Landscape Trades - August 2021 by Landscape Ontario

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A Canadian snow and ice management standard WHEN THE LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SNOW AND ICE SECTOR GROUP was formed 25 years ago, it was clearly stated by Robert Kennaley (LO’s legal counsel) that the industry needed a standard in order to deal with the significant risk management issues. Kennaley is an Honorary Member of Landscape Ontario and developed the LO Standard Snow Contract. I am pleased to announce the Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group), at the request of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association and Landscape Ontario, accepted a proposal to undertake a scoping review process on the need and support for a snow and ice standard. Thousands of contractors struggle with good intentions, but without any industry guidance with respect to snow and ice management. In many cases contractors make up their own management systems, training and methods in performing work. The lack of guidance makes it difficult for any contractor to explain their documents and methods, leading to difficulty in adequately defending any negligence claim made against them. The reality is that insurance costs have skyrocketed because of the lack of a standard indicating contractor, owner, procurement, material and equipment requirements. In addition, the industry is exposed to environmental liability and has a desire to mitigate, but at the same time is dealing with the liability and insurance cost issues driving oversalting. There is a need to address accessibility issues related to snow services. Currently, there is no framework in place

4 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

to have discussions that would improve the situation for persons with disabilities during snow and ice events. A standard is intended to help improve safety and generally establish reasonable methods to be followed by all impacted parties with responsibilities for snow and ice management. The impacted parties would include both the owner and the contractor. The study on the desirability and support for a snow and ice management standard will start with interviews of industry stakeholders from across Canada, followed by a workshop involving Canadian stakeholders and experts. This research will culminate with a report that will help inform the need for a standard. There is an advisory committee to the CSA Group, which includes several members from Landscape Ontario. We expect a report to be produced by CSA Group no later than August of 2021. A positive decision would necessitate the formation of a snow and ice management committee. We expect approval for a Snow and Ice Management standard to be developed with completion in March 2022. The participants involved will be volunteering their time. The stakeholders, including provincial and federal organizations will be looked upon for assistance, participation, contribution and/or funding. The current study cost is $20,000, which was funded through the CNLA Insurance Committees risk management budget. On behalf of the advisory council, GERALD BOOT Gerald Boot CLHM (Certified Landscape Horticulturist Manager) is President, CEO and Founder of Boot’s Landscaping and Maintenance in Richmond Hill, Ont. Gerald is a Past-President of Landscape Ontario and a current member of the Landscape Trades Advisory Committee.

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LANDSCAPE TRADES

CONTENTS

AUGUST 2021 VOL. 43, NO. 4 PUBLISHER

Scott Barber | sbarber@ EDITOR

Bill Tremblay | btremblay@ ASSISTANT EDITOR

Robert Ellidge | rob@ CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Mike Wasilewski | mikew@ ACCOUNT MANAGER

Greg Sumsion | gsumsion@ COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

Angela Lindsay | alindsay@

DIGITAL MARKETING SPECIALIST

Adele Bedard | abedard@ EDITORIAL INTERN

Taniya Spolia | tspolia@ ACCOUNTANT

Joe Sabatino | joesabatino@ ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Gerald Boot CLM, Laura Catalano, Lindsay Drake Nightingale, Jeremy Feenstra, Mark Fisher, Hank Gelderman CHT, Marty Lamers, Bob Tubby CLM, Nick Winkelmolen Landscape Trades is published by Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton, ON L9T 2X8 comments@landscapetrades.com www.landscapetrades.com

Landscape Trades is published six times a year: February, March, May, August, October and December. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: One year – $46.90 Two years – $84.74 Three years – $118.64 HST included. U.S. and international please add $20.00 per year for postage and handling. Subscribe at www.landscapetrades.com Copyright 2021. All rights are reserved. Material may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Landscape Trades assumes no responsibility for, and does not endorse the contents of, any advertisements herein. All representations or warranties made are those of the advertiser and not the publication. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the association or its members, but are those of the writer concerned.

ISSN 0225-6398 PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES AGREEMENT 40013519 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT LANDSCAPE TRADES MAGAZINE 7856 FIFTH LINE SOUTH, MILTON, ON L9T 2X8 CANADA

6 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

SNOW AND ICE ISSUE

LANDSCAPETRADES.COM

COLUMNS

44 MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

Reduce waste and build a better snow business.

BY MARK BRADLEY

46 ROAD TO SUCCESS

Time to say goodbye.

BY ROD MCDONALD

48 LEGAL MATTERS

The consultant’s authority may be broader than you think.

BY ROB KENNALEY AND EFFI SIDIROPOULOS

62 MENTOR MOMENT

DEPARTMENTS

4 GREEN PENCIL 50 CNLA NEWS 54 NEWSSCAPE 58 NEW PRODUCTS 61 CLASSIFIEDS/EVENTS/ADVERTISERS

FEATURES

8 8

A WIN-WIN-WIN FOR WINTER MAINTENANCE

BY SCOTT BARBER

New Hampshire’s certification model benefits the environment, contractors and the public.

16 SALT COLLECTION SITES A ROUND THE WORLD From our dinner tables to medications to deicing our roadways — salt has long contributed to civilizations across the world.

BY TANIYA SPOLIA

22 SNOW PRODUCTS

New snow products for winter 2021-2022.

40 24 HEALTHY SOILS PRODUCE THRIVING PLANTS

Researchers at NVK Nurseries examine the impact of composting.

BY GILLES LAPOINTE

30 APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION

Gypsy moths wreak havok across Ontario and Quebec.

BY MARG BRUINEMAN

36 THE SHIFT FROM GREY TO GREEN

Landscape Trades Interviews Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna.

40 LESSONS FROM THE LUMBER PRICE SPIKE When demand for lumber outpaced supply, contractors began thinking outside of the box to meet their customers’ needs.

BY TANIYA SPOLIA

AUGUST 2021 | 7

A WIN-WIN-WIN FOR

Winter Maintenance New Hampshire’s certification model benefits the environment, contractors and the public BY SCOTT BARBER

ack in the mid-2000s, the state of New Hampshire began the process of expanding the number of lanes for the highway between its capital, Concord, and the ski and lake tourism areas in the north. The need was clear: Traffic was increasing and causing regular traffic jams, particularly on Friday and Sunday evenings. But planners hit a roadblock. “Early in the process, they started monitoring streams in that area,” explained Ted Diers, administrator of the Watershed Management Bureau for the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. “They found there were four streams, smallish rivers really, that had very high chloride levels.” The discovery put the brakes on the project. “So what that ended up doing was putting a strain on the permitting for the project,” said Diers. “By adding more lanes you were going to be adding more salt, and those water bodies already violated what we call water quality standards. So this became a major issue.” More studies were undertaken, and the results were surprising. “One of the things we learned was that a lot of our salt problems were actually coming during the summer,” said Diers. “That was kind of terrifying because it means all the salt applied in the winter actually comes back up into the streams through

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ground water during the summer. That’s when the rivers are lowest and fish are at vulnerable life stages. And the other major thing we learned was where the salt comes from. Our studies showed only about 10 per cent of the salt was coming from the interstate itself. About 25 or 30 per cent was coming from municipal roads, and the rest of it came from private parking lots and roadways.” This information complicated the issue. Lowering salt use couldn’t be accomplished simply by mandating changes for the public employees plowing and de-icing the highways and public roadways. It was going to have to include major changes from private sector winter maintenance professionals. It was relatively easy to start making changes on the public sector side. “Our department of transportation started to use brine, automatic vehicle location, and more weather sensors embedded in the roads and all of those kinds of things so they had better information to do their work,” said Diers. “At the same time they were also funding some projects in municipalities to improve their equipment, and they began moving to brines and underbody plows and other things that helped them do a better job and use less salt.” But the question remained: How could the

AUGUST 2021 | 9

state encourage private contractors to use less salt? The state launched the Green SnowPro training and certification program to provide contractors with the latest information on winter maintenance best practices, including equipment and material innovations like liquids and live edge plows, as well as the science behind de-icing and anti-icing. During its first couple of years, the program saw limited participation and received solid feedback. But it was hard to get contractors to invest the time and money. “What we heard over and over and over from the contractors is what prevented them from reducing their salt was really the liability risk,” said Diers. “There is great research out there that shows on average, winter maintenance

basis, and to maintain continuing education credits over time, then you are afforded limited liability relief,” said Diers. “Basically, you can’t be sued for a slip and fall unless you were negligent. So it puts a higher onus on the person that is suing you.” The legislation was soon enacted, providing winter maintenance professionals in New Hampshire with a massive incentive to get certified and to implement best practices to reduce salt use. Diers said more than 2,000 people have been certified. One participant told him he saved more than $40,000 in salt costs in one year alone. Diers hopes the state will continue to provide incentives for private contractors to reduce salt use. “I’d like to be able to have a grant or a loan

professionals apply somewhere between 20 to 50 per cent more salt than is needed to actually protect public safety. But the problem is, and what people were really worried about, was that they would reduce salt and implement best practices into their companies, and they would just get sued anyway. Even if the work they did was by the book to protect public safety.” So public officials in New Hampshire went back to the drawing board. They needed a way to address the liability issue. Soon, legislators in the state drew up legislation to provide limited liability protection to winter maintenance professionals certified through the Green SnowPro program. “Now when you have the Green SnowPro Certification, which requires you to go through training, report your salt use on an annual

program to be able to help small businesses purchase better equipment for snow and ice removal,” Diers said. “Either low interest loans or some sort of loan forgiveness program. And that’s where I’m headed now, trying to figure out if there’s some way we can get funding to do something like that to keep things moving in the right direction.”

“ Road salts have widespread impacts on water quality, freshwater wildlife, soils and vegetation.”

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ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF SALT In Canada, the negative impacts of salt on the environment are also being felt. Tim Van Seters, senior manager, Sustainable Technologies for the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), said salt is a big issue in the Greater Toronto Area. “Road salts have widespread impacts on water quality, freshwater wildlife, soils and

vegetation,” said Van Seters. “The chloride component in road salt, usually sodium chloride, is toxic to freshwater wildlife at levels above 120 milligrams a litre, which is a very low concentration. We actually only start to taste salt in our drinking water at levels of 250 milligrams a litre. So it just shows you how low that concentration is. Aquatic life is very sensitive to even low concentrations of sodium chloride.” Van Seters has been working with the TRCA since the early 2000s, and over that time, he has seen salt concentrations rise to very concerning levels. “Just as we depend on air, the right makeup of oxygen, freshwater species like fish, frogs, mussels, salamanders and zooplankton, need water with the right concentration of chloride to survive,” said Van Seters. “They’ve adapted to low levels of chloride in their habitats, and when you increase those levels it begins to disrupt their basic functions such as regulating water content, which we call osmoregulation, and their breathing as well.” Bill Thompson, manager of Integrated Watershed Management at Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA), has seen the same thing in regions around Lake Simcoe in Ontario. He says chloride levels in the lake have risen by 500 per cent since data was first collected in 1971. “The native species we have in our lakes and rivers have evolved over millennia to live in freshwater,” said Thompson. “So when we add chloride we turn, in some situations, those fresh water systems into brackish or even salt water systems. That puts those species into an environment they haven’t evolved to live in. So the things we see, for example, is the eggs of fish and frogs, which tend to have almost a leathery surface, those eggs can get hardened by the saltier water, and when the eggs harden it means there is a greater chance that the offspring won’t be able to hatch.” Freshwater fish also face serious issues in saltier water. “If you think about fish, for example, they obviously breathe through gills, but the way that they breath actually, is it relies on their

Tim Van Seters examines Toronto’s Humber River.

internal environment being saltier than their external environment, and that allows oxygen to pass through the gills,” explained Thompson. “As the external environment gets saltier it gets harder and harder for them to breathe. And in more extreme situations you start to see fish dying in saltier situations.” Claire Oswald is an associate professor in the department of geography and environmental studies and a member of the Urban Water Research Centre at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ont. Oswald studies how salt gets from roads and parking lots to waterways. “Everything eventually ends up in a waterway, it just takes different routes to get there, depending on where it’s put down,” said Oswald. “Sometimes it moves really quickly. As soon as the snow melts, it moves right to a stream. ... But there is also road salt that unfortunately gets into the subsurface.

It gets down into soil water and ground water and it takes a longer time. But it does eventually end up in our streams and lakes.” Oswald added, “The concern is when it’s getting into smaller water bodies where there just isn’t enough water to dilute it. If you’re thinking about a little head water stream, those little streams can’t really handle it. There’s not a lot of volume. So if you have a parking lot that pipes into a stormwater pond that goes into a stream, when you get a big pulse of winter meltwater going through there and all of a sudden, the stream is shooting above the Canadian water quality guidelines and it’s putting the ecosystem at risk. Eventually that salt is going to move downstream and it’s going to get to the lake and be more diluted, but our headwater streams are super important for maintaining the health of our freshwater ecosystems.” continued >

AUGUST 2021 | 11

The over application of salt is often tied to the fear of slip and fall lawsuits, says Tim Van Seters.

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Van Seters, Thompson and Oswald are part of the Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program (STEP) salt working group. All three support the implementation of a program similar to the New Hampshire model in Canada as a means to reduce salt use. “We have really come to realize that people in the industry get it,” said Thompson. “They understand there is an environmental impact to what they are doing. But they also have, what I think, are very reasonable and rational concerns about lawsuits and being able to survive in a very litigious environment. We hear contractors say they are putting more salt down because their client demands it. From the environmental side, we’re very keen on the New Hampshire model because we see that as potentially being able to take that fear out of the equation. To allow contractors and their clients the ability to make the right decisions. I think it would be a huge improvement in terms of how salt is being managed.” Tim Van Seters agreed. “We can’t get rid of salt,” said Van Seters. “Salt is necessary to make our roads safe, so it’s not something that we’re advocating be gotten rid of. However, there are various different best practices that have been welltried across the world really, across all of the cold climate regions, that are very promising and that can significantly reduce the amount of salt that is applied. “New Hampshire’s approach is an interesting one because a lot of the overapplication of salt is related to the fears around liability and fear of slip and fall lawsuits. STEP is advocating for a similar kind of program here where contractors would be indemnified by the province if they are certified, but in addition, that certification program has to have an auditing component to ensure that the best practices are being applied on the ground as well.” Construction law expert Rob Kennaley of Kennaley Construction Law in Simcoe Ont. said implementing a New Hampshire Style model in Canada would have a significant impact. “The New Hampshire model incentivizes the efficient and environmental application of salt by offering certified contractors protection against litigation,” said Kennaley. “Stated plainly, if you are certified under the model, the courts presume that you acted reasonably and responsibly and will not hold you liable unless it can be demonstrated that

you were grossly negligent or that you acted in reckless disregard of the hazard in question. Similar protections are offered to those who hire such professionals. The impact of such a program is huge.” Kennaley added, “Owners and property managers will naturally want to hire certified contractors to take advantage of the liability shield, insurers may price non-certified contractors out of the market-place and the public will eventually come to understand that in most cases only gross-negligence will give rise to a slip and fall damages claim. Once in place it should, over time, result in a fewer number of claims, in lesser amounts being paid out in claims and in reduced premiums for winter maintenance contractors. It is also, of course, extremely beneficial to, and important for, the environment.” On top of the environmental and cost saving benefits, reducing salt use mitigates the negative impacts salt has on infrastructure like roads, bridges, buildings, as well as vehicles. It’s what Thompson calls the “triple bottom line.” “[STEP] is currently working on a number of case studies with contractors who have adopted various best practices,” said Thompson. “We are hoping to demonstrate a triple bottom line cost benefit for the contractor to show that if you adopt best practices like treated salt or liquids, or detailed site maps with prescriptions for various parts of the property, contractors can reduce the amount of salt they use, which lowers the cost in purchasing the salt, mitigates damage to infrastructure and better protects the environment. And this is all while keeping the property as safe as it can be.”

WHAT ARE WINTER MAINTENANCE BEST PRACTICES?

So what are best practices for winter maintenance and salt reduction, and how do contractors learn them? Lee Gould is the executive director of the Smart About Salt Council, based in Ontario, Canada. Smart About Salt provides winter maintenance training and certification, and has partnered with New Hampshire’s GreenSnow Pro Program to provide online training. “There is little doubt that if you use best practices, you can save money, improve safety

and do something good for the environment and infrastructure,” said Gould. “It really is a win-win proposition.” The Smart about Salt training program is focused on best practices including the five R’s of salt management: (right material, right time, right amount, the right places and how to retain work); liquids; mechanical snow removal including the equipment innovations; calibration; application rates; site assessment; and salt science. Gould said in general, the public doesn’t understand “the multiplicity of the challenges that winter maintenance professionals face.” And he hopes that will change. “It is a complex issue,” said Gould. “It isn’t just about waking up in the wee morning hours, getting a cup of Tim Hortons and driving a plow around a parking lot. It’s about putting down the right product at the right time, investing in equipment. Running a business. Dealing with slip and fall claims. Hiring staff. I think people think it’s not a problem, we can just throw down salt. That couldn’t be further from the truth.”

And that challenging job has become even more difficult due to rising insurance costs, largely driven by slip and fall lawsuits, most of which never make it to trial. “When there is a slip and fall claim, they are rarely adjudicated,” said Gould. “Most of these things don’t make it past discovery at best. So the contractor, in many instances I suspect, did the right thing, they were professionals who did their job and protected public safety on the property, but the actuaries for the insurance company have figured out it’s cheaper to throw $50,000 at a claimant to make it go away, rather than spend money on lawyers to adjudicate it.” The result is a culture of fear in the winter maintenance profession that makes it difficult to convince practitioners to reduce the amount of salt they put down. However, Gould, along with STEP members Thompson, Oswald and Van Seters, are optimistic legislative solutions, similar to what New Hampshire has put in place, could make a positive impact.

“I think that this issue of road salting and freshwater salinization, would really benefit from everyone trying to strengthen their relationships,” said Oswald. “Practitioners, scientists and policy makers need to work together… I think there is a lot of room for us all to work together to take the scientific understanding that we have, and take the practical thinking on the ground, and put them together to come up with some innovative ways to reduce road salt.” And down in New Hampshire, Diers is hoping to see other states, as well as Canadian provinces, build off the work they have done. “I always tell people that we don’t know everything about this,” said Diers. “We really don’t. We are learning just like everyone else. We have one little piece of the puzzle. But we are really depending on other people in Ontario, and New York,or our friends in Minnesota and Wisconsin, we are depending on everyone to be innovative to figure things out. It’s really going to take learning from each LT other to crack this nut.”

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AROUND THE WORLD SALT COLLECTION SITES

Atacama Salt Flats, Chile

From our dinner tables to medications to de-icing our roadways — salt has long contributed to civilizations across the world. Once a highly sought after good on ancient trade routes, salt has become a common commodity thanks to advancements in mining technologies. However, the way salt is collected across the world varies dramatically. In this special feature, Landscape Trades takes a closer look at some of the most significant salt mines, pans, bays, farms and flats, across the globe.

AUGUST 2021 | 17

This is the largest underground salt mine in the world, located 548 metres under Lake Huron. That’s as deep as the CN Tower is tall! The Goderich Salt Mine has been in operation since 1959 and now primarily provides salt used to deice roads in Canada and the United States.

Goderich Salt Mine

Known as the largest salt mine in Europe, Prahova Salt Mine is often used for healing and medical excursions due to having one the purest air qualities in the world. It almost completely lacks radiation and pollution.

CANADA

Taoudenni Salt Mine

Cathedral of Salt

MALI

COLUMBIA

These salt flats are home to the world’s largest and purest active source of lithium, containing approximately 27 per cent of the world’s lithium reserve base.

Maras Salt Mine PERU This cathedral has been carved out of the Zipaquira Salt Mines, which have been in use since the fifth century BC. The current cathedral is 75 metres long, 25 metres high and has a giant cross carved on its back wall. 10,000 people can fit into the cathedral at capacity.

18 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Walvis Bay NAMIBIA

Atacama Salt Flats CHILE

Walvis Bay Salt Holdings processes 90 billion cubic metres of seawater annually to produce more than 900,000 tons of salt. The wetlands and lagoons of the region are also important for migratory birds and flamingos.

The word Soligorsk means “Salt Mountain Town” and refers to the huge piles of hard halite waste material from enrichment plants. Hills of 50 to 80 metres high cover tens of hectares of land. The mine is now used as a salt therapy centre.

Soligorsk Salt Mine

BELARUS

Psychedelic Salt Mine

One of the most beautiful salt mines in the world. Swirls of yellow, white, red and blue from the layering of carnalite decorate the walls of this mine. It is now closed for visitation and can only be accessed with a government permit.

RUSSIA

Prahova Salt Mine ROMANIA

Okunoto Salt Farm

Khewra Salt Mine

JAPAN

PAKISTAN

This salt mine is said to have been discovered by Alexander the Great, or perhaps more aptly, by his horse, which enjoyed licking the area’s salty stones during an early army rest stop.

Danakil Salt Pans ETHIOPIA

The salt mines of the Danakil Depression are some of the hottest and inhospitable places on the Earth, with an average temperature around 34.5 Celsius. It has reached temperatures higher than 50 Celcius.

The Bima Salt Pans span nearly 18 square kilometres. It is largely still considered to be a cottage industry as the salt pans are farmed by hand through industrial families and small cooperatives.

Bima Salt Pans INDONESIA

SEE PHOTOS ON PAGE 20 AUGUST 2021 | 19

Danakil Salt Pans, Ethiopia Maras Salt Mine, Peru

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Walvis Bay, Namibia

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Soligorsk Salt Mine, Belarus

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Bima Salt Pans, Indonesia

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Toro unveils its new battery-powered 60V Power Max two-stage snow blower. Available in two models, the e24 and e26, the new snow blower is designed with three 7.5Ah 60V Flex-Force battery ports. With two batteries on board, the e26 is able to clear 30 car spaces on one charge, in up to 25 cm of snow.

Sno-Way launches the 29R Series 2, a 2.7-metre plow designed with patented hydraulic end wings that can be controlled together or independently to move snow. Each wing can be moved from a straight out position into a 90-degree orientation to the main blade.

MID-DUTY UTV STRAIGHT BLADE

SnowEx introduces a new mid-duty straight blade for UTVs. The new straight blade features the unique Sway-Frame design, which shifts the blade from side-to-side, aligning it with the wheel track to help prevent hard-packed snow. The blade is available in widths of 1.68 or 1.83 metres.

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TRAILCOMMANDER DROP SPREADER

Fisher debuts a new line of Trailcommander drop spreaders. Built using laser-cut stainless steel and high strength rivets, the 70-litre and 170-litre drop spreaders provide spread widths of 76, 84 and 91 cm. The stainless steel spreaders come standard with three mounting systems to fit most UTVs, compact tractors or wheel loaders.

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SNOWDOGG VXXII V-PLOW

Buyers Products released a new 3.2-metre V-plow designed for very heavy-duty use. The new SnowDogg VXXII plow mounts to Class 4 to 6 trucks, with wings that ascend from 89 cm in the middle to 114 cm on either end. The plow features a 304 stainless steel blade with flared wings and a frame built to absorb heavy impacts. The VXXII also includes the RapidLink attachment system and Floating A-frame.

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ALL-WEATHER STORAGE CONTAINERS

Western Products releases a new line of all-weather storage containers meant to bring on-site material storage closer to where it is needed. The containers will be available in four sizes, including 85, 170, 340 and 510 litres. Each container has a molded-in closure that can be secured with an extended shank padlock to protect the contents.

Western Products www.westernplows.com AUGUST 2021 | 23

HEALTHY SOILS PRODUCE

THRIVING PLANTS Researchers at NVK Nurseries examine the impact of composting

BY GILLES LAPOINTE

s a research scientist with NVK Nurseries, my focus is on plant health. And to reach the goal of a healthy plant, it always begins with healthy soil. In nursery production, soil is constantly leaving the field. Just think about it. Every tree harvested takes its root ball of soil off the farm to its new home. After a few cycles, the field is depleted, and left with a very thin topsoil. This is not a recipe for healthy plants, so what happens then? Fortunately, composting can help! Composting is probably the first step in sustainability, soil and plant health. Yes, we can think about grandma doing compost at home or on the farm, and city folks making compost in their turning barrels in their backyards. It seems easy enough. In my youth, I made compost with mixed results. The pile would grow year after year until we would look at it and say: “Wow! We’ve got good soil in there.” It took a few years, and I didn’t attend the pile much. But this is not the type of compost I want to talk about.

FOLLOW THE SCIENCE

There are various types of composting methods, but the key is the way you work the compost. Fortunately, there is a lot of great scientific research we can utilize. American microbiologist Elaine Ingham and David Johnson, adjunct professor for the College of Agriculture at California State University in Chico, Calif., and others are conducting deep scientific research on compost at various universities. They do not just produce compost — they produce a product that holds life in it: micro-organisms. They have done the profession a huge service by presenting their findings at a number of conferences and events.

24 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

STRIKE A BALANCE

Composting occurs when billions of microbes decompose the materials we layer in a pile. These microbes use food sources (carbon and nitrogen) to do their job. And in order for that process to occur, we need to have the right ratio of carbon and nitrogen: about 20—30 carbon for one nitrogen. Aerobic composting also requires good humidity and air flow within the pile. While there are several types of composting systems, including anaerobic (without oxygen), I will concentrate on the easy system of piling up the material and turning it to bring oxygen to it. Using the Internet, we can easily find the carbon or nitrogen content of materials such as straw, manure, wood chips, etc. Remember that all these materials are not equal in their carbon or nitrogen content. Wood chips have an extremely high amount of carbon, so we use less in the pile. We also need nitrogen for the decomposition to happen, with components like grass cuttings, perennial trimmings or even manure. It is essential to have the right proportions because only then will we reach the correct temperatures for decomposition. What you really need is temperatures between 130—160 F (55—70 C) for at least 15 consecutive days, and to turn the compost about five times. Regular turning ensures oxygen reaches throughout the pile, and that all the material is subjected to high heat. Without high heat, pathogens and weed seeds survive and will eventually be spread throughout our fields. So reaching the proper heat level throughout the pile is critical. continued >

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AUGUST 2021 | 25

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

Composting well takes several weeks. That’s when it enters the heat phase (thermophilic), followed by a decrease in temperature (mesophilic) to reach a curing phase. This is really essential in order to obtain the correct proportion of microorganisms in the compost. If the compost is used too early, (still in the mesophilic or thermophilic phase), it may very well be toxic. Also, it will contain mostly bacteria, which is not what we are looking for. During decomposition, the bacteria use the nitrogen to decompose. If we put this “green” compost at the foot of plants, we can easily understand that plants will not grow well. The microbes will be scavenging all the nitrogen around (they are more efficient than the plants at picking up nitrogen) in order to decompose the carbon-material. So let’s cure our compost! During the curing phase, the compost switches the balance from bacteria to fungi. We need more fungi compared to bacteria. The fungi are made up of hyphae, which look like rapidly growing long roots. They are also efficient at creating a network in the soil to

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fetch nutrients for the tree roots. It has also been shown that some fungal species help trees communicate together through their roots (check out Dr. Suzanne Simard’s work at the University of British Columbia). It is truly fascinating.

LESSONS LEARNED

Composting is not so easy to do after all. At NVK Nurseries in Dundas, Ont., we set up a trial from June 2020 through June 2021. Yes, it may take that long to produce a healthy compost! Of course, we can use the compost earlier, but through analysis done during production, we discovered a few things: First, compost is not really a fertilizer per se. Its nutrient content is rather marginal for plant growth. Secondly, the organic matter in it at the end of the curing phase totally depends on the initial inputs and how well the degradation process happens. Thirdly, the microorganisms present and changing during the composting phases are extremely important and need to be monitored closely.

We can also successfully compost growing media from dead plants, with good heat during the thermophilic phase.

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

It is important to also realize the chemical and physical laboratory analyses do not give a complete picture of the composts. At NVK Nurseries, we have tested our compost with the general laboratory analyses — the large Solvita analysis — and lately, I have been checking the curing material under a microscope for the micro-organism evaluation. All of these tests have shown us that while it is good to get the general lab analyses in order to get an idea of what is in the compost, we must also analyze the microorganisms present. At the end of the curing phase, we need the right microbes: a higher balance of fungus to bacteria. These microorganisms are the ones in charge of feeding the plants through a deep interaction with the roots. Without them our soils are depleted. We then keep on adding synthetic fertilizer, destroying more microorganisms. We then add more synthetic fertilizers, and our plants become ill. We then

look to pesticides and our yields decrease. This cycle has been going on for quite a few years on many farms and gardens around us. It is not sustainable. At the 2021 Soil Regen Summit, it was said that “everything (nutrients) is present in the soil already.” Our job is to help plants access those nutrients. This is done through microorganisms. But microorganisms also need organic matter to feed on, and plant roots to interact with. This is a complete system. So now we understand what composting is. We will need to tweak things down the road. And please, buy a microscope! They are actually much cheaper than you think and your kids can probably help you use it. From that point on, we have a healthy compost we can use in our fields and in our container production. Control your moisture and temperature well and it can be weed free.

TIME FOR TEA

The next thing that good quality compost can be used for is making compost tea. It is not voodoo science, but rather quite technical actually. Use the right amount in non-chlorinated water, add

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Figure 1.

Figure 2.

oxygen and foods for growing specific microbes, and voilà! 24 to 48 hours later the tea is ready to be used. Figure 1 shows a simple set up for making tea in a drum. Growing the proper microorganisms is the key. During the brewing period

the microbes increase in numbers, so you must be sure to use only healthy compost without pathogens. The compost teas can be diluted and sprayed in fields in order to increase the amount of microbes working and feeding the

6205W

plants. Also, this tea can readily be used as a spray on plant leaves. We did a preliminary trial last year (see Figure 2) and demonstrated a great difference between the treated plants and the non-treated plants. We also conducted an experiment on eight newly-planted maple trees: four were left as controls, and four were watered twice with a compost tea produced on-site. During the summer drought, the four treated trees were all saved and had leaves greener and larger than the four control trees. Two of the control trees also had their leaves dry out and they produced a very thin canopy. Regarding the tea and compost itself, I think the main take home message concerns microorganisms. We often forget about them, but they are the key to life! Let’s produce a quality compost and take our time to let it mature. It LT will be more sustainable that way! Gilles Lapointe is a production advisor, in-house scientist, at NVK Nurseries in Dundas, Ont. Gilles holds a PHD from the University of Guelph in molecular biology and genetics. He can be reached at gilles@nvknurseries.com.

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APPETITE FOR

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While gypsy moths have stripped trees bare in parts of Ontario and Quebec, there are several control options available to create a line of defence for 2022 BY MARG BRUINEMAN

Photo credit - Adele Bedard

here ain’t nothin’ finer for a gypsy moth during its caterpillar stage than the lobed leaves of an oak tree. However, when it comes right down to it, just about any leaf will do. “When it gets into huge populations, like we had last year, it really eats anything and everything. It was in people’s gardens, it was in people’s shrubs, trees, oaks, pines, everything,” explained David Dutkiewicz, entomology technician at the Canadian nonprofit Invasive Species Centre, which helps those fighting and controlling invasive species. “The infestation last year, I think it was a bit of a surprise.” The ugly, furry, many legged pest that wreaked havoc on trees in central Canada last summer is once again stripping trees naked this year, focusing largely on everwidening swaths in Ontario and Quebec. In Ontario, the focal point of the population explosion, aerial surveys by the Ministry of Northern development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry in 2019 identified 43,000 hectares of defoliation. In 2020, the defoliation exploded to 569,000 hectares in an area from Sault Ste. Marie to Windsor and east to Kempville and into southern Quebec. The gypsy moth hasn’t yet been established in northwestern Ontario and isn’t considered a problem in the prairies and further west, although British Columbia does monitor it. Coastal provinces in the east and west also keep a wary eye with concerns about the potential for the gypsy moth to migrate through the shipping trade.

Following a relatively mild winter, the egg masses were largely able to survive and expand, and 2021 is becoming the year of the gypsy moth, with the possibility of doing more harm than the extreme defoliation caused by the pest last summer. If they are able to largely satisfy their appetites early in the season during their larva or caterpillar stage when they feed heavily on the leaves, there may be enough time for the tree to develop a second growth in the season. However, two consecutive years of massive leaf loss can leave a tree vulnerable to diseases. Add on another year or two and that can end up being downright deadly for any self-respecting stand. “We’re on the uptick of an infestation at the moment. It seems we’ve got a lot of trees that are already stressed,” observed Michael Petryk, lead program manager and arborist for the Ontario region of the nonprofit Tree Canada that promotes tree planting and nurturing. “Most years can handle two years of defoliation at least, but if you’ve got a stressed tree, which we’re getting a lot of already because we’re seeing more years of drought, we’re getting site conditions that can be poor... and basically climate change is putting a lot of stress on these trees already and once you add an insect like gypsy moth, it makes it really hard for these trees to bounce back.” Hardwood trees defoliated early in the summer can produce a second growth to make it through to the end of the season to help maintain their health. “It’s not going

AUGUST 2021 | 31

to be as vigorous as in good years, but at least it can still survive, it can pull water, it can still perform its functions,” Petryk said. There are naturally occurring controls to keep the gypsy moth in check, but until they develop and do their thing, all

humans can do is mitigate the situation. The primary method of prevention against the pest is to get to the egg sacks. It’s a basic approach of simply scraping off the white or caramel-coloured mass. A thorough scraping might be done of the entire tree through the help of an arborist who can reach the tree’s full height to prevent the return of the caterpillars later in the season or even the following season. Landscapers can plan for next year by learning to identify the insects as well as the egg masses. Petryk said it’s also helpful to be able to distinguish a new egg mass from an old one to get an idea of what to expect. “They want to be looking for what are kind of manilla-coloured egg masses in the fall. It will have nice light-brown coloured egg mass. White egg masses are older, they’re kind of sun bleached. Those have been there all summer,” said Petryk. The Manilla or buff-coloured masses have a felt-like or cottony texture and are often thumb shaped, lodging in the cracks and crevices of trees and also on manmade structures. While there is a tendency to look in the spring when

the situation starts to appear more urgent, Petryk suggested looking for the egg masses in fall and winter as well, “because they have more options if they think about it early. “If they see more white egg masses, than they see brown masses, that’s kind of a good sign. It means that the population is on a decrease.” Another option late in the season — fall or early winter — is to apply dormant oil spray to attack the egg masses to prevent the larvae from hatching.

CONTROLS

“Last year... the gypsy moth just had very few biological control agents. All the things that normally keep gypsy moth populations in check were down and what happened is that the gypsy moth just sort of exploded across the landscape,” Dutkiewicz said. Some glimmers of hope have emerged with signs that its predators are active in 2021. Brought on by last year’s population peak, naturally occurring bacterias and fungi that can rip through the population and return the continued > insect to lower levels.

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Gypsy moths prefer broad-leaved trees, including red and white oak, poplar and white birch.

Allison Craig, manager of Urban Forest Health Services, an Ontario urban and commercial forestry consulting firm, suggested a series of controls once the gypsy moth larvae start appearing to bring it down to more acceptable and tolerable levels and mitigate defoliation. “What they’re meant to do is protect the trees for that season and keep them green for that season. The following year, if populations are still high, you may need to intervene again,” Craig said. Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki, referred to as Btk, is commonly used as a control agent that can be sprayed to the foliage when the caterpillars are very young and start to feed typically around mid-May. The

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bacteria is naturally found in the soil and has no effects on the water system, humans, bees or worms, said Craig who described it as very environmentally friendly. Treeazin can be injected into the tree when the caterpillars are starting to hatch early to mid May. The tree disperses it into the foliage, which the caterpillar then eats, inhibiting its growth and preventing it from going on to its next stage, meaning they can’t repopulate. Treezin is a bio insecticide, listed for organic use that needs to be applied by a licensed exterminator. Once caterpillars develop into their furry fullness, burlap bands tied at the trunk of the tree at breast height can be used to create a trap by folding it over rope. “That will catch

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caterpillars as they go up and down the tree,” she said. “It’s not going to make a huge dent in the population, but it is something that could be done to protect your tree. “In outbreak situations where you have a lot of caterpillars around, you’ll notice the number of caterpillars building up quite quickly under that burlap band so it’s a good idea to get out every few days and just scrape those caterpillars off into a bucket of soapy water and leave them for 48 hours.” There’s a word of warning though. Craig points out that the caterpillars have pretty long hairs which contain histamines that can give people a rash if they’re susceptible to it at all. So she advises wearing gloves. “If an outbreak is very high across a large area, some municipalities will opt to spray across a large area aerially,” she said. Some cities will also vacuum the egg masses right off the trees, which allows them to get right into the canopy. Trees in infested neighbourhoods can be seen outfitted with sticky bands, cellophane wrap or wraps doused with Vaseline to catch the pests as they go up or down the tree. But those approaches come with a warning, other critters such as birds or even snakes can also be ensnared in sticky solutions. Most of the damage of the gypsy moth is caused in May and June and ends when the caterpillar goes into the pupae stage. Around July or August, it emerges as a moth in adulthood when it flies off and does little LT damage until the egg masses develop.

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The shift from GREY TO GREEN Canada’s Minister of Infrastructure and Communities on the new National Infrastructure Fund and the important role of horticulture and landscape professionals. Catherine McKenna

andscape Trades recently connected with Catherine McKenna, Canada’s Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, to learn more about the recently announced Natural Infrastructure Fund.

Landscape Trades: You are well-known for your commitment to making Canada’s natural environment cleaner. Where does your commitment stem from and what are some of your proudest ach ievements, in this regard? Catherine McKenna: My commitment to making Canada’s natural environment cleaner stems from many things, including my kids and my love for nature. Young people have never known a world without climate change, and they have been asking us to take immediate action because they will be the ones who will have to live with the consequences of climate change the longest. In fact, we have been feeling the impacts of climate change through many natural disasters already, including floods, fires, heat waves, droughts and so much more. I know that to secure a better future for our kids, we have to tackle climate change. On top of that, I have grown up surrounded by nature — from canoeing in Algonquin Park to spending time in many other parks, including Gwaii Haanas National Park, Torngat Mountains National Park and Rouge National Urban Park. Nature can help reduce emissions and also build resilience. For example, wetlands can be a more effective barrier to flooding than building a concrete barrier, and they have many other benefits on top of that. In fact, natural infrastructure doesn’t only offer a positive impact on our physical and mental well-being, it also plays a major role in increasing resilience to climate change. One of my proudest achievements is negotiating Canada’s first real climate plan with a price on pollution across the country. Pricing pollution is one of the most effective and affordable ways to reduce emissions.

36 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

What are some of the key environmental initiatives announced in the 2021 Federal Budget? Climate change’s impacts, like flooding, coastal erosion, permafrost thaw and more, put Canada’s infrastructure at significant risk. This poses a threat to Canadians’ health, wealth and safety. Climate related disasters can result in billions of dollars in disruptions, damages and recovery costs. To ensure Canada’s resilience in the face of climate change, Budget 2021 proposes to top up the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund to support projects such as wildfire mitigation activities, rehabilitation of stormwater systems and restoration of wetlands and shorelines. Through this fund top up, we are also supporting projects that help small, rural, remote, northern and Indigenous communities adapt to climate change impacts. In addition, we are proposing to renew the Standards to Support Resilience in Infrastructure Program, so that the Standards Council of Canada can continue updating standards and guidance in priority areas, such as flood mapping and building in the north. This would help communities to plan and build roads, buildings and other infrastructure that is more durable and resilient to a changing climate. Finally, we are proposing to establish a Natural Infrastructure Fund to support natural and hybrid infrastructure projects. Through investments in local parks, green spaces and waterfronts, we are helping improve the well-being of our communities, mitigate the impacts of climate change and prevent costly natural events. On top of these initiatives, we’ve implemented a climate lens as part of our Investing in Infrastructure Program, encouraging builders to see and take every opportunity to combat climate change. Recently, we have also announced to support communities with reliable and accessible public transit that is faster, cheaper and cleaner — helping our efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. This includes an Active Transportation Fund that will support solutions that will encourage people to be active and healthy, while improving the mobility and quality of life within our cities. continued >

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How do you see Canada’s nursery and landscape industry participating in the Natural Infrastructure Fund?

costly flood events. But natural infrastructure can also offer a wide array of co-benefits, such as increasing resilience to other climate change impacts, including erosion and extreme heat, enhancing biodiversity and habitat, fighting climate change through carbon sequestration and providing recreational space for mental and physical health. We need to be collectively more aware and really value these assets.

Natural infrastructure is increasingly recognized for its ability to contribute to many of the services traditionally provided by grey infrastructure, such as the management and filtration of stormwater and mitigating against

The Natural Infrastructure Fund is a new and innovative program that aims to increase the awareness of the benefits of natural infrastructure and encourage natural infrastructure to be considered, where appropriate, alongside traditional infrastructure for the delivery of community services. Every sector of society has a role to play in leveraging and maximizing the benefits of natural infrastructure. As leaders in the field, Canada’s nursery and landscape industry can play a key role in supporting natural infrastructure solutions across the country and providing expertise on smart and sustainable natural infrastructure implementation which, in turn, can make our communities greener.

How do you see Canada’s nursery and landscape industry participating in the other environmental initiatives you have responsibility for?

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While the Natural Infrastructure Fund is a new initiative focusing on natural and hybrid infrastructure, Infrastructure Canada has been making investments in natural infrastructure through other infrastructure programs for some time. For instance, the department has funded urban forests, shoreline restoration and other natural infrastructure projects through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund. Natural infrastructure also features in our efforts to integrate climate resilience into guidelines, standards and codes that govern infrastructure decisions. The Climate Resilient Buildings and Core Public Infrastructure Initiative funded by Infrastructure Canada and run by the National Research Council is developing guidance to support the uptake of natural infrastructure and understand its additional benefits. Most recently, this initiative published two new Canadian Standards Association standards on nature-based solutions for the design and construction of bioretention systems that manage urban stormwater runoff. These new standards aim to help manage the risk of community flooding and surface water degradation from changes in rainfall patterns and extreme rainfall due to climate change. With expertise in ecology and forestry, the industry can continue to contribute to INFC’s broader initiatives by sharing smart and sustainable practices and building strong and durable relationships with all levels of government, non-profit organizations and LT Indigenous communities, among others.

PARTNER CONTENT

5 SIGNS YOU’RE READY TO TRASH YOUR FRANKENSYSTEM

How disconnected software solutions can cause confusion in your landscape business When you’re running a landscape business, you have plenty to manage. And as your company grows and your revenue goals increase, so does the volume of information you’re trying to monitor. At first, a spreadsheet may have been all you needed to manage your business. Over time, you may have added on new software solutions like a CRM to manage your expanding client base or a mobile app to schedule your growing number of crews. Perhaps you started using different solutions to purchase and track your materials or implemented a new estimating and takeoff software to bid on jobs. Or maybe you use these solutions but still keep your budget and your job costing information in an Excel spreadsheet. As time goes on, you might be realizing that having a variety of software solutions to run different areas of your business is having a detrimental effect on your operations. Using disconnected solutions can make you and your team members work harder than necessary. You may find you’re gathering data from so many different sources that you feel like you’re at the mercy of a Frankensystem of software patched together with ineffective integrations—or worse, software that isn’t integrating or communicating at all. This has serious negative effects on the productivity of your staff and the growth of your business. Here are a few signs that you’re ready to scrap your Frankensystem:

YOU’RE WASTING TIME GATHERING DATA FOR REPORTING

When your business data is scattered across several different systems, your financials can take a lot longer to pull together. When you’re cross-referencing data in different places, month-end reporting can take days or weeks. At that point, if you didn’t meet your profit goals, it will be too late to make decisions to get you back on track.

YOU’RE READY TO SCALE

If you’re serious about growth, an integrated business management software like Aspire Landscape provides you the visibility you need to know if you’re meeting your profit goals. It also helps your people accomplish more in the same amount of time by streamlining their work processes like estimating, purchasing, and accounts receivable. The ability to manage your clients, crews, expenses, and invoicing using one platform allows you to drive revenue, sell and produce more with your existing labor, and make the decisions that grow your business.

YOU CAN’T TELL IF YOUR DATA IS ACCURATE OR NOT

If your software solutions don’t communicate, you may have to enter labor and materials information manually into spreadsheets or into your accounting software to report your financials or monitor how your jobs are performing against estimates. And if you’re tracking information that isn’t automatically updating, you have to ensure that you’re updating information like labor costs and plant materials on a regular basis. If there’s an error in entering this information, you’re not sure if your data is accurate. Without a single source of accurate information, you’re left with data that you’re not sure you can trust, and your account managers might create bids that aren’t based on true data and aren’t profitable for your business.

YOUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE FED UP WITH HAVING TO LEARN MULTIPLE PLATFORMS

As the saying goes, good help is hard to find. It takes time and effort to recruit, hire, and train your employees. Once you’ve done so, you want to make sure you’re developing them to work as efficiently as possible—for their own success and the success of your business. Having to train your account managers, production managers, and operations staff on a software Frankensystem of disconnected solutions can be confusing, time-consuming, and more costly in the long run, since they’re taking more time to complete their work. And it’s not only about recruiting and hiring: Retention is also a concern. Giving your people the best tools and resources to do their jobs well is important when you’re trying to hire and keep employees.

YOU’RE MISSING OUT ON SALES OPPORTUNITIES

If it’s not easy to capture potential job opportunities and create an estimate, you’re losing time and money. A Frankensystem could be costing you jobs by not allowing your production leads to catalog opportunities while crews are onsite or by requiring your account managers to reference several sources to get information needed to assemble an estimate. Looking at the larger picture, the inability to provide professional and accurate estimates quickly could be limiting your ability to grow your relationship with your clients by preventing you from becoming a trusted resource for improving their landscapes.

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Lessons from the

BY TANIYA SPOLIA

estled at home, in the midst of a pandemic, homeowners took the last year-anda-half to invest in the space they could spend time in — their property. However, as demand for raw materials surged and production dipped, getting any work done was met with a hurdle: skyrocketing lumber prices. “I guess when [COVID-19] first happened, March or April of last year, and things got shut down — the expectation at the time was that construction would suffer,” says Mike Phillips, the executive director of the Ontario Structural Woods Association. “And so, primary manufacturers reduced operations, and whatnot, but then the reality was after a short period construction resumed and this whole sort of mania of consumers building decks, fences and home renovation projects just took off.” Demand for lumber went through the roof as people scrambled to make their work-from-home experience fit their new pandemic lifestyles. In tandem, supply remained tight as producers faced a limited ability to ramp-up production in light of atwork capacities and inventory shortages. “It’s made life complicated [for our members],

40 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

you know, having to tell your customers ‘it’s going to take me a bit longer than anticipated to get your products’ and things like that,” says Phillips. For customers, these supply issues have led to increased wait times, being unable to obtain certain products and of course, increased prices. Rajat Dham, a homeowner in Aurora, Ont., is tearing down an infilled bungalow and building a brand new home from the ground-up. “There’s two ways [increased prices] have impacted us,” explains Dham. “One is pricing itself — we were over budget before we even started the project. The second way it’s hurting us is that even though lumber prices have come down, it’s still on a very high note for consumers … since the demand is still so high, consumers are yet to see a direct benefit from the decrease.” With increased prices consuming the majority of his budget at the beginning of the project, it will leave less money for his landscaping, decks and other home-oriented expenses. Till now, Dham has been eating the majority of the increased costs and he doesn’t blame his contractor for it. “The price differential is so humongous that it will

eat into all his margins,” says Dham. ”It’s one of those things where you have to be a partner to your builder and understand that they’re actually paying much more for their lumber than they were before.” While some contractors have opted to shift price increases onto the consumer, other companies were forced to eat the costs themselves. Alex Guiry, a design consultant and project manager at Oakville, Ont. based Perfectview Decks and Landscaping, says jobs booked and priced before lumber prices skyrocketed have impacted the company’s bottom line. “So you get your jobs booked at old prices, which are a sliver of what they are now,” she explains. “By the time the projects rolled around, the price increases were huge. By mid-summer (2020), it felt like you were just bleeding money.” As a boutique contractor, Guiry also points to the fact that smaller companies don’t have the option to stockpile inventory like bigger organizations. This made sourcing material, especially last summer, nearly impossible. “It was literally like the Wild West,” she laughs. As COVID-19 continued, they were able to reduce the number of projects they were taking on — focusing on one customer at a time to deliver above-expectation results and manage the lumber crisis. In the summer of 2021 lumber prices started dropping. However, the dip could be as temporary as the surge, begging the question — what can companies do to mitigate price

fluctuation risks going forward? “It’s hard to control for these things, but it’s important to know these giant swings can happen,” says Guiry. “We’ve talked about not having fixed prices — like at a restaurant, where meat might depend on market price — but then guaranteeing that it’ll only be within a certain margin … so we’ve talked about it, but we’re also on the fence, like ‘Can we even do that, would consumers be okay with it?’” At the same time, she recognizes the risk is also part of doing business. According to Dham, however, this innate

Adam Papple, from Perfectview Decks and Landscaping, works on deck stairs at a job site in Oakville, Ont.

risk can perhaps be mitigated by diversifying material portfolios — especially exploring more sustainable options that are now pricing at par to traditional materials. “So, my frustration is — especially from a trades perspective — is that while a lot of things are beyond our control — the supply chain or the stock market, for example — there are also things in our control,” explains

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AUGUST 2021 | 41

Lumber prices peaked on May 7, 2021 at $1,686 USD per thousand board feet.

Dham. “The standard, or status quo, in control is in innovation and the modernization of technologies.” With an increased reliance on a single

42 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

commodity or product, like lumber, surges as such can have a drastic impact on everyone involved. Having other alternatives available for consumers can provide options that would

perhaps soften the blow when prices for commodities like lumber skyrocket. “The [price] gap between more ecofriendly, modern products and traditional materials have shrunk quite a bit,” says Dham. “I think it’s an interesting time for us to investigate why we aren’t exploring new materials and why it’s harder to get permits to use them. Right now, there are very few people and towns who have been proactively spending time and money to learn about and approve alternative products. “I think this is a great opportunity and responsibility the [lumber] industry can look into, and bring municipalities in as well. The demand for lumber — new houses, renovations and whatever else — is only going to increase.” Looking forward, the price of lumber, or any commodity, is unpredictable. Recognizing this, however, opens the opportunity to explore what companies can do to manage fluctuating costs, decrease single-product reliance and explore new alternatives and product LT innovations.

Communities in Bloom Canada and its partners are working together to encourage everyone to create Hope Gardens for 2021. Municipalities, organizations, schools, churches, clubs, businesses, and individuals can all participate by planting a Hope Garden featuring yellow, the international colour of hope. Share photos of your gardens on social media with the hashtag #hopeisgrowing. Visit hopeisgrowing.ca to register your garden, download an official Hope Garden Sign, and learn more about our contest! clearspace DNP

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MANAGEMENTSOLUTIONS

Reduce waste and build a better snow business No matter the size of the snow operation you run, we all have waste — costs that rob us of valuable profit and opportunity. BY MARK BRADLEY WASTE IS ANY PROCESS that does not add value to your

customer. In snow and ice, our customer’s value is simple. They pay us for safe lots, liability protection, snow removal or relocation (in some cases) and accurate billing. Almost everything else is a waste. How we get to their site, how we prep and fuel our trucks, where we pick up salt, how we pay our staff and how we track our vehicles during an event — all these processes are necessary for us, but they don’t provide any value to our customers. Your customers will not pay you more than your competition because you have to drive further for salt. All they want to pay for is a clean, safe and professional-looking property. As we’re busy and stretched for time, many of us stop questioning the problems, and waste, and accept them as the way we do business. Years slip by, and before we know it, we’re surrounded by waste that nobody questions and we fail to seek solutions. As you begin your preparations for the snow and ice season, question everything. Look at your business and all the time and money spent not serving your customers — then work to eliminate this waste. The process of removing waste is never-ending, but the journey will go a long way to ensuring your success. Here are just a few examples of waste that eat at snow contractors’ profits and potential rewards.

EQUIPMENT DOWNTIME

When a machine goes down, a design-build project schedule might slip for a day or two, but there’s no delaying snow and ice control. When your equipment goes down, your costs go up — and fast. You likely need to get the equipment to a dealer, wait in line behind the other 100 contractors needing an urgent repair, and then get the equipment back to the site. In the meantime, you’ve got to move replacement equipment to the site to complete the job, your labour costs are rising as you move equipment around, your staff is working longer and getting more tired and your customers get frustrated.

44 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

The cheapest repairs are the ones that don’t happen. Issue pre-and post-shift checklists to all operators that include preventive maintenance procedures. Look beyond the sticker price when you purchase equipment. Instead, buy from dealers with great service departments who carry a large inventory of parts. A few lost days waiting for parts will cost your company much more than you’ll save on the sticker price. Train your staff on inspections and simple repairs. A small tool and parts kit and a pre-season meeting to show your team how to perform simple maintenance can help them fix minor issues before they start to cost you money.

EQUIPMENT UTILIZATION

Unused equipment capacity is a big waste for many contractors who do snow in the winter and grounds maintenance in the summer. The right equipment purchase could be doing much more for your business. For example, agricultural tractors aren’t of much use for contractors in the summer. Instead, consider renting equipment for the snow season or buying construction loaders instead of farming tractors. A loader could be used or even rented out during the summer. Construction loaders cost more, but have more power, depreciate less, are more efficient at switching work tools and are more useful in the summer months for a landscape contractor.

MATERIAL WASTE

All you need to calibrate your salters is a scale, a bag or bucket and a watch, and yet most snow and ice contractors don’t make this simple investment in calibrating equipment. Improperly calibrated salters cause massive waste. Applying too much salt increases your material costs, while too little salt causes re-work, customer dissatisfaction and potential liability problems. Before the season hits, calibrate your salters to ensure proper application rates of salt and de-icing materials.

ESTIMATING WASTE

To price your work profitably, you have to be right on two sides of the same coin. You need precise quantities, and you need accurate prices. If you’re not accurate on both sides of this coin, you’re losing money. Unfortunately, all too often, contractors go to great lengths to estimate quantities accurately, then watch all that accuracy go to waste by pricing those quantities incorrectly. A loader or agricultural tractor, for instance, will have very different costs and prices, depending on who is using it. If Joe’s Landscape bills about 200 hours per year on the equipment while Greentree Landscape bills 1,200 hours per year, it’s highly likely that Greentree’s costs per hour are less than half of Joe’s. Joe may even be a little faster on the machine than Greentree, but if Joe tries to price his loader with Greentree’s charge-out rate, he will be out of money and out of business quickly. For both companies to price work successfully, they must know their cost per hour to run that machine. ●• U se online tools to measure site areas (Google Earth, Bing Maps and findlotsize.com are some free examples). ●• V isit sites to look for obstacles, problems, historical issues and other slow-downs that don’t show up on overhead pictures.

●• Know your costs: especially the hourly costs of your employees (wages, burden, downtime, etc.) and the hourly costs of your equipment (including purchasing, repairs, insurance, fuel, utilization, etc.). ●• Know your company: your prices must recover your costs and your overhead and desired profit.

SYSTEMS WASTE

Timely, accurate information ensures we pay our bills, our employees and invoice our customers accurately. However, time spent on these tasks is a waste. It doesn’t add value to the customer. Entering information into our systems is a waste. Mistakes in processing this information are waste. New technologies improve the accuracy and reduce the time (and people-hours) spent managing information — enabling your office to handle more work in less time and with fewer people. Smartphone time-keeping solutions electronically track employee times and locations and instantly import data into accounting for payroll and/or job-costing. GPS fleet systems track vehicle locations, site service records and even monitor driving habits. One person and a

screen can manage route changes, get site service updates and generate instant time and service reports in real-time, without having to disrupt field productivity with phone calls.

PRODUCTIVITY WASTE

We’ve all been there. It’s the first snow event of the year. Drivers are lost, running behind, looking at maps and site instructions, and trying to figure out their routes in the middle of an event. Mistakes happen. With a long-term focus on reducing the costs of waste, looking not just at the prices of improvement but the costs of not improving, I know you will find running your snow and ice business more simple, rewarding, and ultimately more profitable. LT

MARK BRADLEY

is CEO of LMN Software, and former CEO of TBG Environmental, both based in Ontario.

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ROADTOSUCCESS

Time to say goodbye BY ROD MCDONALD THERE COMES A TIME when each of us must call it a day, say our goodbyes and chart a new course. The time to say goodbye to On the Road to Success has arrived. My reason for leaving is two-fold. First, I am concerned that I am repeating myself, as I have been writing this column for 14 years. There are only so many ways I can phrase the basic concept that by taking care of your customers, your staff and your business affairs, everything will work out. Second, I have no desire to become a caricature of the old guy standing around saying, for all to hear, “in my day, we did it this way.” If I leave now, there is room for someone younger, with a different vision and viewpoint. In this column, I have often mentioned the small, family-owned greenhouse, two miles outside of Regina, where I work part time. When that family started out, they needed me to tell them where to buy products, as well as how to plant, sell, display and price plants. I was there to help them get up and running. I stepped back from the day-to-day operation of the greenhouse a couple of years ago and I am proud to say they are doing very well. Their hanging baskets are great and they have become very good growers. They don’t need me hanging around giving out advice. My role has changed and rightly so, as it should, with time. My job, now, is to clap and cheer and say “well done.” This is my 45th year in the trade, having started in 1977. I fell into the landscaping business, by happenstance, not by any plan of my own. I installed a new back lawn at my house, then one for my mother and then another for her neighbour. It was just me putzing around. However, after ordering sod for the third time, the supplier asked me if I would consider installing sod for his customers. I thought “why not,” and that was the beginning. In my second year, a customer asked me to pick up a tree from a local nursery and to plant it for him. After that introduction to the world of plants, I began asking other lawn customers if they wanted me to plant shrubs or trees for them. To my surprise, many people did. I began setting aside the money that I made from selling trees and shrubs. At the end of the season, I had earned enough to buy a new fridge and stove. I was on Easy Street. I soon outgrew my backyard and opened a retail operation on rented land. My plan was to sell only trees and shrubs, no bedding plants. But a friend told me, “You have to sell bedding plants! That is what people will be coming to buy.” I took his word for it, and found a company that sold me a 36 by 20 foot cold frame, telling me that I could set it up in two or three hours (hah!). My friend was right. People were buying bedding plants from my single poly, cold frame.

46 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Rod has coached boxing for many years and he plans to continue as long as his legs hold him up.

I started doing things that others in my locale were not doing. The local greenhouses allowed customers to buy their plants. There was little service offered and I believed that needed to change. Also, the local merchants would sell out by the end of May. I wondered where people would get their plants for the cottage or to fill in empty spots? I decided to stay open all summer. And it worked. There was a market for bedding plants well into June, July and even some customers into August. The first year or two, the garden centre owners laughed at me. But their laughter didn’t last long as they watched their market share diminish. I kept expanding every year. I bought my own acreage and built more greenhouses as well as a store. There were good people, well established in this trade, who helped me along my own road to success. I found a lifelong mentor in Dieter Martin of Langham, Sask., and I never regretted that relationship. Bud Boughen from Nipawin, Sask., was another source of good advice. Wade Harwell, based out of Calgary, Alta., pointed me in the right direction many times, and he would also warn me about people to avoid, which came in handy on more than one occasion. The best thing I ever did was to find solid advisers. Even more importantly, I was willing to truly listen. Being teachable is important at any stage in a career. Over my years in this trade of ours, I have seen many changes. When I started, nurseries sold bare root plants to their customers, both retail and wholesale. Garden centres had to pot up their bare root plants to extend their season. Container growing was relatively new to the trade, and the widely held belief was that container growing would never happen in the Prairies.

The second change was the expanded season approach to include year-round garden centres. People were convinced there was no season beyond May, and they would sell off stock at half price to clear out by the end of the month. I never believed in half price sales or wrapping up the season early and I took a lot of heat from customers who had come to expect big sales in late spring. The third change has been in the greenhouse part of the trade. At one time, all bedding plants were sold in papier mâché trays of 12 plants. There were few hanging baskets available, and the regular size for those was a six-inch pot, while a large size measured eight inches. Very few gardening aids were sold. If you were lucky, a hand-filled, plastic bag of plant food could be purchased. Today, garden centres sell an incredible number of products throughout the year. Landscapers have evolved to include fencing, decks, all types of brick work as well as water features, and today’s landscaping jobs can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The skills of today’s landscapers are amazing. I am impressed. Forty years ago, most landscapers did soil work, grading and sod installation. Very few carried out timber work and even fewer installed plants. What has not changed is the incredible and wonderful people in the green trades. People such as Kelvin Vanderveen, Hans de Jong, Rob Van Zanten, Gerry Aubin, John Byland, Bill Van Belle, Wilbert Ronald, Casey Van Vloten, Karl Stennson, Michel Touchette and others. All are honest, hard working people, who have always supported their customers. This business of ours is one of the last that runs on a handshake, where your word and your reputation are everything. I have thoroughly enjoyed my life in this trade. Thank you to all of the readers who have taken the time to write letters and notes of appreciation for this column. The positive feedback has always been appreciated. I was fortunate to have had three wonderful editors in Sarah Willis, Lee Ann Knudsen and Scott Barber. Writing for Landscape Trades has been a privilege. I leave with one last message to readers. Heather Lowe and I have worked together in this trade for 41 years. Heather asked me a few years ago what would I do differently if I were to start again. My answer was simple: In my younger days, I saw everything in black and white, and I was too hot headed. I burnt bridges when I should have been building them. I hope you all stay On the Road to Success. LT

AUGUST 2021 | 47

LEGALMATTERS

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IT IS WELL-ESTABLISHED that a

consultant acting as a contract administrator must be impartial and objective. This was made clear by the Supreme Court of Canada in the leading case of Kamlee Construction Ltd. v. Oakville (Town), a 1960 decision that has been applied consistently for the last 60 years. Generally speaking, under this line of cases, if the consultant was not impartial or did not act judicially in exercising its duties under the contract, the consultant’s findings will be void against the contractor. To what extent, however, can the incorrect findings of a consultant be challenged if he or she acted impartially? The issue was recently addressed in relation to progress certifications in Pentad Construction Inc. v. 2022988 Ontario Inc., 2021 ONSC 824, where the contract called for civil earthworks to be certified and approved by an authorized engineer before any amounts would become due and payable. After a number of the contractor’s interim invoices were paid, the engineer became concerned the contractor had been over-billing, and requested a topographical survey to verify quantities and then determined the contractor had been overpaid to that point (such that no amounts were due and payable). The contractor disagreed, suspended work and preserved a claim for lien. The Superior Justice held that because there was no fraud, bad faith or wilful neglect of duty, the engineer’s determination was (as per the contract) conclusive and binding on the parties, relying heavily on “about 150 years of jurisprudence.” The court confirmed the terms of the contract will govern, holding that where payment certifications are non-binding or “provisional” they will not have the same force as certifications that are final and binding. Some courts have gone so far as to hold that a consultant’s decisions should be entitled to deference wherever he or she is made the interpreter of the contract documents at first instance, as is the case, under CCDC standard form contracts. In Lawhill Ltd. v. Ontario, [2007] O.J. No.

4825, Master Sandler held as follows for Ontario’s Construction Lien Court at para 621: … a contractor has to show that a significant legal or factual error was made by the consultant to warrant relief being granted by the court. The same rationale was applied by the Alberta Queen’s Bench in ASC (AB) Facility Inc. v. Man-Shield (Alta) Construction (2018), 90 C.L.R. (4th) 159, where Justice Antonio was required to assess “the level of deference to be shown to the determinations made by the Consultant under the contract.” Her Honour referenced Heintzman and Goldsman on Canadian Building Contracts, which states that a consultant’s decisions will be “persuasive in the absence of compelling evidence to the contrary,” and binding “at least absent demonstrable and significant error, legal or factual.” Her Honour went on further explain her reasons, at para 19-20 of her decision: “The Consultant had access to the work site and the expertise to evaluate the work he saw. He was regularly involved with the parties, the work, the contract, and the parties’ interactions under the contract. He has expertise in relevant areas. The parties chose this person, equipped with these advantages, to make decisions about the state of completion of the work and any resulting contractual obligations. This Court lacks those advantages. Therefore, as a matter of contractual interpretation, precedent, academic rationale, and practicality, this Court will defer to the Consultant’s determinations on questions of fact, unless they reveal significant errors.” Justice Antonio went on to hold (correctly in our view) that if a contractually appointed consultant is required to make determinations of law, the standard of correctness should apply (such that no deference would be given).

In summary, it is well-established that the decisions of a consultant acting as contract administrator will be set aside if they were not made impartially and objectively. In addition, if the parties have contractually agreed that a consultant’s certification or approval is a condition precedent to payment, well-established case law holds that the consultant’s determinations in that regard will only be interfered with if fraud, bad faith or wilful disregard of duty can be found. In addition, in Ontario, non-appellate courts have held that a payment certifier’s determination as regards the substantial performance will be binding absent

“significant” error. Finally, lower-level courts in both Ontario and Alberta have held that where the consultant is the interpreter of the contract documents at first instance, deference should be granted to his or her findings of fact absent significant error or a failure to act judicially. In the end, contractors should consider the role of the consultant in bidding for contracts and ensure they have the right to dispute the consultant’s findings. Contractors should also take care to document any circumstance where the consultant may be exceeding its authority or acting without being impartial or objective.

Finally, contractors need to take care to ensure they meet any notice requirements set out in the contract for disputing a consultant’s finding. LT

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CNLANEWS

CELEBRATING A CENTURY Whenever possible, digitize your photos or other documents and send them to: info@cnla-acpp.ca With the subject line: 100 Year Anniversary Project If you prefer to send us an original or hard copy, please send it to: 100 Year Anniversary Project Green Trade Communications c/o Rita Weerdenburg 19-2407 Woodward Ave. Burlington, ON L7R 4J2 Please advise with an email that your package is on its way, including shipping details to: rita.weerdenburg@gmail.com An anniversary celebration is always a time for reflection, to think back on our many accomplishments, both large and small, along the way. As associations are all about the members, CNLA is looking to its outstanding members across Canada to share their memories and memorabilia as part of our Centennial Yearbook and Anniversary Archives’ project. Both will be unveiled at the CNLA 100th Anniversary Gala, planned for August 2022 in Ottawa, Ont. We invite all CNLA members to participate in this project by sending us old photos and any other relevant documentation you believe should be

a part of the association’s archives. Send us photos of past association events or other happenings of historical significance, including documents, old magazine articles, etc. – it’s all good and it all has a place in our archives. For any questions, comments or suggestions, please contact: Dave Mazur, Communications Specialist info@cnla-acpp.ca With the subject line: 100 Year Anniversary Project

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CNLANEWS NEW CNLA SAVINGS PROGRAM Merchant 1 Payments is a Canadian merchant service provider, which has been assisting businesses since 1999 by identifying cost savings for credit card processing. Members are encouraged to inform Merchant 1 Payments that they are a member of the CNLA to receive preferred pricing, which includes no setup or cancellation fees. For more information, or to begin the process, log in to the CNLA website.

GCC SUMMIT MOVES TO 2022

CNLA is hopeful the Garden Centres Canada Summit will take place next year at the Coast Edmonton Place Hotel in Edmonton. Located in the downtown district, it’s perfect for walking adventures to local museums, theatre and shopping. Retail garden centre owners and operators will gather from across Canada to discuss, share and debrief on many subjects, including the whirlwind of business throughout the pandemic. Registration will begin the evening of July 12, followed by an all-day bus tour to a variety of amazing independent garden centres on July 13 and a full day of industry speakers on July 14. Please look for updates in the Garden Centres Canada quarterly e-News, or contact Anne Kadwell directly at anne@cnla-acpp.ca.

SCOUTING BOX TREE MOTH

We have come to a time in the progression of the Box Tree Moth situation where it is now important for Canadian nursery growers, especially those in Ontario, to closely monitor their boxwood, incoming boxwood and their facility for any signs of the larvae or moth. Late in April, moths were trapped in a propagation greenhouse in Niagara, which is the first-time Box Tree Moth has been detected on a farm setting in Canada. This was a surprise to us all, as last year’s trapping did not indicate the presence of the moth outside of the Toronto core zone. Box Tree Moth overwinters as an early instar larva, wrapping itself in webbing between two leaves. This is referred to as a hibernarium. Larvae emerge in late April or early May, depending on the temperatures, and begin feeding on

boxwood leaves. They also leave webbing on the leaves, which is one of the most obvious signs of infestation. Since the small mouth parts of the larvae only remove the epidermal layer of the leaf, early instar feeding damage results in a characteristic windowpane effect. Later instars can eat the entire leaf, but leave the leaf margin behind, again another characteristic feeding sign of BTM larvae. Following pupation, the moth emerges and can fly up to 10 km from the site of its emergence. Eggs are laid by the moth on the underside of boxwood leaves, usually in a cluster of about 10 to 20 eggs and are very difficult to detect. The eggs hatch after about three days and the second generation begins. This second, or summer generation, is not as synchronous as the spring

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CNLANEWS

Box Tree Moth is an invasive pest that causes severe damage to boxwood.

one, with overlapping larvae and pupae stages. What this means though is there are two generations of adult moths per year. It is recommended that pheromone traps be placed around the perimeter of the host plant production area at a density of four traps per hectare or spaced no less than one every 100 metres. The traps should be hung from June 1 to September 30 and checked weekly. If you have a greenhouse used to propagate boxwood, place a trap inside the greenhouse as soon as mid-April. Box Tree Moth is not a regulated pest in Canada, but it is regulated in the United States. However, it is a pest of concern, which does require that a farm notify CFIA if they do detect any life stages of Box Tree Moth at their facility. Currently, there are no regulations for domestic movement of boxwood. The United States has imposed import requirements that include not just boxwood, but euonymus and ilex species too. To export these to the United States, CFIA must issue an additional declaration on the phytosanitary certificate prior to shipping. If exporting, please take extra precautions to ensure

the boxwood you are shipping is free of any signs of larvae or feeding damage. If this pest is found at a border inspection, the ramifications for future exports, although unknown, could be very significant. The Landscape Ontario Box Tree Moth Industry Working Group and the CFIA Technical Advisory Committee have been very active on this file since early 2019. As a result, there are many resources out there available for your use. To review these materials, it is highly recommended that you search Box Tree Moth on www.landscapeontario. com as well as on www.ONnurserycrops.com, an excellent blog from OMAFRA’s Nursery Specialist, Jen Llewellyn. CNLA has also been working on the development of a Box Tree Moth module for the Clean Plants program. The best management practices for the module are essentially complete. If you would like to receive a copy of these BMPS to help develop systems for your farm to monitor for Box Tree Moth, or if you have any questions on this pest, please contact: jamie@canadanursery.com. LT

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THE SALT DEPOT PROUDLY CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF BUSINESS. THANK YOU TO ALL OUR CUSTOMERS FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT AND LOYALTY. VISIT WWW.SALTDEPOT.CA FOR COMPLETE LISTING OF PRODUCTS & SERVICES.

THE SALT DEPOT 52 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

TIMM ENTERPRISES LTD. Office & Warehouse: 5204 Trafalgar Rd., Milton, ON L9E 0Y7 Sales 1-888-769-TIMM (8466) · Phone (905) 878-4244 · Fax (905) 878-7888 www.timmenterprises.com · sales@timmenterprises.com

PARTNER CONTENT

NEWSSCAPE BCLNA REINVENTS ITS TRADE SHOW IN MEMORIAM — CORNELIA HAHN OBERLANDER

The British Columbia Landscape & Nursery Association (BCLNA) has rebranded and reimagined its trade show, formerly known as CanWest Horticulture Expo. Operating since 1981, the CanWest Horticulture Expo was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19, providing BCLNA with the opportunity to review, re-evaluate and pivot the event into a new format. The new Grow West Coast Horticulture Trade Show (GWC) is an outdoor, market-style event accompanied by educational seminars. The event takes place Sept. 15 and 16 at Surrey City Hall Civic Plaza. “We are focusing on bringing a refreshed look, feel and experience for all of our horticulture industry peers and leaving the thoughts of the past year behind us as we celebrate what’s to come ahead,” said Heike Stippler, board chair of the BCLNA. “The relocation of the show to downtown Surrey, makes the event more easily accessible from anywhere in the Lower Mainland, and provides a five-star experience with everything from state-of-the-art accommodations to a unique outdoor market trade show. We are excited to gather with our friends, peers and colleagues once again in a safe manner.” For more information, visit growwestcoast.com.

Canadian landscape architect Cornelia Hahn Oberlander passed away May 22, 2021 at her home in Vancouver, B.C. She was 99 years-old. Born June 20, 1921 in Mülheim, Germany, Oberlander and her husband settled in Vancouver where she established her landscape architecture practice in 1953. A landscape architecture icon, Oberlander revolutionized outdoor urban play spaces and helped clear a path for women in the profession. She left her mark on many projects throughout Vancouver and around the world, including the VanDusen Botanical Garden visitor centre and a tranquil garden at Vancouver General Hospital. A Fellow of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA) and the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Oberlander received the inaugural Governor General’s Medal in Landscape Architecture from the CSLA in 2016 and the ASLA Medal four year prior. Also in 2016, she was admitted to the Order of British Columbia.

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR THE INTERNATIONAL GROWER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) is seeking nominations for the 2022 International Grower of the Year (IGOTY) Awards. The IGOTY Awards has championed outstanding achievement in the ornamentals sector since 2009, and recognizes best practices in horticultural production by nurseries from around the globe. The awards also aim to stimulate and promote best practices by giving global attention to outstanding producers and promoting knowledge throughout the industry. The deadline for candidates to enter the IGOTY Awards 2022 online is Sept. 10, 2021. Judging will then take place by a panel of industry experts who will assess the entrants on five key criteria, including: economic performance, innovation, market insight, sustainability and human resources policy. To find out more, visit www.aiph.org/events/igoty, or email events@aiph.org to enter.

ALT

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www.easternfarmmachinery.com 54 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

NEWSSCAPE CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY ON THE HUMBOLDT URBAN GARDEN SANCTUARY

More than three years ago, the community of Humboldt, Sask., was forever changed by the tragedy involving the Broncos hockey team. Now, the Humboldt Urban Garden Sanctuary (HUGS) is under construction, as a way to honour the victims and families of the tragedy. Located at the Humboldt District Health Complex, the project was created by Landscape Saskatchewan, Landscape Alberta and Communities in Bloom, with support from Scotts Canada and the City of Humboldt. A ceremonial tree planting was held in June to officially break ground on the reflective garden space. “We are extremely proud to be able to give back with this project, the tragedy in Humboldt impacted so many and we are thankful to help by creating a space of remembrance and healing for everyone touched by the tragedy,” said Leslie Cornell, past-president of Landscape

Saskatchewan and owner of Cornell Design & Landscaping in Moose Jaw. After setting the site as the Humboldt District Health Complex and creating a design brief, the HUGS steering group worked with Olds College horticultural Volunteers broke ground for the Humbolt Urban Garden Sanctuary in June 2021. students to hold a design event. Joy Newsham’s concept was selected, which features a variety of spaces seating areas will allow for either gathering of and uses that will provide a garden that is equal friends and family or quiet reflection. The feature parts memorial and healing space. area will also include a custom art sculpture by The garden will include accessible pathways local artist Murray Cook. to enjoy the variety of trees, shrubs and flowers Construction is expected to be complete by planted throughout the space. As well, several September 2021.

Jan 11-13, 2022

Jan 18-20, 2022

AUGUST 2021 | 55

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Steamworks Brewing Company, Para Space Landscaping Inc., the British Columbia Nursery and Landscape Association (BCNLA) and the Green Cities Foundation are collaborating on the renovation of an under-utilized area of Burnaby, B.C. The land will be transformed into a public green space for the benefit and enjoyment of North Burnaby residents and visitors of the area. A group of volunteers from the green industry in B.C. will be landscaping the space, and Steamworks will assume responsibility for the ongoing maintenance and stewardship of the land. “The landscape profession is proud to give back to our communities, and hopes that by partnering on projects like this we can raise awareness on the value of green spaces and the positive impacts to the community that they can provide,” said Jeff Foley, CEO of Para Space Landscaping Inc. and landscape chair of the BCNLA. The Green Cities Foundation is accepting donations to fund the project. For more information, visit www.gcfoundation.ca.

BRANDT TO ADD MORE THAN 1,000 NEW EMPLOYEES

The Brandt Group of Companies is expanding its workforce by more than 1,000 new employees by the end of the year. The new positions will span the Regina, Sask.-based company’s more than 100 locations in Canada and the United States. The company currently employs more than 3,400 people. “Looking ahead, the growth trend for Brandt is strong, so the timing is ideal to make a major investment in our team,” said Shaun Semple, CEO of the Brandt Group of Companies. The new hiring initiative will see Brandt’s workforce grow by about 30 per cent. About half of the new hires will be based in Saskatchewan, with 40 per cent spread out across Canada and the balance in the United States. The positions will include: skilled trades, sales, finance, marketing, customer support, IT and more, as the company expands its support team to meet the needs of a rapidly growing customer base. To view the available job opportunities, visit www.brandtjobs.com.

56 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

NEWSSCAPE

DRAMM BEGINS CONSTRUCTION OF NEW HEADQUARTERS

Construction is now underway on Dramm Corporation’s new headquarters in Manitowoc, Wis. The new 9,100 square-metre facility will be Dramm’s first building constructed specifically for the company. Dramm started as a basement operation and then moved into two smaller buildings in Manitowoc before purchasing its current facility. After four additions to its current headquarters, the current site is at capacity with no options to expand. “We are excited for this next stage of growth and glad to be doing it in Manitowoc,” said Dramm’s President, Hans Dramm. The new headquarters will feature a research greenhouse for testing and product demonstration, a testing facility and a large showroom. Warehouse construction is scheduled to be completed in October, while the office construction will be completed in May 2022.

The Landscaper is perfect for golf course builders, commercial landscapers, public works departments, earthscaping, construction sites, or any project requiring grading and reconditioning of a soil or gravel surface making it ideal to “finish” an entire site.

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URBAN GREENING INITIATIVE WELCOMES INAUGURAL MEMBERS

A new public-private research consortium created to address urban landscape challenges is now open for membership. Landscape Ontario joins as an inaugural member alongside Walker Industries. The consortium is led by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, which has led urban horticulture research through its Greening the Landscape program for the past decade. “The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of available and accessible urban greenspace and we expect this to figure prominently in future urban planning and design,” said Ian Potter, Vineland’s president and CEO. The consortium will lead urban greening research by setting research priorities that reflect industry needs and support its economic success. Consortium members will also have access to a range of other benefits, from training and skills development opportunities to network connections and emerging knowledge. “This is a unique opportunity for stakeholders across the industry to get in on the ground floor of an initiative that will shape the future of urban greening research and innovation across Canada,” said Tony DiGiovanni, executive director of Landscape Ontario. Various levels of consortium membership are available for a range of stakeholders, from landscape professionals to municipal governments. For more information on membership, contact darby.mcgrath@ vinelandresearch.com. LT

AUGUST 2021 | 57

NEWPRODUCTS

LITHIUM-ION BATTERY SYSTEM

MT26 MICROTRENCHER Ditch Witch introduces the MT26 microtrencher, part of a complete microtrenching system that includes the Ditch Witch RT80 ride-on trencher and HX75 vacuum excavator. Designed with a standard hydraulic plunge to provide variable depth control, the MT26 can cut a clean trench up to 76 mm wide and down to 66 cm deep.

Ditch Witch

www.ditchwitch.com

Dewalt introduces the Flexvolt 20V/60V Max 15Ah battery, the highest capacity lithium-ion battery offered as part of its cordless system. The new Flexvolt battery is designed to provide maximum runtime in heavy-duty commercial applications, including concrete and masonry, metalworking, building, and remodelling, Dewalt says.

Dewalt

www.dewalt.ca

CUB CADET’S ELECTRIC LINEUP

Cub Cadet launches a full-electric lineup of mowers and hand-held power equipment. The lithium-ion battery line features a zero-turn mower, two tractors and a walk-behind mower, as well as the 60 Volt Max chainsaw, hedge trimmer, leaf blower and string trimmer.

Cub Cadet

www.cubcadet.ca

Plant health made easy. Set the foundation for landscape success with sustainable products from Gro-Bark®.

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gro-bark.com 58 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

NATURAL SOIL GROWING MEDIA

PLAYGROUND SURFACING

1-800-gro-bark

NEWPRODUCTS BLUETOOTH X2 CONTROLLER The Wand Module for Hunter Industries’ X2 controller now includes software to enable the use of Bluetooth for Wi-Fi setup. The X2 controller for irrigation management provides a Wi-Fi option for remote management and advanced water-saving features using Hunter’s Hydrawise software. Using the Wand Module for X2 controllers, contractors can use their smartphones as a manual remote when Wi-Fi is unavailable or the controller is hard to access.

Hunter Industries

www.hunterindustries.com

NEXT GEN MINI EXCAVATORS Caterpillar unveils three new hydraulic mini excavators for the 2.7 to 3.5-tonne class, built on the company’s next generation platform. The new Cat 302.7 CR, 303 CR and 303.5 CR features Cat’s exclusive stick steer, cruise control, operator adjustable settings and a tilt-up canopy or cab as standard. Design enhancements for the 23.6 hp 302.7 CR, 303 CR and 303.5 CR deliver up to 10 per cent more performance in travel and trenching.

Caterpillar www.cat.com

HUSQVARNA 220IL BATTERY TRIMMER/EDGER Husqvarna adds the 220iL battery trimmer/edger to its Battery Handheld 200 Series. The 220iL battery trimmer/ edger features a Husqvarna exclusive dual-direction rotating head to control clippings and debris safely. The 220iL is also equipped with a push-button boost mode that delivers 20 per cent more power to tackle tough conditions.

Husqvarna

Sa ve the

Date

www.husqvarna.com

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

SNOWPOSIUM.CA AUGUST 2021 | 59

NEWPRODUCTS DRAMM FERTICARTS Dramm now offers 189 and 378 litre FertiCarts with agitation for larger fertigation needs. The new FertiCarts are available with batteryoperated recirculation agitation to keep chemicals and fertilizers in solution. The larger FertiCarts are designed for use with the 75 and 150 litreper-minute Dosatron injectors and come complete with all plumbing, including a 200 mesh filter and check valve to prevent damage from water hammer.

CORDLESS POLE SAWS Makita announces two new cordless pole saws with power equivalent to a 30 cc gas pole saw. The 36V LXT brushless cordless pole saw and the telescoping pole saw are capable of delivering 140 cuts in 4x4 cedar with two LXT 5.0Ah batteries. The saws deliver a 20 per cent faster cutting speed than a 31.4 cc gas engine pole saw, while torque boost mode helps power through thick or hard branches.

Dramm

www.dramm.com

Makita

www.makitatools.com

CONGRESS YEAR-LONG MARKETPLACE AND CONFERENCE FOR GREEN PROFESSIONALS

ADVERTISERS COMPANY Aspire Software

CLASSIFIEDS

WEBSITE

PAGE

youraspire.com

35, 39

Arctic Equipment Manufacturing Corp arcticsnowplows.com

Atlas Polar Company Ltd atlaspolar.com 38 Avant Tecno USA Inc

avanttecnousa.com 45

Bailey Nurseries

baileynurseries.com 20

Beaver Valley Stone Ltd

beavervalleystone.com 34

Best Way Stone Ltd

bestwaystone.com 33

Bobcat Company

bobcat.com 13

Boss Snowplow

bossplow.com 63

Coivic Specimen Trees Durham Artificial Grass

coivic.com 56

durhamartificialgrass.ca 57

Eastern Farm Machinery Ltd easternfarmmachinery.com 54 G&L Group

gandlgroup.com 29

Gro-Bark (Ontario) Ltd Horst Welding Husqvarna

gro-bark.com 58 horstwelding.com

28, 57

deere.com 16

Kubota Canada Ltd

kubota.ca 21

L&R Shelters Inc

lrshelters.ca 48

Manulift EMI Ltee

manulift.ca 53

Miller Compost – The Miller Group millercompost.ca

miskatrailers.com 64

Munger Lawnscape Distribution mungerlawnscape.com Muskoka Auto Parts Limited

muskokaauto.com

56 2, 3

Oaks Landscape Products oakspavers.com 49 PRO Landscape by Drafix Software prolandscape.com

Spring Meadow Nursery Inc springmeadownursery.com 15 Stihl Ltd The Salt Depot Timm Enterprises Ltd

stihl.ca 5 saltdepot.ca 52 timmenterprises.com 52

Turf Care Products Canada Ltd turfcare.ca Whites Wearparts Ltd

whiteswearparts.com 32

Windy Ridge Corporation stonehook.com 47 WPE Landscape Equipment Zander Sod Co Ltd

BRYDGES LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE IS HIRING! An award-winning member of Landscape Ontario, Brydges Landscape Architecture is looking for a long term dynamic Landscape Designer to add to our growing team! This individual should have minimum 2 years of full -time work experience in residential design and have strong hand graphic skills. Opportunities for continuing education and collaboration with like-minded Individuals. Must have a valid G Licence and love dogs. Brydges Landscape Architecture prides itself in its ability to create unique, maintainable, and environmentally responsible designs for our diverse client base. To apply to this position, please email office@brydgesla.ca

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE AND SNOW REMOVAL CLIENT BASE FOR SALE Owner of a Landscape Maintenance and Snow Removal Service in business for more than 30 years has contracted an independent third-party (contact below) to accept offers and discuss the sale of an attractive block of clients which make up a substantial market share in the west Burlington area. Owner is looking to downsize and enjoy more time with his family and if a fair deal can be made, will divest himself of a number of his major commercial/residential clients. This small portion of his revenue generation amounts to $80,000 in annual contract revenues, not including any extra work. All contacts will be completed in the strictest of confidence. Interested parties will be required to sign a Non-Compete and Non-disclosure Agreement prior to any discussions taking place. Contact: Vanessa Stockham • 905-537-2024

husqvarna.ca 25

John Deere Limited

Miska Trailers

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

wpeequipment.ca

26, 27

EVENTS SEPT. 15-16

GROW WEST COAST HORTICULTURE TRADE SHOW Surrey, B.C. growwestcoastshow.com SEPT. 28-30

GARDEN CENTER CONFERENCE & EXPO Orlando, Fla. gardencentreconference.com NOV. 18-19

GREEN INDUSTRY SHOW AND CONFERENCE Red Deer, Atla. greenindustryshow.com JAN. 11-13, 2022,

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO CONGRESS Toronto, Ont. locongress.com APRIL 14 - OCT. 9, 2022

FLORIEADE HORTICULTURE EXPO Amsterdam, Netherlands floriade.com

zandersod.com 51

AUGUST 2021 | 61

MENTORMOMENT

Reducing salt output NICHOLE ASHTON is a trainer and the contractor

representative for the Smart About Salt Council (SASC). The council was created in 2010 in an effort to protect fresh water from salt used in winter maintenance.

Why is it important for you to educate fellow contractors on the benefits of reducing salt use?

I love competition. Every time I teach, there’s always someone that tells me that nothing is going to change. I tell them that 40 years ago smoking was cool, everyone was doing it. Now you can’t smoke anywhere. I’ll also ask, “10 years ago, did anyone call to complain about too much salt?” Then I will ask how many calls they received last year about too much salt, and they can’t tell you. The industry is changing. There’s more people fighting to save the environment, with the wrong information. Contractors have to be prepared and ready to educate their customers, so we can better the industry together.

What are some of the challenges involved in delivering training for SASC?

Getting people to communicate is probably the biggest challenge. On the Smart About Salt board we have water guys, insurance people, a lawyer and plenty of environmentalists. We have plenty of tree huggers and water savers, but I’m the only contractor. It can be a struggle a lot of the times when we have conversations. Their clientele is people like me, the rough around the edges contractors. And you have to speak our language. You have to speak contractor. If any of these environmentalists tells the contractor to put down less salt, they’re going to tell them to pound salt. It’s their liability. It’s their livelihood. You have to give them the information and tools for them to understand and make an informed decision to change it.

Do you believe SASC has effectively reduced the amount of salt used by the industry?

Absolutely. I think everyone that takes the training learns something. I think the industry has become much better. We’ve heard reports of people reducing their salt consumption by 30 or 40 per cent, just by tracking it. A lot of them would never track it. When you start tracking and training your employees, you give them the knowledge and power to make some informed decisions.

62 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Are there any new issues winter maintenance contractors should have on their radar?

Management companies. It’s getting bigger and bigger and more prevalent in Canada. The management company model came into effect in New York State probably about 10 to 15 years ago. Big brands with multiple franchises will hire a management company that will use bidding to find vendors to do the work. They take their percentage off the top, then give the rest to the vendor. So, they find a vendor that’s going to do all of the work and take all of the liability.

What advice would you offer to a Canadian contractor to combat incoming management companies?

Know your needs and know your price to do a job. Then, be ready to fight for it. Management companies are going to come in and say, “Hey can you take this site for this much money?” Don’t just take it. However, a lot of smaller companies will take it.

Last year, you wrote a column for LT explaining winter maintenance insurance issues, is there any movement toward a reasonable solution?

Not even close and it’s getting worse. If you used to slip and fall 20 years ago, you’d look around to see if anyone saw it, because you were embarrassed. Today, people will slip and fall and look around for a witness. In Ontario, we’re in the process of passing Bill 118. That will require no more than 60 days to file a notice of intent to sue. That will be huge. It will get rid of a lot of those cases of “I’m going to sue you because I can.” If you’re really hurt, and you need to sue someone, you would know within 60 days.

You’ve described your profession as the “doctors that deliver the cure for winter.” Is that part of the draw to the industry?

Yes, and the more that we educate them on it, the more excited they are. Snow removal is an emergency service. We save more lives than firemen. When you train it that way, it’s not just a job. They’re not just shovelling snow, they’re protecting people. All of these guys that love video games, this is a live video game. It’s war. LT If you have a mentor to recommend or a question to suggest, please write to comments@landscapetrades.com.

It’s What Drives Us. Open roads mean open doors. And open doors mean your town is open for business. BOSS helps you quickly and efficiently RESTORE ORDER to roads, schools and storefronts. And no matter what winter throws your way, BOSS will always be there to BACK YOU UP.

#KeepEmOpen Ask your BOSS Dealer for more information or visit bossplow.com. ©2021 BOSS Products. All Rights Reserved. The “f” logo is a registered trademark/service mark of Facebook, Inc. The Twitter logo is a registered trademark/service mark of Twitter, Inc. The YouTube logo is a trademark/service mark of Google LLC. The “in” logo is a registered service mark of LinkedIn Corporation. The Instagram logo is a registered service mark of Instagram, LLC. The Blogger logo is a registered service mark of Google LLC. All other trademarks belong to BOSS Snowplow.

Landscape Trades - August 2021

Articles inside

MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

ROAD TO SUCCESS

LESSONS FROM THE LUMBER PRICE SPIKE

SALT COLLECTION SITES AROUND THE WORLD

THE SHIFT FROM GREY TO GREEN

APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION

MENTOR MOMENT