MEET JASON CARTON

Co-owner and director of operations at Hyland Landscapes

From Cork to Canada

I graduated from University College Cork (UCC) with a degree in food science and technology in 2010. Ireland was in the midst of recession, so there weren’t many opportunities for me at that time. My goal was to play rugby – that was my dream as a kid. Once I finished university, rugby wasn’t on the agenda for me professionally. I thought to myself, what do I do now? I found a couple of jobs in different financial institutions, but not full-time contracts, so I was in and out of work for four years. In 2014, I applied for a master’s at UCC in Management and Marketing and was offered a place in the programme. But, before the programme started I had an opportunity to go to Canada to play rugby with a club in Edmonton, Alberta that offered to pay for me to come over. I left in May 2014 with a return ticket booked for August, so it was only going to be a couple of months – but I loved it so much that I decided to defer the master’s for a year. I was 26. Soon after, a rugby club from Vancouver asked me to play on a team, so I deferred the master’s once again. Once I was there, I discovered how amazing Vancouver is, and decided to stay another year. I had started working in landscaping while I was in Edmonton and Vancouver. I liked the work and enjoyed being outdoors. So that’s where it all started.

Gaining ground

While working with one landscaping business, I had an opportunity to grow, get to the next level and identify that project management was something I was passionate about. I did a two-year course in project management at night while training as a project manager during the day. Then an opportunity suddenly fell in my lap –someone said, “We’re starting a new business, would you like to come in as a partner?” That was 2019. I’m now the co-owner of Hyland Landscapes. My role as Director of Operations and Senior Project Manager means I’m wearing all the hats you can think of. It allows me to showcase my strengths in project management, leadership, and networking. We’re a full service design-build landscaping firm, now in our fifth season in business. We’ve grown so much these last couple of years and this year, we’re set to grow another 30%. What I love most about my work is creating

An opportunity to play rugby brought him to Canada but a job in landscaping and a passion for project management led him to go into business with a colleague and today, the firm’s award-winning designs are in high demand, while Jason is putting down roots in his new home.

In conversation with Meg Walker a community for our employees to grow and prosper. We put our clients and our employees first. We want to have a culture where our brand is full of integrity and transparency. We want our clients to have an exceptional experience working with us from start to finish as we deliver their dream outdoor living spaces.

Building a family

My wife Shelby is Canadian and a lawyer. We met at my rugby club. She was the one who encouraged me to develop my career. We married in October 2021. Lucky for us, we actually had two weddings – the first in Canada and then an Irish wedding in Kinsale last July because Covid affected our initial plans. It was crazy planning

I’m still playing rugby but I’ll be hanging up the boots at the end of this season. With the baby due and business booming, there’s little time left for training. I love to ski. Ski holidays when you’re living in Ireland is a luxury. Here in Vancouver, the local mountain is 30 minutes from my house. After work on a Wednesday, I’ll load up the truck with my skis and a couple of lads and I will go up the mountain. Some Saturdays, we can play golf in the morning in Vancouver and then go up the mountain to go skiing in the evening. In the summertime, there are so many road trips you can take –beautiful mountains and beaches, and other destinations on the coast or on Vancouver Island… there’s so much to do.

Proud to be Irish

I’m proud of where I grew up. I’m proud of my family. I’m very passionate about Cork. Growing up, rugby really moulded me with the values that I bring to my life and my business – integrity, hard work, dedication. Starting first year at a rugby school at the age of 12, training three days a week, gave me a solid introduction to what commitment means. All my teammates from back then are still my best friends. There’s a lot I miss about Ireland. I miss my family, my friends. I miss the food – hot chicken rolls, you can’t really get them here. It’s so simple and yet can’t be copied. I miss the people – Irish people are so friendly. I miss a good pint of Guinness. I’d usually visit Ireland once a year. I went over last June – I was best man at a wedding in Portugal, then had my own wedding in July in Kinsale, then was a groomsman in another wedding in Killarney. So, three weddings in a week. We’ll be making a trip home for a visit at some stage in 2023.

Being tour guide

A lot of people when they visit Ireland want to sightsee, go to the pubs and play golf. I recommend flying into Dublin, seeing the Guinness Storehouse, Jameson Distillery, Aviva Stadium or whatever you’re interested in, then making your way across to Galway and Clare to see the Cliffs of Moher and Lahinch, visiting the Ring of Kerry and then making your way to Cork. When people visit Vancouver, I tell them to stay in Kitsilano and the West End for a bit. Head up to Whistler. Go to Victoria, Vancouver Island, go to Tofino for the beaches and surfing. And, visit the Interior for all the wineries – it’s beautiful there and there’s so much to see and do.

Advice to others moving to Vancouver

Come with an open mind, prepared for hard work and dedication. It’s going to be hard at the start. Get in with any sports teams – whether you are male or female, there are loads of GAA teams, rugby teams, etc. Join a book club, talk to people, grow your network. Become a member of the Irish and New in Vancouver Facebook group. There are always people looking for accommodation there. And take the good with the bad, keep rolling with the punches. It took me years to get set up here. If you want to put in the hard work, you’re going get results – opportunity is endless over here, in any sector.

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