14 years of service as a Director, from 2009-2023, as he leaves the CNLA board as the BC Representative. We would like to give a warm welcome to Heike Stippler, who is succeeding to the BC Representative position.

WHISTLER LANDSCAPE PRO HEIKE STIPPLER JOINS CNLA BOARD AS BC REP

The CNLA Board of Directors welcomed its newest member, Heike Stippler, at its February meeting in Victoria, B.C. Heike is a Red Seal certified Landscape Horticulturist with a degree in Architecture from Germany. After immigrating to Canada, originally for ski instructing, she has been working successfully in Whistler since 1999, producing various projects of all sizes and several award-winning landscapes.

When she started Heike Designs Inc. in 2005, she became a member of the British Columbia Landscape & Nursery Assocation (BCLNA) as soon as possible, recognizing its benefits right away. “Being aware that there is an association, membership was not even a question,” Heike said. “Back when I started a one-person company, you really can’t achieve and reach much by yourself. You also get a very important exchange of ideas. All of a sudden, finding that there is a group of people that think alike was, for me, extremely empowering and really helpful in feeling that ‘Yes, I can do this.’”

The business has now grown to combine design/ consulting, installation and maintenance services to cover all aspects of Landscaping, and Heike focuses on environmentally conscious projects that fit each individual location. Passion for Horticulture and the environment go hand in hand for her, and she uses green practices and creates awareness by educating clients and contractors to do the same.

Heike uses and promotes the Canadian Landscape Standard (CLS) and has been part of developing various resources for the Red Seal Landscape Horticulturist training program on the national and provincial levels. She added that the CLS is “a very important piece to make sure that we do

things right and we present ourselves properly to clients. “It’s something I can show clients why and how things should be like,” Heike continued.

As B.C. Representative at the CNLA Board and Past Chair of the BCNLA Board, she is involved in various aspects of the horticulture industry. Heike is a director with HortEducationBC and past director with the Invasive Species Council of BC. She is a horticulture advisor with the Sea to Sky Invasive Species Council and Heike Designs Inc. is ‘invasive-free’ certified.

An issue close to home for Heike is the same Human Resources predicament many businesses are facing. “Everybody needs labour,” she said. “We need the right people. Once the season gets rolling it’s usually 24/7, and it’s tough for me to get away. Being such a small company and having the challenge of finding labour that sticks around longer, I have to be involved quite a bit,” Heike said. She noted that being a business owner in a resort town like Whistler, where permanent residents are particularly rare, creates amplified employee retention challenges. This means Heike will need to fill in for any labour gaps and that she expects as busy a summer as ever in 2023.

GROWERS

Jamie Aalbers, Growers Sector Specialist jamie@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

GARDEN CENTRES

Anne Kadwell, Landscape & Retail Sector Specialist anne@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

“But we’ll see how it goes,” she said. “I’ve seen in the past it usually is a great exchange. I do gain from being involved (in the CNLA), but we’ll have to see how we can juggle and manage the time involved in it,” Heike continued. “I believe I can bring the smaller business perspective to the table and help represent a lot of our members’ interests.”

CLIMATE CHANGE

Frydda Sandoval, Environmental Policy Coordinator frydda@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

GOVERNMENT

Leslie Sison, Industry & Government Specialist leslie@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

CERTIFICATION

Edith

Oyosoro, Certification Coordinator edith@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

At her first meeting in her new role at the CNLA Heike was an active participant in discussions covering a range of topics. Going forward, she is eager to continue exchanging ideas with representatives across the country. “I’m excited about getting involved in some items that are close to my heart,” she said. “I’m always interested in the education side of things. Certification, education and communication are the things I think are really important.”

Stuart Service, Media Coordinator stuart@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

GREEN CITIES FOUNDATION

MILTON MP CELEBRATES $250,000 FOR FLAGSHIP HAMILTON PROJECT

ADAM VAN KOEVERDEN, Member of Parliament for Milton, joined representatives from the Green Cities Foundation to celebrate $250,000 in funding from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund at the Green Cities Foundation office.

The Green Cities Foundation, an organization whose mission is to connect plants and people to grow a greener, healthier urban climate, has been a partner in the St Matthew’s House revitalization project since 2019. With the additional financial support from FedDev Ontario, plus sponsorship from RBC Insurance and help from Landscape Ontario members, Green Cities Foundation has been able to improve the children’s playground with new

From left: Brent Bentham, Rebecca Doutre, Adam van Koeverden, Peter Guinane, Alan White and Frydda Sandoval

shade sails, walkways, fencing, trees and shrubs, garden beds and seating areas. A green community gathering space will also be constructed to support older adults facing isolation and children attending a childcare program in the Barton Village area. The Green Cities Foundation project at St. Matthews House is among the 31 tourism and community projects across the Greater Golden Horseshoe that received $7.5 million in funding from FedDev Ontario in January 2023.

“This investment for Green Cities Foundation will support the creation of a green community gathering space with a new children’s playground, outdoor walkways, gardens and seating areas for everyone to enjoy,” said the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and Member of Parliament for Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas. “Together, our government is making smart investments that put people first.”

“The Government of Canada is committed to investing in community infrastructure that promotes social inclusion and drives resilient local economic growth through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund,” said Adam van Koeverden, Member of Parliament for Milton, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Sport. “This renovation will improve the local area by creating an engaging play space to encourage outdoor physical activity. Thank you to the Green Cities Foundation for continuously finding innovative ways to create a vibrant community space for both children and families to enjoy.”

“St Matthew’s House was fortunate enough to be selected by Green Cities Foundation to be the flagship project,” said Brent Bentham, Chair of St. Matthew’s House Capital Committee. “The work that has been done has been transformative. Not just to our organization, but to the larger community.”

This investment for Green Cities Foundation will support the creation of a green community

ABOUT FEDDEV ONTARIO

For 13 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating

bers of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association have already shown what is possible with our profession and what we can do to give back to the community. It’s very exciting and inspiring.”

ABOUT GREEN CITIES FOUNDATION

The Green Cities Foundation is a charitable organization whose mission is to connect plants and people for a greener, healthier urban climate. Established in 2018, the Green Cities Foundation is committed to protecting the environment, renewing failed green spaces and increasing the amount of public green space in Canadian cities.

innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our pivotal projects, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

Contacts: Rebecca Doutre, CAE Executive Director gcfdirector@gcfoundation.ca

Edward Hutchinson Press Secretary, Office of the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario edward.hutchinson@feddevontario.gc.ca

EMPLOYERS TO BENEFIT FROM FOREIGN WORKER FAMILY WORK PERMITS

BY LESLIE SISON

THE HONOURABLE SEAN FRASER, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, announced on December 2, 2022, that Canada is extending work permits to family members of temporary foreign workers. Before this announcement, spouses were only eligible for a work permit if the principal

applicant worked in a high-skill occupation. By expanding the eligibility for work permits to family members accompanying the principal applicant to Canada, the government hopes to help address labour shortages by assisting employers in finding the workers they need.

Starting in January 2023, a temporary 2-year window will be available where Canada will expand eligibility to work in Canada to spouses and working-age children

through a phased approach for workers at all skill levels. This would include families of workers in health care, trades and hospitality.

The temporary measure will be implemented in 3 phases to ensure its successful implementation:

Phase 1 will enable family members of workers coming to Canada through the high-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or the International Mobility Program to apply for an open work permit.

Phase 2 aims to expand the measure to the family members of workers from the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, following consultations. Phase 3 will include consultation with agricultural partners and stakeholders to assess the operational feasibility of expanding the measure to family members of agricultural workers.

As many of our members would be interested in Phase 2 of this program, CNLA will continue to monitor information as it is released to share with all members.

A REMINDER OF THE LMIA ADVERTISING REQUIREMENTS SAWP

Effective January 12, 2022, and until June 30, 2023, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) will suspend minimum advertising requirements for employers applying for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to hire temporary foreign workers in primary agriculture.

Employers are expected to continue efforts to recruit Canadians and permanent residents. However, employers will not be required to meet TFWP

minimum advertising requirements or submit proof with their LMIA application. As of June 2020, some occupations are being prioritized including:

82030 - Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors

85101 - Harvesting labourers

85103 - Nursery and Greenhouse labourers

It is important to note that any Refusal to Process supersedes prioritisation.

You will also notice all references to National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes replace the new 2021 NOC standard which is a new tiered 5-digit NOC code. If you are wondering what your new NOC is, use this Government of Canada tool to find your NOC 2021 code and TEER category today, according to your job title.

UNDERSTANDING THE NEW NOC CODES

The NOC is the national reference for occupations in Canada. This systematic classification structure categorizes the entire range of occupations in Canada for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating occupational data for labour market information and employmentrelated program administration. A request to revise a NOC code can be made at any time but the government of Canada typically does a full audit and revision about every ten years. NOC structural revisions are planned every 10

years and content was updated every 5 years to respond to labour market changes. This most recent publication of the NOC 2021 represents a major structural revision of classification based on its 10-year revision cycle. NOCs are important for Employment Profiles, Unemployment requests and Applications for the TFWP/SAWP amongst other requirements.

We live in a time when changes in technology and education and where new occupations are developed to support these changes happen rapidly. With the onset of COVID and the unprecedented demand for EI and businesses being forced to close, this highlighted that many occupations were not correctly classified, which caused delays for individuals in receiving government support.

The new NOC 2021 includes structural changes such as the addition, aggregation or merging, and splitting of unit groups as well as the reorganization of certain groups across broad occupational categories and Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) categories. The new NOC 2021 also:

l Overhauls the current fourcategory NOC “Skill level” structure by introducing a new six-category system representing the level of Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) required for entry in an occupation.

l Adopts a five-tiered hierarchical arrangement of occupational groups with successive levels of disaggregation containing broad occupational categories, major groups, sub-major groups, minor groups, and unit groups.

l Introduces a brand new five-digit codification system to replace the current four-digit system.”

(https://noc.esdc.gc.ca/Structure/ Noc2021)

HUMAN RESOURCES

EXAMPLE OF CODING IN NOC 2021 VERSION 1.0: JUDGES, LAWYERS AND QUEBEC NOTARIES

The main accomplishment of the NOC 2021 Version 1.0 was the overhaul of the “skill level” categorization by introducing a new categorization representing the degree of Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) required for an occupation. The redesign of the NOC for 2021 moves away from the previous version of NOC with four “Skill Level” categories to an innovative six-grouping “TEER” categorization.

The development of TEERS will offset not only the confusion in the use of the word SKILL LEVEL when speaking about occupations but will also remove the default of many to assume the terminology refers to a low-skill or high-skill occupation. The TEER more accurately captures differences in occupational requirements, which in turn will aid in the analysis of occupations.

The new breakdown of the NOC code, moving away from SKILL LEVEL into

TEERS will remove much of the guesswork as shown in the chart above. (https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/subjects/standard/noc/2021/ introductionV1)

The new NOC 2021 moved from a 4-digit number to a 5-digit number allowing more opportunity to drill down into a more specific occupation. For example: (https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/subjects/standard/noc/2021/ introductionV1)

Some examples of the new NOCs for our sector include:

l Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services (82031)

l Harvesting labourers (85101)

l Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers (85121)

l Managers in horticulture (80021)

l Silviculture and forestry workers (84111)

l Nursery and Greenhouse labourers (85103)

If you are having trouble finding the new NOC for your job description you may be able to find it using the government of Canada site at https://noc.esdc.gc.ca/

RECRUITING OF GLOBAL TALENT

March 1, 2023, 12:00 pm EST

Recruitment for global talent can seem overwhelming; however, this session will provide clarity on how you can begin your search. Topics to be discussed include IRCCs recruitment services such as Destination Canada Mobility Forum and Job Bank.

WORK PERMITS

– TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKER PROGRAM

March 8, 2023, 12:00 pm EST

In this session, we will discuss how employers can hire global talent

through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. This session will walk you through the process involved in these applications including labour market impact assessments and employer obligations.

WORK PERMITS – INTERNATIONAL MOBILITY PROGRAM

March 15, 2023, 12:00 pm EST

In this session, we will discuss how employers can hire global talent through the International Mobility Program. This session will cover topics including labour market impact assessment exemptions, the International Mobility Workers Unit, the Employer Portal and employer obligations.

PERMANENT RESIDENCE PATHWAYS

April 5, 2023, 12:00 pm EST

Learn how to support your temporary foreign workers in their application for

CANADIAN LANDSCAPE STANDARD

SECOND EDITION

THE GUIDE FOR LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ACROSS CANADA

CANADIAN SOCIETY OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS & CANADIAN NURSERY LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

permanent residence. In this session, you will learn about Express Entry, the Atlantic Immigration Program and the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Program.

To register for the webinar please visit: https://cutt.ly/p8AhNV0

CANADA

Or scan the following QR Code:

www

LANDSCAPE CANADA

CLIMATE CHANGE

To purchase the CLS, visit: csla-acpp.ca/standard

CSLA and CNLA members receive a digital subscription to the CLS with their membership dues.

IRCC HAS A SERIES OF VIRTUAL LEARNING SESSIONS - HERE’S WHAT THEY HAVE TO OFFER

Completely enhanced and revised, the CLS is THE best way to specify landscape construction projects.

LHCP REVIEWED TO PROMOTE TEST INTEGRITY AND IMPROVE USER EXPERIENCE

BY EDITH OYOSORO

THREE YEARS FOLLOWING LAUNCH of the Landscape Horticulture Certification Program (LHCP), volunteers from across the country gathered at the CNLA Office in Milton ON for a full-day meeting to review the new certification program. Specifically, the meeting aimed to address shortcomings with the hands-on practical exams for technicians while ensuring uniform test delivery criteria and a seamless user experience in Valid-8, the online practical test platform.

At inception, hands-on practical test criteria were delicately balanced to allow for a wide range of conditions that could exist across job sites. The review presented an opportunity to address current challenges with

the practical tests while pursuing more uniform test delivery criteria and encouraging positive test-taking and assessment practices for candidates and assessors respectively.

Recommendations from the review were grouped into three broad categories related to (i) updates to candidate and assessor guidelines, (ii) changes to the assessment process, and (iii) changes to module units and criteria. To strengthen hands-on practical test assessment, a mechanism for pairing assessors to review candidates’ Valid-8 submissions was proposed along with the following:

l Use a checklist format and include a ‘Your Task Today’ section in the candidate guide.

GROWERS CANADA

l Increase the timeline for assessing test submissions from 2 weeks to 4 – 6 weeks.

Jamie Aalbers Growers Sector Specialist jamie@cnla-acpp.ca www cnla.ca

l Establish a LHCP Review Panel to provide technical expertise for addressing test related issues

l Institute a Candidate Appeal Process

LANDSCAPE CANADA

Anne Kadwell, Landscape & Retail Sector Specialist anne@cnla-acpp.ca www cnla.ca

Timeline to implement these recommendations is June 2023, after which new and in-progress candidates will be transitioned to the revised test format.

CLIMATE CHANGE

NEWLY CERTIFIED

Frydda Sandoval, Environmental Policy Coordinator frydda@cnla-acpp.ca www cnla.ca

Cassandra Deenen, CLHM - ON

Tamara Dolotova, CLHT - BC

Earth Art Landscape Inc. Accredited Company - ON

GOVERNMENT & HR

Leslie Sison Industry & Government Specialist leslie@cnla-acpp.ca www cnla.ca

For questions and more information, contact Edith Oyosoro at certification@cnla-acpp.ca; 647 724 8650.

LHCP CERTIFICATION

Edith Oyosoro edith@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

NATIONAL LANDSCAPE DESIGNER COMMITTEE

BY ANNE KADWELL

A LANDSCAPE DESIGNER WORKING GROUP was formed as a subcommittee of the Landscape Canada Commodity group in 2014. The group reunited at the recent 2023 Landscape Ontario Congress where several designers from across Canada met to discuss their presence on a national level.

On February 1, thirty-three Landscape Designers logged on a zoom call led by Paul Brydges to discuss all practicing levels of the profession with the intent to harness their collective value chain power as first contacts and influencers. Out of this meeting came many goals and initiatives:

l To nationally identify and engage the designer sector of the value chain

l Work together to solve designer issues and opportunities

l Work towards education and training leading to certification at all levels of the profession potentially to include a new laddering designation of Garden Designer (working title) for introductory-level designers

l To provide a national designer hub for networking, mentoring and community

l To assist Provincial Associations and to increase membership through onboarding of Landscape Designers (LD)

l To have a position of influence at the national level with government and the public

l To have a voice at the CNLA Board table

l To position the Canadian Landscape Standard as the BMP tool within the design process

We are looking forward to growing this committee and providing a new membership resource for designers across the country. If you are interested in being a part of these discussions please contact anne@canadanursery.com.

Drawings by Paul Brydges

CNLA WELCOMES EUROPE TO WESTERN CANADA

BY ANNE KADWELL

LANDSCAPE CANADA WELCOMES the European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA) to the west coast from Sept 17 - 21. The host hotel will be in beautiful downtown Vancouver within a short walk from the Pacific ocean. This is an opportunity for our industry to show British Columbia’s leadership in the green movement, and to demonstrate various ways in which landscaping can emphasize on improving the environment to create healthier places to live. The delegates will visit numerous commercial and residential landscape locations, as well as gardens which illustrate innovative energy efficiency and sustainability systems like solar heating and green roofs.

Some of the many locations include the 2010 Olympic village, which continues to thrive with lush landscapes and remains one of the greenest communities in the world. Granville Island, originally founded by the Musqueam Indian Band and the Squamish

people as their fishing area, is now a tourist destination with recent landscape upgrades. Granville Island now features hardy shrubs, grasses, accent boulders, stepping stones, prominent garden beds, and colourful annual plantings that bloom year round.

Delegates will see high-end residential estates in the famous Shaughnessy neighbourhood and discover why this area has some of the most desirable real estate in the world.

A visit to the VanDusen Botanical Gardens visitor’s centre, built in 2016, will highlight the building’s net-zero design that meets Living Building Challenge requirements. This is one of the first buildings in Canada to receive this certifi cation, and features include solar hot water, photovoltaic panels, a geothermal borehole, and a beautiful living roof.

GROWERS CANADA

Jamie Aalbers, Growers Sector Specialist jamie@cnla-acpp.ca www cnla.ca

Registration is now open, if you have any questions please contact Anne Kadwell, Landscape Sector Specialist - anne@canadanursery.com

LANDSCAPE CANADA

Anne Kadwell, Landscape & Retail Sector Specialist anne@cnla-acpp.ca www cnla.ca

Self-watering Desert Planters offer up to 80% savings on Fuel, Watering, and Labour. This means your not only save financially, you drastically reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. With over 60 different styles in 17 different colours, Desert Planters provide environmental sustainability and beautification to any area. Visit www.DesertPlanters.com for more information. We look forward to the opportunitytoassistyou.

VANCOUVER

JULY 9-12th

Welcome to the West!

Garden Centres Canada's next National Garden Centre Summit will be in Vancouver, British Columbia from July 9-12. Garden Centres Canada’s annual national retail Summit is a networking and educational opportunity for independent garden centres owners and managers to come together and discuss the latest trends and patterns, and share innovative ideas. We are planning a fantastic schedule of engaging events with industry professionals sharing their knowledge and insight. New speakers, locations, yummy places to eat and a half-day extension to the tour.

SPONSORED BY

“We can’t wait to see you in Vancouver this summer!

ROBIN GODFREY, Garden Centres Canada Chair

THE TOUR ~ Monday July 10, 2023

HUNTER’S GARDEN CENTRE (Surrey)

www.huntersgardencentre.com

Your morning coffee stop.

Hunter Garden Centre have two stores one in Surrey, BC and the other in the hub of Kitsilano. Hunters Garden Centre was founded in the fall of 1953. They are celebrating their 70th anniversary. We look forward to touring with Miles Hunter who is a 3rd generation owner.

GROW & GATHER

www.growandgather.com

Grow and Gather has a full complement of culinary, floral, landscape, aquatic plants, and garden utilities, plus an outstanding array of pond supplies. This is a destination for customers who come for their homegrown and locally sourced garden plants including their famous HUGE hanging baskets.

AMSTERDAM GREENHOUSE

& GARDEN CENTRE

www.amsterdamgreenhouses.com

Over the past 44 years, Amsterdam Greenhouses and Garden Centre has become both a complete, year-round garden centre as well as a wholesale producer of quality plants.

INDUSTRY EXPERTS

DR. MELINDA KNUTH

We are excited to have the young and enthusiastic Dr. Melinda Knuth, Assistant Professor of Horticultural Science from North Carolina State University. Want to engage more often and better with your consumer? In her presentation, Influence Your Consumers, Dr. Knuth will share key insights from her research on how customers think, make purchase decisions, and create a company culture that inspires them to buy your products!

ART VANDEN ENDEN

Art Vanden Enden loved every minute of his 44-year garden centre career with Weall and Cullen and Sheridan Nurseries. Art will be highlighting how training and development leads to the success of your business — 44 years of experience rolled up into one hour!

ART’S NURSERY

www.artsnursery.com

Founded in 1973, Art’s Nursery Garden & Home, is a destination 10+ acre garden centre, nursery and landscape supply yard located in Surrey BC, offering a huge selection of plants, pots and all manner of gardening related products in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

CEDAR RIM NURSERY

www.cedarrim.com

Since Cedar Rim’s humble beginnings in 1978, it has expanded from a small, family run operation to one of the largest Retail and Wholesale nurseries on the West Coast of British Columbia.

KATO NURSERY’S

www.katosnursery.com

Dinner will be enjoyed in Kato’s greenhouse, featuring spectacular views. Kato’s started in 1952 on 20 acres of land near Abbotsford. The 70’s and 80’s saw rapid growth with more and more of the property being converted to above ground growing facilities as well as more greenhouse structures. There are now 10 additional acres adjoining the original 20 acres and a 1.25 million litre irrigation pond which is able to reclaim 70% of the surface water and recycle it.

TOM SHAY

Tom Shay teaches how to improve the operation and profitability of the business. Disrupting or Prompting; Does this affect how you approach business? We will examine multiple businesses and see why some have died, withered, or grew with more growth on the horizon.

LORNA

McLAREN

Lorna McLaren is an award-winning trainer who helps organizations cultivate powerful relationships through specific communication strategies that inspire positive outcomes while reduc ing conflict and stress.

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Lorna McLaren. Master the MasterTheMomentCommunication.com

REACHING NET-ZERO EMISSIONS BEFORE 2050

FROM CNLA’S CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION COMMITTEE

CANADA HAS JOINED a growing list of countries, including Japan, France, and the United Kingdom, in pledging to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The federal government has committed to reducing greenhouse gas pollution by 40 to 45 percent by 2030 on the path to net zero emissions by 2050. While the federal government is critical in setting the pace, we cannot get to net zero without leadership from industry and corporations.

Achieving net zero emissions requires shifting to technologies and energy systems that do not produce greenhouse gas emissions while removing any remaining emissions from the atmosphere and storing them permanently. Put simply, Canada would need to take as many emissions out of the atmosphere as it puts in rather than leaving them to contribute to climate change.

Canada is the fastest-growing country in the G7

group and is expected to increase to 55.2 million in 2068. Eighty-two percent of Canadians currently live in large municipalities and cities, and this growing trend shows that more people will live in Canada’s major cities. This dense concentration of people, government, business, infrastructure, and economic resources makes cities more vulnerable to the growing risks of climate change.

Transforming to a net-zero emissions economy requires coordinated action across all sectors of the economy supported by enabling policy frameworks. Some emissions from sectors that provide things industrial societies need are very hard to eliminate, such as the production of cement, steel, fertilizer and food via agriculture. These are areas where it’s tough to get to zero with current and even foreseeable technologies.

There is no path to net-zero emissions that does not involve nature-based climate solutions. Urban forests- can include any trees or plants growing in and around a town or city- are a natural climate solution that removes and stores carbon from the atmosphere while providing other benefits. Urban forests offer tools to help our cities cope with climate change impacts. They absorb and retain water during extreme precipitation events limiting flood risk. They cool ambient air and create shade limiting urban heat impacts. Mature trees and

GROWERS CANADA

Jamie Aalbers Growers Sector Specialist jamie@cnla-acpp.ca www cnla.ca

shrubs protect against soil loss and landslides. The idea is not only to cut emissions as much as possible (e.g. by electrifying power generation and transport) but to integrate nature-based climate solutions into the equation. Limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C is only possible with public policy and corporate strategy informed by a carbon budget. As with any other budget, it helps measure progress and lets you know exactly where you stand relative to your goal.

LANDSCAPE CANADA

www cnla.ca

We’ll get to net-zero when we achieve a global balance between emissions produced by humans and emissions taken out of the atmosphere. How we get there is more important than the final destination.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Frydda Sandoval, Environmental Policy Coordinator frydda@cnla-acpp.ca www cnla.ca

GOVERNMENT & HR

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Anne Kadwell, Landscape & Retail Sector Specialist anne@cnla-acpp.ca

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD AT THE CANADIAN ORNAMENTAL PLANT FOUNDATION (COPF )

BY JAMIE AALBERS

Thanks to COPF Past President Wilbert G. Ronald for contributing this article. Wilbert is a long-time supporter and advocate of COPF and operates Jeffries Nurseries Ltd in Portage la Prairie, MB

IT IS NOW CLOSE TO 60 YEARS AGO that the concept of COPF was being drawn together prior to its launch in 1965. It was seen as a mechanism to allow Canadian private plant breeders to receive a royalty for their new plant introductions in that they would receive 90% of the royalty fee with the other 10% going towards administration expenses. This was seen as an alternative to the US Plant Patent system which was put in place in 1930 and allowed US plant breeders to receive income for varietal introductions. While the Canadian federal government did not support introducing patent or PBR (Plant Breeders Rights) in 1965, Agriculture Canada breeders were looking for promotion of their own breeding

work including introductions of roses, perennials and woody plants from the Morden Research Station and roses and weigela from the Ottawa research team. Horticultural staff from the federal government were very supportive of the formation of COPF.

At the time, the government did not take its 90% breeder share on their developed plants but contributed this towards COPF resulting in favourable financial terms for COPF. American propagators were encouraged to propagate Canadian plants and to use COPF to pay a royalty on their own propagation. American breeders were encouraged to use COPF to enter the Canadian market with their US bred plants and to receive a royalty from Canadian propagators. Growers and breeders joined COPF as members and growers filed an annual report of propagation or sales of all plants that were registered with COPF. Certainly in 1965 there were more private plant breeders and some new plants that were awaiting commercialization. The COPF operation was based on sound business principles, but it is important to note the system worked largely on an honour system of reporting royalties as there was limited funds for monitoring grower’s production and royalty payments.

The pillars supporting COPF success certainly began to change over time due to a number of changes over which COPF had no control. Some of these included the reduction of government plant breeding work in the early 1990’s and the passage of Canadian Plant Breeders Rights legislation in 1990 which offered an alternative for cultivar protection and royalties, but not for royalty collection. As well, the original “Registered” cultivars with COPF were aging, particularly

the popular older “Parkland” (Morden) and “Explorer” (Ottawa) roses and dwarf weigela. There was a reluctance on the part of nurseries to pay royalties indefinitely on older cultivars. Royalties from annual flowers began to be collected on the first sale of cuttings by large breeding and propagation companies, removing another source of COPF revenue. Finally, there was the advent of new US brands built largely around shrub introductions. These new brands had administrations that could collect their own royalties, develop marketing programs and bypass COPF services. By 2005, these sweeping changes challenged the future sustainability of the COPF model and forced structural changes to COPF.

Over the past 10 years significant changes have come to COPF including the organizational downsizing and contracting the administration of COPF to CNLA. The administration fees for COPF have increased to 20% of royalties

and COPF expenditures on meetings, trade shows and nursery monitoring have been drastically cut. Much of COPF revenue is now coming from the Canadian Artist rose introductions such as Campfire, Oscar Peterson etc. and the best of the older Morden and Ottawa introductions as well as a few plants from private breeders. In the past few years some private Canadian breeders have started to collect all or part of their own royalties due to the uncertain future of COPF. The royalties on recent “49th Parallel” rose introductions are collected by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, even though the development of these roses was strongly supported by COPF royalties from older AAFC bred plants. Funds collected by COPF from these older Agriculture and Agri-food Canada plants go to the Heritage Plant Development Fund managed by CNLA through the New Plant Development Committee which supports Vineland and University of Saskatchewan research (see CNLA Newsbrief Winter 2023 Vol. 31 Issue 4).

While the above review may not sound highly encouraging for plant breeding in

Campfire rose is considered one of the best Canadian Artist roses registered with COPF

Starlight flowering crabapple is a popular COPF tree and is grown across Canada by growers

GROWERS

Canada, COPF or the nursery industry, we as growers and breeders have to accept the many changes that have come to the industry. Breeders have found that the costs and maintenance fees of Canadian PBR do not pencil out for many new plants in the small Canadian market so an organization such as COPF may have a role as a royalty collection agency. Some nurseries do not fully support the large nursery “Brands” and are looking for access to roses from Canadian breeding such as the “Canadian Artist” series available through COPF or the “49th Parallel” roses supported by COPF funding. It is obvious that many growers like new plants but do not have the breeder’s skills to develop and commercialize these plants much less support long term or modern research breeding technology.

For now, a downsized COPF plays a role, through CNLA’s Heritage Fund, in supporting the Vineland rose breeding and University of Saskatchewan programs. Growers who pay royalties faithfully want a level playing field where all growers have uniform royalty costs. Growers and breeders look for good communication and administration from COPF. The COPF has played a role in the Canadian nursery trade for close to 60 years. Its future will depend on how it evolves to support breeding of new plants and communications to growers. Will more of the few Canadian breeders collect their own royalties? Will the costs of Canadian PBR protection be a sound investment for the small Canadian market? Will the use of lower cost trademarks be an alternative to more expensive PBR? Will COPF still have a role for the future as a royalty collection service? Do private nurseries and individuals have new plants they wish to place with COPF? Could COPF have a role as an agent for Vineland 49th Parallel roses? These are valid questions which will determine the future of COPF in the Canadian nursery industry.

CANADIAN NURSERY WINS 2023 AIPH GROWER OF THE YEAR!

Congratulations to Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Limited (BTN) of Schomberg, Ontario, this year’s Gold Rose winner of the coveted AIPH International Grower of the Year. BTN also finished first place in the Finished Plants and Trees Category. Jeff is a strong proponent for nursery growers in Canada to apply to future AIPH awards. “You don’t know If you will win going into it, but the process of applying itself is good for your company, good for your team and challenges you to review all of the key success indicators of your farm. Winning of course is an amazing feeling and accomplishment, but even if you don’t win the application process and attendance at the event is an experi ence you will not regret.”

“We feel amazing, so blessed, to be honoured with these awards. It means so much to me personally and our whole team back in Canada.”

Jeff Olsen, President and CEO of BTN, International Grower of the Year 2023

Applications are now being accepted for the 2024 AIPH International Grower of the Year Awards. If you are interested in applying, check out the AIPH website and contact me. CNLA can help with letters of support and acknowledgement of good standing in a national horticulture association.