Landscape Ontario - December 2011 by Landscape Ontario

CONNECT

Grow and prosper from the connections made at our events • Increase brand recognition • Discover new customers • Capitalize on new markets • Source new suppliers

GreenTrade Expo Eastern Ontario’s Green Trade Show

Co-located with the National Home Show

INDUSTRY TRADE EVENT

CANADA’S GARDEN FESTIVAL

Canada’s fall show for the floral and garden industry

Canada’s International Horticultural Lawn and Garden Trade Show and Conference

February 15, 2012 Capital Exhibition Centre Ottawa, Ontario

March 16 - 25, 2012

RETAIL TRADE EVENT

INDUSTRY TRADE EVENT

Direct Energy Centre

October 17-18, 2012 Toronto Congress Centre North Building, Toronto, Ontario

South Building, Toronto Congress Centre

loexpo.ca

locongress.com

greentrade.ca

Toronto, Ontario

canadablooms.com

For exhibitor or visitor information call: 1-800-265-5656 2 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO DECEMBER, 2011

January 8 – 10, 2013 Toronto, Ontario

S’ GO te c.)

Formerly Horticulture Review December, 2011 • Volume 29, No. 12

www.horttrades.com

Landscape Ontario’s mandate is to be the leader in representing, promoting and fostering a favourable environment for the advancement of the horticultural industry in Ontario.

6 FEATURES

Day of Tribute Congress 2012 Waterloo Tree Hunt

9 ASSOCIATION NEWS

Windsor Chapter Awards Ottawa Cancer Park Waterloo school project Annual General Meeting Snow and Ice comes back home Upper Canada Award In memoriam

14 Events 15 Industry NEWS Accessibility Act WSIB 2012 rates Alternative trees

18 Annual Report

Publisher Lee Ann Knudsen CLP

60 New Members

Editorial Director Sarah Willis

56 Meet the staff

Editor Allan Dennis

20 COLUMNS

57 Underground 58 Irrigation research project 59 Smart about Salt 60 Membership 61 Safety and Training 62 Public Relations 63 Executive Director 64 LO President 66 Prosperity Partners

65 Classifeds 67 Ad Index ISSN 0823-8472 Publications Mail Agreement No. PM40013519

lak@landscapeontario.com, 416-848-7557 sarahw@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5424 adennis@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5345

Graphic Designer Mike Wasilewski

mikew@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5343

Sales manager Steve Moyer

stevemoyer@landscapeontario.com, 416-848-0708

Communications coordinator Shawna Barrett skbarrett@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5305

Accountant Joe Sabatino

jsabatino@landscapeontario.com, 647-724-8585

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO STAFF

Carla Bailey, Kim Burton, Rachel Cerelli, Paul Day CDE, Lexi Dearborn, Tony DiGiovanni CHT, Rob Ellidge, Denis Flanagan CLD, Sally Harvey CLT CLP, Helen Hassard, Lorraine Ivanoff, Jane Leworthy, Kristen McIntyre CHT, Kathy McLean, Linda Nodello, Kathleen Pugliese, Paul Ronan, Ian Service, Tom Somerville, Martha Walsh

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Department Landscape Ontario 7856 Fifth Line South Milton, ON L9T 2X8 Canada

Views expressed are those of the writer concerned. Landscape Ontario assumes no responsibility for the validity or correctness of any opinions or references made by the author. Copyright 2011, reproduction or the use of whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited. Published 12x per year. Rates and deadlines are available on request. Subscription price: $43.51 per year (HST included). For subscription and address changes, please e-mail subscriptions@landscapeontario.com

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Positive feedback, and some history By Lee Ann Knudsen CLP

am happy to report positive and enthusiastic response to the new look and name for your member magazine, launched with last month’s issue. Inspiration for the change came several years ago, when forward-looking members of LO’s Branding Committee devised the marketing plan that led to enhanced visibility for the green industry, new customers for member businesses and a new brand identity for Landscape Ontario. The marketing plan

called for members to use their points of contact with the public to promote Green for Life. During the early stages of the effort, several Branding Committee members voiced a strong belief that LO members and sectors must live and breathe Green for Life — that success depended on the new identity carrying through to our trade-targeted communications, as well as our public face. More background on Green for Life can be found on page 33, in the LO Annual Report section. The committee members listed in the report all contributed to Green for Life’s phenomenal success. When it comes to those who believed in using our trade communication opportunities specifically to promote

the program, Paul Doornbos, Alan White and Tim Kearney deserve special mention. Thank you, gentlemen, for your convictions and commitment! Thanks are also due to the members who took time to provide feedback on the rebranded magazine — through both correspondence and survey responses collected through our weekly e-broadcast, LO This Week. According to results, you overwhelmingly like the new look, approve of Landscape Ontario magazine’s reorganized structure, and feel it serves member needs well. To the sole dissenting respondent, we hope to win your approval and confidence over time. And to those who offered comments, we will take your suggestions to heart, and will look into implementing your ideas in the future. With the end of 2011, Landscape Ontario magazine hopes to offer a higher level of service to Ontario’s green industry in the New Year. Merry Christmas to all.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 3

Botanical Name

Qty. 1 Gal Qty. 2 Gal Qty. 3 Gal Avail. Price Avail. Price Avail. Price

VINES Ampelopsis glandulosa Elegans 432 8.00 Campsis radicans Balboa Sunset 462 8.00 Celastrus orbiculatus Diana 210 8.00 Celastrus orbiculatus Hercules 260 8.00 Celastrus scandens 460 8.00 Hydrangea anomala petiolaris 152 6.00 453 13.00 Lonicera brownii Dropmore Scarlet 205 8.00 Lonicera heckrottii Goldflame 200 8.00 Lonicera japonica Halls Prolific 320 6.00 270 8.00 Parthenocissus quinq. Engelmannii 242 6.00 844 8.00 Parthenocissus quinquefolia 1,000 6.00 Parthenocissus tricus. Veitchii 1,000 6.00 Polygonum aubertii 1,000 6.00 Vitis riparia 365 8.00

EVERGREENS

Azalea Golden Lights 266 13.50 Azalea Mandarin Lights 251 13.50 Azalea Orchid Lights 474 13.50 Buxus Faulkner 246 5.00 934 11.00 Buxus microphylla 556 5.00 42 11.00 Buxus X Green Gem 844 5.20 1,000 11.20 Buxus X Green Mound 1,000 5.00 1,000 11.00 Buxus X Green Mountain 1,000 5.00 1,000 11.00 Buxus X Green Velvet 1,000 5.20 774 11.20 Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Pygmaea’ 230 15.00 Chamaecyparis pisifera Aurea Sungold 6 5.00 311 11.00 Chamaecyparis pisifera Filifera 172 5.00 284 11.00 Chamaecyparis pisifera Filifera Aurea 325 11.00 Cotoneaster dammeri Coral Beauty 1,000 5.00 752 7.00 Cotoneaster dammeri Major 599 7.00 Cotoneaster salicifolius Repens 716 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Canadale Gold 723 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Coloratus 1,000 5.00 Euonymus fortunei Emerald Gaiety 1,000 5.00 1,000 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Goldtip 333 7.00 Euonymus fortunei Sarcoxie 443 7.00 Ilex X meserveae Blue Prince 500 6.00 275 13.00 Ilex X meserveae Blue Princess 840 6.00 623 13.00 Juniperus chinensis Gold Coast 160 5.00 495 11.00 Juniperus chinensis Gold Star 310 5.00 350 11.00 Juniperus chinensis Mint Julep 390 5.00 401 11.00 Juniperus chinensis Pfitz. Compacta 205 5.00 383 11.00 Juniperus chinensis San Jose 41 5.00 312 11.00 Juniperus communis Repanda 386 5.00 223 11.00 Juniperus conferta Blue Pacific 550 5.00 180 11.00 Juniperus horizontalis Andorra Compacta 277 5.00 432 11.00 Juniperus horizontalis Bar Harbor 289 5.00 298 11.00 Juniperus horizontalis Icee Blue 989 6.00 821 13.00 Juniperus horizontalis Lime Glow 205 6.50 74 13.50 Juniperus horizontalis Prince of Wales 419 5.00 106 11.00 Juniperus horizontalis Wiltonii 445 5.00 668 11.00 Juniperus horizontalis Yukon Belle 355 5.00 300 11.00 Juniperus media Armstrongii 122 5.00 308 11.00 Juniperus procumbens nana 53 5.00 420 11.00 Juniperus sabina 276 5.00 93 11.00 Juniperus sabina Buffalo 41 6.00 152 13.00 Juniperus sabina Calgary Carpet 131 6.00 132 13.00 Juniperus sabina Skandia 150 6.00 191 13.00 Juniperus squamata Blue Carpet 96 5.00 254 11.00 Juniperus squamata Blue Star 360 11.00 Metasequoia glyptostroboides 1,000 7.00 Microbiota decussata 55 5.00 275 11.00 Myrica pensylvanica 1,000 7.00 Picea abies 279 7.00 135 11.00

4 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO DECEMBER, 2011

Botanical Name

Qty. 1 Gal Qty. 2 Gal Qty. 3 Gal Avail. Price Avail. Price Avail. Price

Picea glauca Conica 541 Picea omorika 201 7.00 Picea pungens glauca 230 7.00 Picea pungens Globosa 40 5.00 267 Pieris japonica Mountain Fire 200 Pinus mugo var. mugo 1,000 Rhododendron ‘Nova Zembla’ 200 Taxus cuspidata Aurescens 403 Taxus cuspidata Monloo 400 Taxus cuspidata nana 56 6.50 290 Taxus X media Densiformis 1,000 6.00 854 Taxus X media Hicksii 1,000 6.00 1,000 Taxus X media Hillii 630 6.00 209 Taxus X media Wardii 648 6.00 846 Thuja occidentalis 613 Thuja occidentalis Nigra 738 5.00 597 Thuja occidentalis Smaragd 851 5.00 1,000 Thuja occidentalis Wintergreen 1,000 5.00 592 Thuja plicata Spring Grove 680 Tsuga canadensis 206 5.00 207 Tsuga canadensis Jeddeloh 386 Tsuga canadensis Pendula 250

13.00 22.00 11.00 11.00 15.00 18.50 15.00 13.50 13.50 13.50 13.50 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 13.50 13.50

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS Acanthopanax sieboldianus 392 7.00 Acer ginnala 292 7.00 30 8.00 Acer rubrum 856 7.00 Amelanchier canadensis 104 7.00 200 9.50 Amelanchier humilis 442 7.00 Aronia mel. Autumn Magic 219 7.00 Berberis thunbergii Aurea nana 140 6.00 300 13.50 Berberis thunbergii Concorde 75 6.00 99 9.50 100 13.50 Berberis thunbergii Rose Glow 270 6.00 299 9.50 Berberis thunbergii Royal Cloak 601 6.00 82 9.50 70 13.50 Berberis x Emerald Carousel 287 9.50 Betula alleghaniensis 200 7.00 Betula nigra 465 7.00 Buddleia davidii Black Knight 275 7.00 Buddleia davidii Ellens Blue 450 7.00 Buddleia davidii Ile de France 704 7.00 Buddleia davidii Nanho Purple 337 7.00 Buddleia davidii Petite Plum 400 7.00 Buddleia davidii Pink Delight 460 7.00 Buddleia davidii Purple Prince 773 7.00 Buddleia davidii Royal Red 336 7.00 Caryopteris clandonensis Dark Knight 246 7.00 Caryopteris clandonensis Grand Blue 417 7.35 Caryopteris clandonensis Worchester Gold 344 7.00 Celtis occidentalis 578 7.00 Cercis canadensis 460 7.00 Chaenomeles speciosa Nivalis 412 7.00 Chaenomeles speciosa Rubra 956 7.00 Chaenomeles speciosa Texas Scarlet 495 7.00 Chaenomeles sup.Crimson and Gold 243 7.00 Clethra alnifolia Hummingbird 223 7.00 Clethra alnifolia Pink Spire 580 7.00 Cornus alba Elegantissima 293 7.00 Cornus alba Red Gnome 460 7.00 Cornus alternifolia 1,000 7.00 Cornus amomum 891 7.00 Cornus kousa chinensis 300 7.00 Cornus racemosa 1,000 7.00 Cornus sanguinea Midwinter Fire 354 7.00 Cornus stolonifera Kelseyi 439 7.00 Cotinus coggygria Royal Purple 371 11.00 Cotoneaster apiculatus 292 7.00

Many More Cultivars and sizes available

Botanical Name

Qty. 1 Gal Qty. 2 Gal Qty. 3 Gal Avail. Price Avail. Price Avail. Price

Cotoneaster horizontalis 643 7.00 Cotoneaster preacox Boer 1,000 7.00 Deutzia crenata Nikko 773 7.00 Deutzia gracilis 910 7.00 Diervilla lonicera 556 7.00 Euonymus alatus 255 5.00 764 8.00 Euonymus alatus Compactus 1,000 5.00 550 8.00 967 10.00 Fagus sylvatica Purpurea 533 7.00 Forsythia Kumson 477 7.00 Forsythia ovata Ottawa 930 7.00 Forsythia X inter. Northern Gold 1,000 7.00 Forsythia X intermedia Goldtide 443 7.00 Forsythia X intermedia Lynwood 420 7.00 Fothergilla gardenii ‘Mount Airy’ 300 1.00 Genista tinctoria Royal Gold 314 7.00 Gymnocladus dioica 169 7.00 180 9.50 Hibiscus syriacus Aphrodite 319 5.00 70 10.00 Hibiscus syriacus Diana 450 5.00 312 10.00 Hibiscus syriacus White Chiffon 72 5.60 197 10.60 Hibiscus syriacus Woodbridge 390 5.00 200 10.00 Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle 882 7.00 1,000 10.50 Hydrangea macr. Nikko Blue 211 8.00 Hydrangea paniculata Pink Diamond 399 7.00 Hydrangea paniculata Pinky Winky 376 7.60 Hydrangea paniculata Tardiva 345 7.00 Hydrangea paniculata Vanille Fraise 288 9.00 Hydrangea serrata Bluebird 440 7.00 Ilex verticillata 351 7.00 Ilex verticillata Afterglow 1,000 7.00 Ilex verticillata Southern Gentleman 507 7.00 Itea virginica Henrys Garnet 791 7.00 Kolkwitzia amabilis Pink Cloud 818 7.00 Ligustrum ovalufolium 278 7.00 Ligustrum vulgaris 333 7.00 Lindera benzoin 400 7.00 Liriodendron tulipefera 335 8.50 Lonicera tatarica 231 7.00 Lonicera tatarica Arnold Red 1,000 7.00 Lonicera xylosteum Claveys Dwarf 548 7.00 Lonicera xylosteum Emerald Mound 1,000 7.00 Lonicera xylosteum Miniglobe 555 7.00 Magnolia stellata Royal Star 307 15.00 Magnolia X Butterfly 238 15.00 Magnolia X loebneri Leonard Messel 331 15.00 Nyssa sylvatica 240 7.00 Philadelphus coronarius Aureus 607 7.00 Philadelphus Innocence 863 7.00 Philadelphus Minnesota Snowflake 341 7.00 Philadelphus Natchez 238 7.00 Philadelphus X virginalis 295 7.00 Physocarpus opulifolius 1,000 7.00 Physocarpus opulifolius Dart’s Gold 1,000 7.00 Physocarpus opulifolius Diabolo 1,000 7.60 Physocarpus opulifolius Seward 657 9.85 Populus deltoides 450 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Dakota Sunrise 793 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Gold Drop 1,000 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Goldstar 268 7.00 Potentilla fruticosa Mango Tango 503 7.00 Prunus cistena 399 5.00 1,000 7.00 23 8.00 Prunus virginiana 426 7.00 Quercus macrocarpa 393 7.00 41 8.00 Quercus robur Fastigiata 633 9.00 Quercus rubrum 720 7.00 Rhus typhina 1,000 7.00 Rhus typhina Tiger Eyes 15 10.50 239 16.50

Botanical Name

Qty. 1 Gal Qty. 2 Gal Qty. 3 Gal Avail. Price Avail. Price Avail. Price

Ribes alpinum Rosa Bonica Rosa J P Connell Rosa John Cabot Rosa rubrifolia Rosa rugosa Rosa rugosa Alba Rosa x Champlain Rosa x George Vancouver Rosa x Royal Edward Salix bebbiana Salix caprea Salix eriocephala Salix exigua Salix gracilis Purpurea Nana Salix nigra Salix repens Sambucus canadensis Sambucus canadensis Aurea Sambucus nigra Black Lace Sambucus pubens Sorbaria aitchisonii Sorbaria sorbifolia Sorbaria sorbifolia Sem Spiraea alba Spiraea arguta Spiraea betulifolia Tor Spiraea bumalda Gold Mound Spiraea japonica Anthony Waterer Spiraea japonica Crispa Spiraea japonica Dakota Goldcharm Spiraea japonica Flaming Mound Spiraea japonica Froebelii Spiraea japonica Golden Princess Spiraea japonica Goldflame Spiraea japonica Magic Carpet Spiraea japonica Shirobana (Genpei) Spiraea japonica White Gold Spiraea nipponica Snowmound Spiraea vanhouttei Stephanandra incisa Crispa Symphoricarpos albus Symphoricarpos chenaultii Hancock Syringa meyeri Palibin Syringa patula Miss Kim Syringa vulgaris Tilia americana Viburnum dentatum Viburnum dentatum Chicago Lustre Viburnum lentago Viburnum nudum Winterthur Viburnum opulus Nanum Viburnum plic. Summer Snowflake Viburnum plicatum Mariesii Viburnum plicatum Shasta Viburnum trilobum Viburnum trilobum Bailey Compact Weigela florida Bristol Ruby Weigela florida Bristol Snowflake Weigela florida Elvira Weigela florida French Lace Weigela florida Java Red Weigela florida Minuet Weigela florida Nana Variegata Weigela florida Rumba Weigela florida Victoria

1,000 465 252 335 310 552 249 430 265 314 806 1,000 212 1,000 880 288 263 997 1,000 75 225 495 1,000 125 1,000 276 255 1,000 568 922 511 725 1,000 688 1,000 1,000 386 478 346 406 1,000 1,000 251 1,000 1,000 833 328 489 642 1,000 359 380 446 408 340 1,000 685 265 337 199 343 200 299 932 546 212

7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 9.50 100 7.00 7.00 7.00 8.00 298 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.25 7.00 211 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 8.00 8.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 5 7.00 7.00 9.00 9.00 9.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 9.60 9.60 7.00 8.00 7.00 7.00 7.00

13.50

9.50

8.00

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 5 RR 2, Mount Brydges, ON N0L 1W0 • Tel: 519-264-9057 • Fax: 519-264-1337

LO volunteers keep the military cemetery beautiful.

Ottawa Chapter continues to honour Canada’s fallen soldiers Since its inception in 2005, officially designated the Year of the Veteran, the Ottawa Chapter’s Day of Tribute has maintained through volunteer work, the burial grounds of Canada’s fallen soldiers at the National Military Cemetery Beechwood in Ottawa. “I am very proud to be involved with this project,” says event chairperson Sharon Rouette-Urquhart of Green Unlimited in Ottawa. She has been involved with the project since the beginning. Many Chapter members say it’s an opportunity to honour the military and their families through beautification of final resting places of military veterans. This is the sixth year Chapter members have supported this initiative. “I find myself continually impressed by the level of commitment that members of the green industry have in supporting a volunteer project such as this,” said Rouette-Urquhart. “I have had the honour of meeting and working with wonderful people who care for their community in any way they can. I see an earnest desire in those around me to show some appreciation for our Canadian soldiers and their families, so I am very pleased to be able to take part in coordinating this project.” The Chapter created a banner specially for the event, along with red T-shirts as a symbol of support for the military on Red Fridays. The event took place on Fri., Oct. 28. Sponsors of the Day of Tribute were Bradley’s Insurance, Norleans Technolo-

6 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO DECEMBER, 2011

gies. Product suppliers: Greenspace, Peter Knippel Nurseries, Ritchie Feed and Seed, Peter Smit and Sons Inc., Green Unlimited and Weed Man. Special thanks to the members from Green Unlimited, Bradley’s Insurance, Geosynthetic Systems, Clintar Landscape Management — Ottawa, La fleur de la Capitale, Weed Man, Hirsig Landscapes, and Peter Smit and Sons, whose work ensured the success of the day. Dignitaries and Ottawa Chapter members present: Major Jo-Anne FlawnLaforge DND DCSM, Brigadier General David Kettle, Commonwealth War Graves

Commission, Warrant Officer Christopher Robin, Retired Chief Warrant Officer Dan Bradley, Roger Boult of Beechwood Cemetery, Chris Burns LO Ottawa President, directors Stacy Elliott of Bradley’s Insurance, Jim Curran of Lafleur de la Capitale; there in spirit, committee member and Ottawa director Kelly Mulrooney-Cote of Geosynthetic Systems. A complete selection of photographs from the day can be found on the Ottawa Chapter Facebook page that can be accessed from www.horttrades.com/ chapter/ottawa.

Many of the crew who took part in Ottawa Chapter’s Day of Tribute.

Tools for the Trade are all at Congress 2012 Top up your toolbox! Trim your costs, sharpen your skills and build your professional edge at Conference at Congress 2012. It all takes place on Jan. 9, 10, 11 and 12. The 39th edition of Landscape Ontario’s trade show – Congress – is scheduled for Jan. 10 to 12 at the Toronto Congress Centre. The 2012 edition promises to be the premier networking event of the year with everything from outstanding exhibits and an enlightening New Products Showcase to value-added education and not-tobe-missed events such as the Awards of Excellence ceremony and Tailgate Party XVI.

operations manager from the City of Cambridge, to the head of horticulture at the Royal Botanical Garden in Burlington, to the City of Chicago’s director of green initiatives. This annual event attracts parks and open space professionals from across the province, including frontline staff to directors and elected officials. The Certified Landscape Professional Study Group will also be available on Monday, with an exam writing option at the end of the day. Human resources and leader-

choose from, attendees have many, many options to expand their knowledge. New for 2012, each day will feature owners-only workshops to drill down into business operations. Also new this year, all conference pass holders are invited to lunch sessions with business-focused chat sessions as part of a value added initiative. Each day at 2 p.m. will feature a session, free to all trade show attendees. Green Roofs for Healthy Cities will hold three green roof workshops on Thursday afternoon.

Special events

Held in conjunction with Congress, the Awards of Excellence ceremony for Pre-trade the landscape conshow events, struction, mainteMon., Jan. 9 nance and design The 47th Annual programs will take IPM Symposium place at the Doublereturns to the Contree by Hilton Hotel gress Centre, Cohen on Jan. 10. The cerBallroom. Times emony is preceded have changed, by LO president Tom and the program is Intven’s wine and Congress is more than a trade show. There are conferences, awards, networking and even dancing. revamped to add cheese reception. more value and be Tickets can be purmore relevant than ever for both lawn and ship will be the focus. chased at www.locongress.com. tree care companies, as well as The Irrigation Conference has been Soak up some history! Also on Tuesday, municipalities. reformatted and moves to Wednesday the Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation The 2012 theme ‘Managing Turf, Trees afternoon. This will include lunch, allowing is hosting the Legacy Room. It’s an opporand Expectations’ will see noted indusattendees to enjoy the trade show in the tunity to drop in and network with memtry experts enlighten the audience. Also morning and network at the irrigation conbers and pioneers of the association. Light available will be a sponsor showcase and ference in the afternoon. The 2012 edition refreshments will be served, and the invitaattendees can earn eight IPM Council of features Todd Magatagan from the Texas tion is open to all members. Canada CEC’s. New this year, the IPM Irrigation Association Board of Directors. Wednesday morning kicks off with Person of the Year Award will be presented. He will highlight the good, the bad, the ugly breakfast at the Doubletree for LO’s Annual The day’s events will conclude with a comand the future of Texas Irrigation Licensing. General Meeting. All members are invited plimentary networking reception for all regto attend and review activities from the preConferences, Jan. 10 to 12 istered attendees. vious year, elect two members at large and The 2012 Conference at Congress — The Landscape Designers’ Conference discuss plans for the coming year. Tuesday to Thursday sessions — will focus will again be held at the Doubletree by HilThe evening boasts one of the best paron prosperity for both business owner/operton Hotel, in the International Ballroom, and ties in town – Tailgate XVI! Check out three ator and employees. Relevant business include a sponsor showcase and feature hot new emerging musical artists, and development and enhancement are key a full-day of sessions, followed by a netsome great entertainment. This networking issues and will highlight the schedule. working reception. The line-up is fantastic: event includes dinner. All that is required for The speaker line-up has been Kyle Lacy, Ron Koudys CLD, Haig Seferian admission is your trade show badge – what revamped. Most presenters are new to CLD, Phillip Van Wassenaer, plus many a deal! Congress, but are well recognized at assomore! This is a must-attend for landscape Follow us on Twitter for updates ciations across the Great Lake States. The design professionals. @locongress. program features internationally acclaimed The Ontario Parks Association’s 56th Look for detailed information in the Conindustry and business experts such as Jeff Annual Parks Educational Forum will also ference Guide – included in the Nov./Dec. Mowatt, Ron Koudys, Jody Shilan, Steven be held at the Doubletree. ‘Turning Grey issue of Landscape Trades, or at www. Peck, Kyle Lacy, Mark Bradley, Bill Arman to Green, 75 Years of Protecting Tomorlocongress.com. and many more. With 33 sessions to row Today’ has a fantastic line-up from the WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 7

Waterloo Chapter announces really big winner

Peter Weber canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t completely hug this giant eastern cottonwood.

The 2011 Champion Tree Hunt was a tremendous success for the Waterloo Chapter, with 333 entries. On Oct. 29, the Chapter announced the winner of event was a 126-foot-high eastern cottonwood, entered by Peter

and Judy Weber. The presentation took place with Landscape Ontario executive director Tony DiGiovanni, who joined Phil Dickie, Mike Hayes and Greg Templeman, members of the Waterloo Chapter who began the tree hunt back in April.

The presentation was held at the Huron Natural Area on Trillium Drive in Kitchener. The tree is located several kilometres west of Bamberg. It is 277 inches in circumference, its crown is 90 feet at its widest spread, and 75 feet at its narrowest. To see all the entries and photos of both the winning tree and closing ceremony, visit www.treehunt.ca. The 2011 tree hunt was inspired by a great tree hunt organized in 1990 by the Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists to help find the largest trees and trees of special interest within the region. The purpose of the 2011 hunt was for people to learn how to identify trees and to take measurements of circumference, height and crown spread. Another purpose of the project was to raise awareness of the value of tree preservation. The tree hunt website provided a list of tree species with photos, and instructions for how people should measure the trees as part of their entries.

Riverbend Farms (Ontario) Ltd. 51240 John Wise Line, Aylmer, ON N5H 2R5

1980-2011

Award winning O evergreens and broadleaf evergreens

us rB

iness is

Growing!

Flowering shrubs Perennials Phone (519) 765-2130

Fax (519) 765-3171 E-mail riverbendfarms@amtelecom.net

8â&#x20AC;&#x192; LANDSCAPE ONTARIO DECEMBER, 2011

ASSOCIATION NEWS Windsor Chapter presents Awards of Distinction The Windsor Chapter honoured a number of its professional members with Awards of Distinction.

The annual event took place in late October at Top Grade Landscape and Garden Solutions in McGregor.

Approximately 60 members and staff of the respective companies enjoyed a barbecue, followed by the Chapter awards presentations. Organizers say the overall quantity of entries were up from the previous year, with some very professional work on display. The Chapter was joined by home office staff members Tony DiGiovanni, executive director, Denis Flanagan, director of public relations, and Helen Hassard, membership coordinator. TRADE ASSOCIATION LOGO The format changed this year, resulting in no gold, silver or bronze awards. The following lists the company, followed by the awards it won: Bellaire Landscape: Water Feature Small, Water Feature Large, Landscape Construction Small Residential, Landscape Construction Large Residential, Hardscape Small, Hardscape Large Lakeshore Landscaping: Landscape Construction Large Commercial, Landscape Construction Small Commercial, Landscape Construction Large Residential Landscape Effects Group: Landscape Construction Large Commercial, Landscape Construction Small Residential, Landscape Construction Large Residential, Hardscape Small, Hardscape Large Top Grade Landscape and Garden Solutions: Landscape Maintenance Commercial, Landscape Maintenance Residential Garlatti Landscaping: Landscape Maintenance Commercial, Landscape Maintenance Residential

Accepting plaques at the Windsor Chapter Awards Night are from left, Christopher Keiser of Landscape Effects Group, Chapter president Nino Papa of Santerra Stonecraft, and Chris Power of Bellaire Landscape.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COMâ&#x20AC;&#x192; 9

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Chris Burns, president of the Ottawa Chapter and Clintar Landscape Management-Ottawa, on left, and Ed Hansen, vice president of the Ottawa Chapter and Hansen Lawn and Garden, take a break after volunteering at the Ottawa Cancer Survivors Park.

Since 2008, Ottawa Chapter is a big part of regional cancer foundation Since 2008, Ottawa Chapter members have stepped up to maintain the Ottawa Cancer Survivors Park. The maintenance schedule of the

park was coordinated this year by Ottawa Chapter vice president Ed Hansen of Hansen Lawn and Garden. He is also the creator and organizer of a yearly golf tournament in Ottawa, ‘Take a Swing at Cancer - the Herman Hansen Memorial Golf Tournament’ in memory of his father Herman Hansen, who passed away from

Have your say at AGM Members wishing to have a say concerning issues affecting the association, will have the opportunity at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Jan. 11, at the Doubletree International Plaza Hotel, 655 Dixon Rd., Toronto. Free breakfast is served, starting at 7:30 a.m. An rsvp is appreciated to Kathleen Pugliese at 905-875-1805, or 1-800-265-5656, ext. 309, or kathleenp@landscapeontario.com.

10 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO DECEMBER, 2011

colon cancer. To date, this tournament has raised over $100,000 for the Ottawa Regional Cancer foundation. The latest task taken on by Ottawa Chapter members is maintaining the grounds on the new Maplesoft Centre, which officially opened Nov. 3. Maplesoft focuses on cancer survivorship, creating a calm and relaxing atmosphere for all who visit. Ed Hansen says, “I know that all the volunteers who participate in this maintenance program are doing so for very personal reasons. It is their way of giving back to the community. The whole of Ottawa Chapter benefits from their involvement. The grounds of the park and now the Maplesoft Centre, as a result of our members’ generosity and dedication of their time, will continue to be maintained with the same beauty and spirit as has been for the past three years. I am honoured and proud to be part of this program and welcome all other Ottawa Chapter members to join in the project next year.” Located on 4.5 acres at the busy intersections of Alta Vista Dr., Industrial Ave., and Riverside Dr., Ottawa’s Cancer Survivors Park offers a place of serenity and inspiration to cancer patients and survivors, their friends and families. The following Ottawa Chapter members took part in the maintenance program this year at the park: Horticare Landscaping, Garden Creations, The Professional Gardener, Clintar Landscape Management, Ottawa GreenLife Garden Care and Landscaping, Hansen Lawn and Garden, Terrapro, Lindsay Landscapes, Greenscape Watering Systems and Lafleur de La Capitale. Teams maintained the site throughout the season. The fall take down was completed on Nov. 1 by Clintar Landscape Management Ottawa, Hansen Lawn and Garden, Horticare Landscaping and Lafleur de la Capitale. For more information on the park please visit www.cancersurvivorspark.ca/ about.htm

Waterloo’s latest greening project creates outdoor classroom

Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School has a new outdoor classroom thanks to the Waterloo Chapter.

The project was the Chapter’s latest school greening community project. Don Prosser of Don Prosser Landscape Design of Ayr was the project’s chair. “We are so excited to have this outdoor classroom,” said Greg Kaster, teacher at Waterloo-Oxford school. The outdoor classroom will provide students with an interactive classroom for studies on ecology, environmental interaction, climate change and green technologies. Students from the horticulture class will maintain the outdoor area. The official ribbon cutting ceremony for the outdoor classroom took place on Oct. 6, at the school, located in Baden. Landscape Ontario donated materials, time and manpower to create the outdoor classroom, located beside the horticulture classroom at the school. Students from the construction class created benches and a pergola to a

Upper Canada continues beautification award

For the seventh consecutive year, the Trenton Commercial Beautification Trophy, collaboration between the Trenton Horticultural Society and Upper Canada Chapter, has been awarded to a non-residential business or organization that is judged to have an exceptional presence. Bonita Glover of The Garden Network received the award this year. “It is fitting that this woman’s enterprise was selected, as the business is an excellent example of Landscape Ontario’s Green for Life philosophy,” said Dan Clost, Chapter secretary and past president. The Garden Network is a retail garden centre and greenhouse located in Stockdale and Natural Themes, a neighbouring native plant nursery. “Together, they offer information and activities centred on naturalized and traditional garden techniques. Extensive display beds demonstrate the possibilities of the many plants available for sale and viewing. Children’s activities are available around traditional and native plant gardening. Folks who live in Trenton are familiar with Bonita’s work, as she is responsible for the magnificent planters and hanging baskets that enliven the downtown core,” WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 11

ASSOCIATION NEWS

In memoriam Hans J. Schmitz

Bonita Glover of The Garden Network, left, accepts the Commercial Beautification Trophy from Lisa Smith of Lisa Purves Garden Design and Consultation, a member of Upper Canada Chapter board of directors.

explained Clost. To date, winners of this sought-after recognition include a local motel, a footcare clinic (twice), a funeral centre, a bed and breakfast and even a municipality.

Presenting the trophy on behalf of the Chapter was Lisa Smith CHT, a long-time member of the Upper Canada board of directors and an Awards of Excellence winner.

Snow and Ice event returning home The Snow and Ice Sector Group has decided to hold its annual symposium and trade show on September 20, 2012. The Snow and Ice Conference and Expo has been held off-site for the last few years, but will return to Landscape Ontario’s home office site next year. Sessions will run inside in the morning and a mini-trade show and practical demonstrations will take place outside in the afternoon.

12 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO DECEMBER, 2011

Hans J. Schmitz, founder and president of Artistic Landscape Designs, Ottawa, passed away on Nov. 17. A memorial service will be held at the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa Nov. 26. Born in September, 1929 in Sonnenberg bei Wiesbaden, Germany, Schmitz immigrated to Canada in December 1952. Landscape Ontario first vice-president Tim Kearney expressed his fond memories of Hans Schmitz. “The Schmitz family gave a then 16-year-old inexperienced young man (Kearney) his first taste of what is undoubtedly the finest and only worthwhile profession on earth. In one summer, Mr. and Mrs. Schmitz firmly entrenched the word professional into my vocabulary. He was perhaps the first of a long list of truly professional, quality minded, and passionate landscapers to grace our city. “His insistence to create imaginative cutting edge gardens, while providing a garden centre that was second-to-none for the homeowner, was a vision that many can only still dream. A trailblazer, a leader and a mentor to many, this wonderful husband, father, and grandfather touched the lives of thousands. Many of us are forever indebted to his vision,” concluded Kearney. Hans J. Schmitz leaves behind his wife of 57 years Edeltraut, and children Eva (Jim), Edel, Hans Jr. (Mary-Anne), Eckhart (Louise) and honorary son Mossy (Yassaman), grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. In his memory, a donation on behalf of the Ottawa Chapter is being made to Friends of the Experimental Farm (Botanical Garden).

David Stevenson Somerville

The co-founder of Somerville Nurseries, David Somerville, passed away on Oct. 25, at the age of 83. The funeral took place at St. John’s United Church in Alliston. With partner John Somerville, he helped develop Somerville Nurseries, which is now the largest grower of natural Christmas trees in Canada.

On June 27, 1928, he was the first baby born in the original Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston. He was the second son of David Wilmot and Marjorie Ann Thomson, and younger brother of John (Jean). He attended Pickering College, where he met his future wife, Shirley King. The couple, married in 1949, had four children: Chuck (Ann), Dan (Adele), Cheryl Jiiva (John) and Richard (Lei). The family grew to include seven grandchildren: Jason (Kayla), Kelly (Ken), Joni (Andrew), David, Stephanie, Aaron, Austin and three great-grandchildren, Ariah, Allie and Reena. Somerville began his working life at General Steel Wares in the production department, before moving north to Kearney, where he joined the family lumber business. He eventually moved from lumber into Christmas trees, moving back to Alliston in 1960. He believed in community service, serving Rotary International, which presented him with the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow Award. David Somerville also enjoyed activities, such as driving his Harley across Canada to B.C; canoeing in Algonquin Park; managing his pheasant hunt club; camping with family; snowmobiling; and wintering and golfing in Florida.

Calvin Chong

Dr. Calvin Chong passed away Nov. 26, after a battle with lymphoma. Dr. Chong was a long-time supporter and contributor to the horticulture industry. His research work at Vineland Station and the University of Guelph, along with his passion for horticulture was unmatched. His research work enhanced many of the industry’s practices, especially with respect to container growing. Most recently, he worked on recycling materials from the waste stream into growing substrates. Among several awards, Dr. Chong was elected as a Fellow of the International Plant Propagators Society (1999) for his many contributions in the area of plant propagation. He was a great communicator and cared a great deal about the people with whom he worked. His work made a very positive difference in the horticultural community. Dr. Chong leaves behind his wife, Dorothy, son Oliver and his wife Naoko, Glenn and his wife Anne, daughter Joanne Gonsalves and her husband Trevo, and grandchildren, Taiyo, Hiromi, Samantha, Phillip, Cadence and Kalista. A funeral service was held on Sat., Dec. 3, at Highland Funeral Home in Markham. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Correction

On page 8 of the November 2011 issue of Landscape Ontario, the article under the heading, “Kees Govers on the ground floor of fast-growing green roof industry,” contained the sentence, “When fully vegetated and saturated, each container weighs around 30 pounds.” In fact, a saturated module of four inches in depth weighs just under 30 pounds per square foot.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 13

EVENTS

Chapter events January 17

Ottawa Chapter AGM

Bookmark www.horttrades.com/comingevents for up-to-date event information.

Royal Canadian Legion Branch, 641- 3500 Fallowfield Rd., Ottawa Join the Ottawa Chapter for its Annual General Meeting. Speakers include the executive director and president of Landscape Ontario. Pre-register with mwalsh@landscapeontario. com for a free lunch and to qualify for the Sens ticket giveaway. January 26

Windsor Chapter meeting

Capacity audience at 2011 IPM Symposium.

Landscape Ontario and industry events January 9

January 11

Toronto Congress Centre The 2011 IPM Symposium will take place at the Toronto Congress Centre in the Cohen Ballroom. An impressive list of speakers makes up a full agenda. For details, visit www. horttrades.com/ipm-symposium-2011.

Toronto Congress Centre Don’t miss the 2012 irrigation conference at the Toronto Congress Centre. The symposium will feature the latest techniques, designs, market forecasts, technology and much more, and it all begins at 12-noon with registration and lunch. More information is available at www.locongress.com.

IPM Symposium

January 9

Landscape Designer Conference

Irrigation conference

Doubletree Plaza Hotel, International Ballroom, Toronto A full-day design seminar is set for the Doubletree Plaza Hotel, International Ballroom, Toronto. An initiative of the Landscape Ontario Designers Sector, the event begins at 8 a.m. The information-packed event concludes at 5 p.m., followed by a networking reception. For more information, go to www.locongress.com.

January 12

January 10 – 12

Damage Prevention Symposium

Congress 2012 trade show and conference

Toronto Congress Centre, 650 Dixon Rd., Toronto Landscape Ontario’s Congress is Canada’s largest green industry event for landscape professionals. Engage with energetic industry professionals to sharpen your skills and increase your expertise. Details at www.locongress.com. January 10

Awards of Excellence Ceremony and President’s Reception

Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, Toronto Airport The annual Landscape Ontario Awards Ceremony will honour the top landscape contractors, designers and maintenance contractors in the Ontario horticulture industry. The President’s wine and cheese reception at 4:45 p.m. gives attendees an opportunity to meet and mingle with outgoing LO president Tom Intven. Tickets may be purchased at www.loawards.com.

Certification written test date

Congress Trade Show All certification designation written tests can be challenged at Congress at 2 p.m. with preregistration. For more information, contact Landscape Ontario 1-800-265-5656, or email certification@landscapeontario.com. February 7 - 9

Blue Mountain, Collingwood The 9th Annual Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance Damage Prevention Symposium will take place at Blue Mountain, Collingwood. For more information, or to register, go to www.orcga.com. February 8

Growers Group annual short course Royal Canadian Legion, 57 Watson Parkway South, Guelph The LO Growers Group annual Short Course agenda includes a featured speaker, as well as industry researchers and growers who will present the results of their LO-funded research and government updates. As always, the day concludes with the popular Growers’ Good Idea session, with several growers sharing their experience.

14 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO DECEMBER, 2011

Dominion Golf Club, 6125 Howard Avenue, LaSalle The Windsor Chapter begins a new year with its first meeting of 2012, starting at 12-noon, and running to 3 p.m. The Windsor Chapter is bringing in Philip Bell of Shutter Studios to teach how to take fantastic photos. February 1

Waterloo Chapter meeting

Knights of Columbus, 145 Dearborn Place, Waterloo Members of the Waterloo Chapter invite you to the February meeting, entitled, ‘Landscaper’s Rant: Roundtable Discussions on Our Issues.’ It starts at 7 and runs to 9 p.m. Contact Rob Tester at rob@tntpropertymaintenance.com for more information. February 2

Toronto Chapter meeting

Latvian Centre, 4 Credit Union Drive, Toronto One of Toronto Chapter’s most popular meet-

ings of the year is the annual MTO meeting. February 7

Durham Chapter meeting

Quality Suites Hotel (formerly the Holiday Inn), Bloor St., Oshawa The February Durham Chapter meeting will begin at 10 a.m. February 7

London Chapter meeting

Best Western Lamplight Inn, 591 Wellington Road South, London Join the Chapter for a buffet lunch at 12-noon, followed by a seminar on website development and taking perfect photographs to showcase your business. Cost is $25 per person, with lunch included. Pre-registration is required. For more information, contact Carla Bailey at cbailey@landscapeontario.com. February 15

19th annual Green Trade Expo

C E Centre, 4899 Uplands Drive, Ottawa Now in its 19th year, Green Trade Expo moves to a new location. Visit us at the C E Centre, 4899 Uplands Drive, Ottawa. To register or find more information, go to www.greentrade.ca.

INDUSTRY NEWS

upon request. This last requirement applies only to organizations with 20 employees or more.

New accessibility rules in force this January As of Jan. 1, 2012, all employers in Ontario who provide goods and services must be compliant with the Ontario’s new Accessibility Standard for Customer Service issued under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). While the Customer Service Standards have applied to designated public sector organizations since Jan. 1, 2010, those standards will apply to all providers of goods or services in Ontario. Employers covered by the Customer Service Standards are required to: • Establish policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities. • Provide training to all people who interact with the public on the organization’s behalf, as well as to those who are involved in developing the organization’s policies and procedures. • Allow persons with disabilities who use service animals or support persons to enter areas that are open to the public or that are open to other third parties where the organization is providing goods or services. • Notify the public regarding temporary planned or unexpected disruptions to facilities or services that persons with disabilities use to access the organization’s goods or services. • Establish a process by which people can give feedback on how its organization provides goods or services to persons

with disabilities and describe how the organization will respond to the feedback. • Maintain documents containing the general policies, feedback processes and training materials developed pursuant to the above requirements, as well as to provide such documents to any person

The Customer Service Standards will be enforced by workplace inspections, compliance orders and administrative fines of up to $100,000 for each day that a corporation is not in compliance. To find out more information on the Act, go to www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/ programs/accessibility/index.aspx. The Customer Service Standards also requires that organizations file compliance reports through the Service Ontario website www.ontario.ca/en/services_for_ residents/ONT04_024954.html.

WSIB 2012 rates Ontario’s workplace insurance system is in a transition period. According to the WSIB, “A modest premium rate increase for 2012 is the minimum necessary to stabilize the system’s finances while being fair to the workers and employers who rely on it.”The following graph shows a gen-

eralized premium rate change for the landscape industry. For your specific rate group, look for the number that appears on your WSIB Premium Remittance Form. For more information, go to the WSIB’s website at http://bit.ly/WSIBrate.

WSIB rates for horticulture industry categories Rate Group

Sector

WSIB Description

2011 Premium Rate

2012 Premium Rate

181

Nursery Growers

Fishing and Miscellaneous Farming

$3.51

$3.58

184

Lawn Care

Poultry Farms and Agricultural Services

$3.13

$3.19

190

Landscaping and Related Services

$4.72

$4.81

570

Snow Plowing

General Trucking

$6.43

$6.56

636

Garden Centres

Other Sales

$1.40

$1.43

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 15

INDUSTRY NEWS List of urban-tolerant trees for nurseries now online A list of 29 alternative trees to white and green ash (Fraxinus americana and F. pennsylvanica) and Norway maple (Acer platanoides) is now featured online. Emerald ash borer (EAB) is destroying white and green ash in record numbers throughout North America. Market demand has dramatically declined at this stage of the EAB infestation. Norway maple is accused of naturalizing in many areas both in the U.S. and in Ontario, placing Acer platanoides on several invasive plant lists. Some research claims cultivars may not be invasive, but the popularity of Norway maples has declined because of the issue. Finding alternative trees became a concern for nursery growers. This sparked the formation of the research group to develop a list of urban tolerant trees as good alternatives to ash and Norway maple. Information was gathered through surveys with industry groups and a literature search into urban tolerant trees. Through funding from the Farm Innovation Program, Landscape Ontario Growers’ Sector Group initiated the research project to develop a list of urban-tolerant trees that could be offered to the Ontario landscape industry. The project team, led by Thelma Kessel of Lacewing Horticulture, included Sean Fox, assistant manager, University of Guelph Arboretum, Jennifer Llewellyn, OMAFRA nursery crops specialist, and Dr. Glen Lumis, Professor Emeritus, University of Guelph. The 29 trees on the list are considered suitable for an Ontario urban setting, while encouraging species diversity. The research group feels the trees on this list have tolerance to urban situations, along with aesthetics and relative freedom from pests and diseases. The trees are similar to ash in size and form. Smaller specimens were included for sites where ash would be too large. Unlike today where a few specimens dominate the landscape, the group felt that a broad list of replacements will allow future urban forests to have a better opportunity to resist major pest infestations, and reduce the risk of future widespread problems.

Featured tree

Shagbark hickory, Carya ovata Like a shaggy dog, the more you get to know shagbark hickory, the more you will like it. Perhaps one of Ontario’s toughest native trees, this species can often be found growing in dry, rocky conditions in natural areas. It is an important component of the oak-hickory forest for habitat and food source. Shagbark hickory becomes a stately shade tree. It can reach 22 metres with a narrowly cylindrical shape and open branching. Carya ovata is interesting throughout the year. As the leaf buds unfurl, reddish bracts are revealed that appear as if flowers. In May, the showy male catkins bloom. Compound leaves provide a strong, almost coarse texture to the summer landscape. Pinching the leaves reveals a slight apple scent. Fall is perhaps the most striking time with foliage

16 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO DECEMBER, 2011

Few pests and diseases affect shagbark hickory.

turning shades of yellow and golden brown. In winter, the shagbark hickory is appreciated for the tree’s stately shape and the fantastic exfoliating bark that is so shaggy, it defies description. The shagbark hickory grows slowly, building an extensive root system that enables it to tolerate tough conditions, such as heat and drought on a wide range of

Recommended 29 alternative trees Acer campestre, hedge maple Acer x freemanii, Freeman’s maple Acer ginnala (A. tataricum subsp. ginnala), Amur maple Acer platanoides, Norway maple cvs. only: ‘Columnare’ ‘Crimson King’ ‘Globosum’ ‘Royal Red’ Acer triflorum, three flowered maple Aesculus flava (octandra), yellow buckeye Amelanchier spp., serviceberry Carya cordiformis, bitternut hickory Carya ovata, shagbark hickory Celtis occidentalis, hackberry Fraxinus quadrangulata, blue ash Ginkgo biloba, ginkgo Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis cvs., honeylocust Gymnocladus dioica, Kentucky coffeetree Maclura pomifera, Osage orange

Malus spp./cvs., crabapple Ostrya virginiana, ironwood Phellodendron amurense and/or sachalinense, Amur corktree Pyrus calleryana cvs., Callery pear Quercus bicolor, swamp white oak Quercus ellipsoidalis, northern pin oak Quercus macrocarpa, bur oak Quercus muehlenbergii, chinquapin oak Quercus shumardii, shumard oak Syringa reticulata and/or pekinensis spp./cvs., Japanese tree lilac Taxodium distichum, baldcypress Tilia americana, basswood Tilia cordata, littleleaf linden Ulmus americana, American elm Online factsheets are available for each tree with specific data and photographs. The information is accessible at www.landscapeontario.com/ trees-for-urban-landscapes.

soils. As demand for hickories increases, nursery growers will find techniques to overcome the challenges of transplanting this taproot species. The name ovata describes the egg shape of the nut husk. The often-plentiful nuts are the choice food for wildlife, and most edible of the hickories. Hardy to zone 5 and perhaps zone 4, the shagbark hickory has few serious pests or diseases. The tree has some wonderful features, The shedding bark, dropping petioles and fruit but it should be carefully located. It may may be too messy for the fastidious gardener be sensitive to deicing or maintained turf areas. salt, and should not be planted in highly maintained turf areas. Dropping petioles, nuts, leaves and exfoliating bark may be regarded as a maintenance nuisance. Planted where it can develop in all its beauty, Carya ovata is a valuable contribution to the urban forest.

Alternate, pinnately compound, five leaflets, striking yellow and golden brown fall colour.

One large tree can produce up to 630 litres of nuts.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COMâ&#x20AC;&#x192; 17

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

2011

annual

report

President’s Message

Mounting challenges will test strength of association If you are reading this article, chances are you are a survivor. You no doubt have worked harder than ever and learned a great deal about yourself and re-invented your company at least once during my two years as president. You probably haven’t had a great deal of spare time to reflect on it, either. Since the crash of 2008, the pace of life and business has escalated at a rate to which we have not been accustomed. The changing economic climate has treated the sectors differently, as well as each of us as individuals. What differs is our personal response to change. Some of us thrive on the new opportunities that change brings, while others accept change with difficulty and in turn may not fare so well. There is one thing for certain, however, and that is that change is here to stay and the rate of change is increasing. Through these tumultuous past two years, I sincerely hope that Landscape Ontario has been in some small way a grounding force for you. We have worked hard to: 1) Identify your priorities 2) Direct our full resources and energies to match those priorities 3) Not just meet, but exceed your expectations of what an association can do to help you achieve your business and professional goals 4) Help you get the advice and tools that you need to thrive in changing times 5) Provide you with as many opportunities as possible, on a chapter basis, a sector basis, as well as a provincial and even national basis to educate and allow you to network with peers in order to create your own group of like-minded individuals who can act as a club for mutual business and personal improvement In short, we have tried our hardest to demonstrate return on your investment on your dues to Landscape Ontario. The true litmus test of your approval is your membership renewal, and the most recent count says, all things considered, we are doing OK. Our membership is declining lightly. I could stretch it, and say it is holding. The mounting challenges of meeting your needs and your continued approval in these changing times does not wane. Our biggest challenges I feel, are as follows: • Maintaining our value proposition You, our members, will expect more from your association in the coming years. We must clearly understand what you need and expect through continuous external and internal scanning. Then, we must deliver a solid ‘value proposition’ in tune with your needs and expectations in order to

retain your membership. Please remember that YOU are masters of your association’s destiny and your participation ensures the outcome. • Staying financially sound We have enjoyed blissful budgeting to date, because our revenues have been accomplished with relative ease. The impact of the changing economic times on our association has not yet been fully realized. In many parts of the U.S., the harsh impact of the new economy has become reality and associations there are failing miserably. In the foreseeable future, I fear we could face slowing membership and reduced revenue from our main income streams – our trade shows and magazines. Our challenge will be to maintain the level of delivery from our income consuming departments that provide our value – education and membership services, if our income generating departments are compromised. Will we be able to maintain a sufficient value proposition to maintain your interest? • Maintaining our spirit of volunteerism Our association has been built by an incredible spirit of volunteerism throughout our long history. Ironically, however, in these rapidly changing times, our strength is also our Achilles tendon — this very dependent on volunteers. Your ‘free’ time has become rare and more valuable than ever. Can we continue to ask volunteers to change their lives to meet the association’s work? I believe that in order to attract volunteers into the future, we need to make volunteer work more flexible, faster, focused and enjoyable. Further, we need to rely more heavily on our staff to do the legwork in order to accomplish our membership goals. • The challenge of relevance This past year, incredibly difficult weather precipitated and heightened the question of relevance of our industry in general. After all, many of our goods and services are not essential, as are food, shelter and energy. In the wet, cold April and May of 2011, I’m sure most of us thought our customers were saying, “Let’s just forget about gardening this year.” I’ve been impressed by our members’ ability to fight back and survive and even thrive in this most difficult of years. We have a great deal of work to do as an association of individual companies to achieve overall relevance, and respect for our industry. I have truly enjoyed working for you and hope that in the last two years that you have found ‘real value’ in your membership to Landscape Ontario. If you have, renew your membership, and spread the good word. Landscape Ontario is an amazing organization, and I am very proud and honoured to have served as your president. Respectfully submitted, Tom Intven President 2010-2011

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Treasurer’s Report

Association in fortunate financial position The association is once again in a fortunate financial position. The time to invest in the membership is when the general economy is slow. This year we continued to spread the message to the public about the value of landscaping and using professional members. The amazing Landscape Ontario garden at Canada Blooms told the story of a caring professionals getting together to showcase how our industry enhances the quality of life. We continued this messaging by focusing resources on the Landscape Ontario.com Green for Life website. Our members further reinforced the public benefit message through the many community-building projects outlined in the pages of this Annual Report. We also focused on professional development activities with many programs aimed at helping members enhance their businesses. On the financial side, we did well. We achieved retained earnings of $108,475. We did better than expected at Congress, Garden Expo and Horticulture Review magazine. We invested in education and membership services. The retained earnings were allocated to the following funds: • Industry Development Fund: $77, 475. With the top-up, there is now

$660,000 in this fund. This is reserved for priority projects of the board. It also serves as a contingency fund in case of unforeseen circumstances. • Promotion Fund: $6,000. This is a fund we use to allocate to chapters and sector groups for extra promotion. The $6,000 was used to top up the fund to $20,000. • Technology: $25,000. This fund is used to upgrade computer systems and software. We will be introducing a new membership card system early in the new year. • Building Fund: Although we did not allocate any money to the Building Fund this year, there is a balance of $871,543. It will be used in the future to enhance your headquarters as a professional development centre for horticulture. It is also worth noting that the association has no debt, sits on 49 acres of valuable land, benefits from healthy and secure investments and enjoys a stable income from trade shows, magazines and dues. As your treasurer, I am proud to be the steward of the collective finances of the association. There are few horticultural associations in the world that enjoy such stability. Respectfully submitted, Dave Braun Treasurer 2011

Executive Director’s Report

State of the industry

This year has been a challenge for many of our members. The wet and cold spring, was followed by searing summer heat discouraging garden and landscape activity. Garden centre and grower members were hit the hardest. Contractors fared better, but found themselves far behind being unable to get onto muddy sites. The lawn care sector found it very difficult to keep up with the weeds and their customers’ expectations. The fall was much better for many parts of Ontario, except Georgian Lakelands where members experienced prolonged periods of rain and one of the earliest snowfalls on record. In response, your association hosted a number of think-tank meetings which featured excellent speakers and consultants. Stories and strategies were shared. We also focused our public messages on topics meant to stimulate demand for our members’ services and products. In tough times, the Landscape Ontario community becomes much more important. Challenges can bring out the best of people. It has been inspiring to observe the resilience and passion of the membership, and also the care that many of you have for each other — even as competitors. The contribution-ethic of the membership is legendary. The number of hours given to the association in pursuit of our common vision (to enhance the lives of our customers and to build a prosperous, professional, ethical, recognized and valued green industry) is immense. The amount of time, resources and money that our membership expends giving back to the community through chapter and individual projects

is truly amazing. Thousands have been touched by the generosity and goodwill of our members. These stories are highlighted throughout the pages of the annual report.

A few highlights

Despite the weather and economic challenges, we managed to accomplish a great deal. The pages of this report are living testament to the enviable position we enjoy in having so many members, so engaged in advancing the industry and association.

Prosperity through engagement

Speaking of engagement…. This was the theme of President Tom Intven’s presidency. His very clear message is that engagement unlocks the personal, professional, financial and social benefit available to you through membership. The more you become involved, the more you benefit. Members listened. There has never been a time with so many members passionately involved in Landscape Ontario activities. It sets us apart as an organization. This marks the end of Tom Intven’s presidency. He will now retire into the special club of Past Presidents (lifers) who continually support, guide, challenge and nurture new leadership. The torch has been passed to Phil Charal. Tom was an excellent president. Part of his legacy will be the way he reflected the best of the industry’s values and professionalism. Tom is a great listener. He is a very influential communicator. Tom has been an excellent role model. He is astute and professional in business and sensitive and caring in character. He reflected integrity, credibility and trust in all his association duties. He was an influential and inspiring president. I

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

felt very proud serving under Tom. I know you did, too.

Members give back

I am always amazed and inspired by the willingness of the membership to contribute to their community. ‘Giving back’ is one of the best ways to communicate the culture of the industry, association and its members. Giving back during a difficult and challenging year makes an even stronger statement about the character of our membership. Here are some examples: Windsor The Hospice of Windsor – Chris Power took a number of us to see this refuge for those recovering from cancer and those in palliative care. On the same trip, we visited Olivia’s Accessible Backyard. Olivia is 11 years old and relies on a wheelchair. Thanks to the Sunshine Foundation and Sasha Hunter (landscape designer at Garlatti Landscaping) and many other supporters, Olivia is now able to access and enjoy her backyard. A special accessible swing, surrounded by a bike circuit, is the centrepiece of this beautiful and fun garden. London Adding to the tradition of building amazing community gardens like Banting House Museum and Victoria Hospital Butterfly Garden, the London Chapter, through the leadership of Grant Harrison, Mike Martins and Barry Sandler, have taken on the huge, ambitious and important London Veterans Memorial Highway project. They have committed to completing the landscape plan. This year, they planted 200 large trees with the assistance of many community volunteers and organizations. The project attracted great LO home office. coverage from local and national media. They are now embarking on a plan to raise millions of dollars to plant thousands of trees in order to transform the highway into a fitting memorial. Waterloo Golf proceeds were divided equally between KidsAbility, the annual School Greening Project and Waterloo Chapter’s Education Fund. KidsAbility is a facility for children with special needs (www.kidsability. ca/en/AboutUs) This year’s school yard project was at Elizabeth Ziegler School. Golden Horseshoe Last year the Chapter donated proceeds from the chicken roast to a trust fund established for the children of Mark Smith (Marcus and Madison). Mark Smith was a hard working and dedicated employee of Scott’s Landscaping, who at the age of 38 passed suddenly in the family home on March 10, 2010. In addition, the Chapter recently assisted an ALS patient

by building a ramp to make it possible to access his home. Walter Hassleman coordinated the project. Toronto Members of the Toronto Chapter, in conjunction with the Starlight Foundation, were able to renew an old terrace/helicopter pad on the ninth floor of the Hospital for Sick Kids by building a total accessible space for children and their families to enjoy. The Dick Sale Memorial Golf Tournament raised approximately $7,800, with proceeds to go to the Sick Kids Foundation. Upper Canada In the Upper Canada Chapter, Dan Clost mobilized the membership to build a garden at the Centre for Community Living Georgian Lakelands This Chapter completed a huge commitment to install the landscape at Gilda’s House, a facility to house the families of cancer patients while they are undergoing treatment. The Chapter’s annual food drive collected donations for the Elizabeth Fry Society in Barrie, as well as Thornbury in support of the Beaver Valley Outreach Program. Ottawa Ottawa continued its tradition of community involvement. Members there maintained Cancer Survivors Park and Ronald McDonald House. They also participated in the annual Day of Tribute at Beechwood Cemetery, Canada’s National Military Cemetery.

Government relations

Our industry is Ontario’s best kept secret. Few government officials or members of the public understand the huge economic, environmental, social, recreational and other life enhancing benefits our industry provides. It is always good to tell our story. This year, we were fortunate to have the collective ear of many government officials. Here are a few examples: Minister Jim Flaherty came to our Board meeting at Parkwood Estate (thanks to the work of Mark Humphries). President Tom Intven had the opportunity to introduce the Minister, and in his opening remarks shared industry statistics. Mr. Flaherty heard firsthand about the 170,000 people we employ and the $14 billion of economic benefit we generate. Minister Flaherty picked up on many of these statistics in his own speech. It was wonderful to hear, “I did not realize you could save 25 per cent home energy costs through landscaping.” Perhaps this will lead to a ‘Landscaping for Energy Efficiency’ campaign in the future. Perhaps we can get landscaping included in the government’s energy-conservation rebate programs. Minister of Natural Resources Linda Jefferies participated at Canada Blooms, joined by mayors from all over Ontario. They experienced and

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011 were inspired by the great gardens and plants at the festival. This event was organized by Denis Flanagan, as part of his public relations duties at LO. We also met with the Minister and Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Tourism and Federal Minister of the Environment. Another government relations highlight was being able to support Ottawa region MP Royal Galipeu in his effort to declare National Tree Day in September. We were elated when his Private Member’s Bill made it through the House of Commons. Our membership picked up on this opportunity and participated in planting over 150 trees in local school yards in commemoration of Canada’s first National Tree Day.

Canada Blooms Landscape Ontario garden

I sent my counterparts across North America the time-lapse video of the Landscape Ontario Garden Build at Canada Blooms. http://bit.ly/grdnbuild They could not believe that over 50 companies and over 200 volunteers would work together to build a magnificent garden showcasing the talent, creativity and character of the industry. The experience at Canada Blooms demonstrated the wonderful community spirit of our membership.

Canada Blooms co-location

The co-location arrangement with the National Home Show will mean that we will be involved with the largest indoor event in North America. This will give us almost double the amount of visitors to inspire.

Strategic plans and industry think tanks

In difficult times, associations become more important. No company is an island. Working within the framework of mutual improvement, benefit and interdependence makes life a little easier. This year we hosted two think tanks for sector groups that were hardest hit. We also focused on renewing the strategic plan to continually enhance our relevance. Landscape Ontario’s success is based on a service-oriented co-operative attitude, frequent plan reviews and delivering relevant activities. The tradition continues. Our top priority is human resources/professional development. Michael Pascoe provided the leadership for renewing the long-term human resource plan (high schools and post-secondary schools) and Richard Rogers presided over the review of the professional development plan. We have great direction for the next five years. As part of the professional development plan, there is a renewal of the Prosperity Partners concept. Thanks to Hank Gelderman and Jacki Hart for assuming leadership duties on this important project. Chapter/local relevance is another priority theme. Many improvements in chapter engagement were generated by the previous plan. The main driver of that effort was Paul Doornbos. Tim Kearney is now leading the renewal activities. In his spare time, Tim is also working on developing a company accreditation concept.

World garden event, 2017

We are promoting the idea of hosting a world garden event in Niagara Falls in celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary. Michel Gauthier and Carol Cowan are leading this initiative. The idea is starting to gain momentum. The event will stimulate a great deal of economic, environmental, legacy and tourism benefit for the industry.

Waterloo Champion Tree Hunt

Visit treehunt.ca to get an idea of what Phil Dickie, Mike Hayes and Greg Templeman were able to accomplish. Through the concept of a tree hunt, they mobilized many members of the community to search and measure the largest trees in the region. There were over 300 entries. The project raised awareness for the value of trees, the professionalism of our membership and the importance of community engagement. Through the

process, there is now a permanent record of some of the largest trees in Waterloo region. This concept may be expanded across Canada.

New Landscape Ontario magazine (Horticulture Review) Horticulture Review has been rebranded to reflect Landscape Ontario’s new image. The seeds of this change were planted by the branding committee, who advocated a consistent look for all of our communications. The response has been very positive.

Permanent horticultural research chair at Vineland

One of our goals was to raise $3-million for a permanent research chair at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. Although we were not able to raise that amount, Jim Brandle, CEO of Vineland, agreed to fast-track the position. The search is now on. The Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation contributed $100,000 and Landscape Ontario contributed $160,000, by using a “Growing Capacity” grant. This position will accelerate innovation in our sector.

Trial Garden at LO

The trial garden continues to expand. From the Highway 401, thousands of motorists are treated to a kaleidoscope of colour as they pass the home office. The open house events have helped expand the knowledge of plants to the trade and public. The trial garden is the living laboratory that informs our new plants issue of Landscape Trades and our new plant displays at Expo and Canada Blooms. Thanks to the dedicated team from the Grounds Management Group, led by Rodger Tschanz from the University of Guelph, for their contributions.

Smart about Salt

This year we formed a new organization, the Smart about Salt Council. The founding members include the Region of Waterloo, Building Owners and Managers Association (Ottawa), Ontario Good Roads Association and Landscape Ontario. The purpose of the Council is to promote Smart about Salt accreditation. The program will increase professionalism in the snow and ice management sector, while improving stewardship practices and reducing liability. The program acceptance is beginning to accelerate. Thanks to Bob Hodgins for his leadership. Recently, Go Transit and the City of Ottawa joined the Region of Waterloo in endorsing the program.

Salt rate research

Those of you in the Snow and Ice Management Sector are aware that exposure to slip and fall risk is escalating insurance rates. In fact, some major insurance companies will not insure snow operations, because of the claims. Many may also be surprised to learn that there are no scientific standards to guide the amount of salt required to keep parking lots and sidewalks safe. The Snow and Ice Sector Group, through the leadership of Robert Roszell, has initiated a research study at the University of Waterloo. Results should be available in two years. A standard rate will greatly reduce exposure to slip and fall claims. Funding partners include SIMA, Ontario Good Roads Association, TRCA and Landscape Ontario.

Low impact landscape accreditation

This project was initiated by the Environment Committee. In a priority setting exercise, it was determined that emissions from vehicles and power equipment could be greatly reduced through an education and accreditation program targeting end users. In partnership with the City of Toronto and Ontario Parks Association, a best practices manual was developed. The manual is the foundation for a “train the trainer” program that will accredit candidates to deliver the training to employees. The pilot training project will soon be complete. The program design is

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

modular and will eventually include sections on fleet management, water management and soil. We will also incorporate an on-the-job training program meant to provide an effective and universal training process, no matter the content. Thanks to Paul Ronan and Steve Anderson for their leadership on this very important project.

Research support

Thanks to the Farm Innovation Program and the Agricultural Adaptation Program, we have been very fortunate to be the agent for some groundbreaking industry-directed research projects. Here is a summary: • Digital identification of pests • Alternatives to ash • Ontario-grown tree liners • Black vine weevil control • Verticillium wilt management • Greening highways • Boxwood blight • Nursery and greenhouse sustainability • Water quality and irrigation management • Green roof technologies • Biopesticides for grub control • IPM in nurseries • Steam solarization for weed control These are my top 15 highlights for the year, however, many more activities are chronicled in this annual report. It is important to add, we sometimes take many of our accomplishments for granted. It is good to remember that your association is one of the largest, most active, engaged and effective horticultural organizations in the world. We host over 150 seminars, organize two of the largest horticultural trade shows in North America, publish two excellent magazines, deliver relevant and popular conferences and symposia, co-founded the largest flower and garden festival in Canada and enjoy the participation of many engaged members who freely give their time and resources to the various boards, committees, chapters and sector groups that drive

2011

association activities. Many of you know that I often describe myself as the official observer. It is heartening to observe that younger industry members are starting to assume positions of responsibility, just as the seasoned members are stepping back to act as mentors. This is a very healthy situation. Even though we are seeing unprecedented change, extreme volatility in the economic markets and some insecurity about what the future holds, it is good to observe that the spirit of co-operation, mutual mentorship, contribution, passion for improvement, community building and good will continues to dominate the culture of our great organization. We can only grow more relevant, as long as we continue to follow our principles. Recently, I had the good fortune of being invited by Humber College to attend a presentation from internationally renowned branding expert Martin Lindstrom. He compared a good brand to the attributes of religion. This comparison resonated with me, because I have often observed the parallel between Landscape Ontario and a church, temple or synagogue. We get together to enhance each other’s lives while working on improving the way we enhance the lives of our families, employees and customers. We enjoy a clear and profound vision. We encourage a sense of belonging and community. Our rituals (AGM, board meetings, chapter meetings, elections, etc.) provide the framework for our participation. We have many great stories to tell about each member’s accomplishments and contributions in the service of advancing the industry and community. We are a refuge where members can share positive experiences and difficulties and where we learn from each other’s successes and failures. We encourage a culture where friendships are nurtured. Many members share their positive interactions and encourage others to join. We use a common symbol to communicate the industry’s benefit and legacy. We look for ways to influence the future in order to provide benefit to people we don’t even know. We are always looking to make a positive difference and change the world for the better. Landscape Ontario has had many years of success. As long as we continue to act like a church, we will enjoy many more. On behalf of your staff at Landscape Ontario, we wish you a healthy, happy and prosperous 2012.

chapter

reports

The regional needs of the members are served through a network of nine chapters. Through monthly meetings and promotional activities, the chapters represent an ideal way for member companies to keep abreast of local industry concerns. The two most sought after membership benefits — education and networking opportunities — are provided through the association’s regional chapter structure.

Durham President: Greg Scarlett CHT Past president/provincial board representative: Mark Humphries Vice president: Ed Hewis Secretary/treasurer: Carol Fulford Directors: John Fulford, Brian Baun, Norm Mills, Brian Marsh, Harry Van Staveren

The Durham Chapter held meetings on the first Tuesday night of each month at the Holiday Inn in Oshawa. September 2010: Durham Chapter’s Annual Barbecue was held at Kobes Nurseries. Overall it was a great turnout on a beautiful and sunny day, with 12 suppliers in attendance. Everyone enjoyed roast beef on a bun, corn on the cob and refreshments. The following from Landscape Ontario joined Durham Chapter members: association president Tom Intven, executive director Tony DiGiovanni, LO public relations director Denis Flanagan, and membership coordinator Helen Hassard. It was an afternoon of great food and networking opportunities. October 2010: Sandy Smiles, from Durham Region Local Training Board, discussed the apprenticeship program. Les Jogoda, from the Durham Catholic Secondary School, discussed local grade 11 and 12 Landscape Design and Maintenance Program. Kelly Howe, from Employment Standards, outlined the responsibility placed on business owners regarding employment issues.

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

prizes at our meetings. The Durham Chapter thanks Fred Young from the Farm Safety Association. His knowledge on health and safety issues is a great resource for our Chapter. And, a thank you to Carol Fulford, who always goes beyond the call of duty as treasurer to keep all of our meetings running smoothly and taking additional time to organize events for the Chapter. As president of the Durham Chapter, I have enjoyed another year of being a part of our board. I am proud to announce that during my 2010 year, we have welcomed another addition to our family. On Nov. 13, 2010, our daughter Ava Scarlett was born! A sincere thank-you to the members of the Durham Chapter and their families for the thoughtful gifts and best wishes sent to April and I. Respectfully submitted, Greg Scarlett CHT President, 2010-2011

Georgian Lakelands President: Michael LaPorte CLT Vice president: Jeff Lee Past presidents: Mark Goodman, Earle Graham, Nick Solty, Robert Adams Provincial representative: Warren Patterson Treasurer: Sheila Allin Directors: Terry Kowalski, Gary MacPhail, David Emms, Lynne Barnes, Ken Adair and Gabriel Matamoros

Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty and Durham Chapter past president Mark Humphries.

November 2010: Landscape Ontario and CNLA staff members were present at this meeting to discuss the benefits of Landscape Ontario. They also made a special presentation to the Thiebaud Family, in memory of John Thiebaud. A tree will be planted in the memory garden in Milton. February 2010: The Chapter welcomed speaker Allan King from LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. He addressed the topic of sustainability and the LEED certification, announcing the buildings in Toronto persuing LEED certification. In attendance were suppliers Sheridan Nurseries, Arnts Topsoil, and Sinclair Cockburn. It was announced that Canada Blooms was being held at Direct Energy Centre from Mar. 17 to 21. March 2010: We had a great turnout of 66 members to the March Chapter meeting, sponsored by Ontario Truck Training. Yvette presented special rates to LO members to promote the upgrade to the ‘AR’ class licence. Suppliers attending were Sheridan Nurseries, Vandermeer Nurseries, Kobes Nurseries and Battlefield Equipment. MTO announced updates to the Annual Inspection Sticker — gross vehicle weight sticker, dangerous goods, straps/chains and the three-year phase-out of two-way radios. Elections to the executive board remained the same, with no new nominations. Announcements at the meeting included Canada Blooms industry night, the youth fair hosted by Whitby, and the Scugog Spring Garden Show.

Message from the president

It has been another successful year, and I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of the board members for their continuous support. Also, thank you to all the companies that donated items towards door

The October Chapter meeting at the Meaford Golf Club featured J.Paul Lamarche as our guest speaker. It was attended by over 40 members. Brookdale Treeland Nurseries assisted the Chapter by sponsoring J.Paul, and members learned valuable information on how to build a better business and increase profits. The November Chapter meeting was held in Wasaga Beach with over 30 members in attendance. The speaker, Mr. BOB from Cassels Marketing, discussed marketing and promoting your business…building word-of-month marketing that delivers warm leads. After the presentation, members socialized over sandwiches and sweets, discussing the season’s successes. In early December, the Chapter held its annual Christmas dinner in Barrie. To make the event truly successful, we added a casino night that was really well received. Everyone mingled and bid with their LO bucks and won some fantastic prizes. It was a great way to end the year with colleagues. Each year at the Christmas dinner, the board presents two awards, ‘Volunteer of the Year’ and ‘Supplier of the Year.’ This year the board selected Ross Allin as the volunteer of the year and the supplier of the year award went to Unilock, Barrie location. Congratulations to both our winners. The Chapter kicked off 2011 at Congress in Toronto. Board and Chapter members volunteered their time to staff the Georgian Lakelands booth at Congress. We promoted Landscape Ontario Snow Day, LO membership within the Chapter, as well as showed off the new Chapter sponsorship trailer. From Congress, the Chapter picked up 24 new membership leads, signed two new trailer sponsorships, and encouraged all LO members to attend February Snow Day. We would like to thank the Georgian Lakelands Trailer sponsors for their support in 2011: Platinum sponsors, Atlas Block and Profleet Care; Gold sponsors, Clearview Nursery, Unilock and Solty Garden Centre; Silver sponsor, Botanix, Barrie’s Garden Centre. The money raised from the sponsorship trailer is directed back into the Chapter for membership education and community projects. Dig Safe was the hot topic at the February Chapter meeting in Barrie. Members received up-to-date information from Lori O’Doherty of the Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance, regarding Dig Safe practices.

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Landscape Ontario Snow Day is held each year in February. Members from Georgian Lakelands, as well as London and Toronto Chapters hit the slopes at the Alpine Ski Club in Collingwood. The 2010 Snow Day drew the highest attendance in the history of the event, with over 65 skiers and boarders. The sun shone, ski conditions were great and the fun races were a big hit. For many participants, it was like World Cup Racing. Sponsors donated amazing prizes for the après ski and Nick Solty provided the entertaining questions for the ski crowd. Until next year! Standing-room-only was the result at the annual March MTO Chapter meeting. Over 120 members and non-members (both green industry and non-industry companies) registered for the MTO and general meeting held in Barrie’s Innisbrook Golf Course. Hank Dubee from MTO outlined the new 2011 dos and don’ts. The presentation was informative, with Hank Dubee providing an over-the-top slideshow of actual traffic violations and the reasoning behind MTO laws. The refreshments were sponsored by Myke. Chapter elections were held for directors of the 2011-12 board. A number of members stepped forward this year with a couple of existing board directors retiring. We wish to say a BIG thankyou to Nick Solty, Terry Kowalski, Sheila and Ross Allin, Gabriel Matamoros and David Emms for their service on the Georgian Lakelands board. It won’t be the same without you. April was a very busy month with two Chapter events. Despite the dismal weather conditions, there was a great response at the first Landscape Contractors’ Barbecue held at G.P. Masonry in Barrie. Although it was very cold, 40 local contractors came out to enjoy hamburgers, hot dogs and pizza. Thank-you to Peter Guanine of the Contractors’ Sector Group for attending the barbecue. This event was a great way to meet old and new LO members. Once again the Chapter hosted our annual food drive to collect donations for the Elizabeth Fry Society in Barrie as well as at a second location in Thornbury in support of the Beaver Valley Outreach Program. Botanix, Barrie’s Garden Centre was the site in Barrie with a contractor equipment and event trailer prominently displayed. We would like to thank Botanix for donating food and beverages for the charitable barbecue. We also hired a new Chapter coordinator, Lexi Dearborn. She has been with us for quite some time as a member and sat on the executive board. Lexi was the one who kept us organized and always knew who to call to get things done in a pinch. Lexi has great knowledge of how our Chapter works and where we need help. To say we couldn’t have done all the things we do without her would be an understatement. Lexi has been a key person to keep our Chapter moving forward in line with our strategic plan. She has enabled our Chapter to stay connected with home office and to use resources that are there. We look forward to working with Lexi again this year. Respectfully submitted, Michael La Porte CLT President, 2010-2011

Golden Horseshoe President: Fiore Zenone Past president: Tim Cruickshanks Provincial board representative: Brian Cocks CLT Vice president: Walter Hasselman Treasurer: Bruce Wilson Secretary: Paul DeGroot Directors: John Bos CLT, Patrick Evangelisto, David Pierce, Jeff Smith and Deanna Van Varik The 2010 Golden Horseshoe Chapter Chicken Roast, as always, was a smashing success. Despite the dreary weather, the facility at Grand River Brick and Stone in Stoney Creek was packed. The kids were kept busy with

activities such as the bouncing castle, reptile man, flower planting, loot bags and gumball guessing contest. Kids weren’t the only one taken care of at this event, with prizes that included a stone bench, a wheelbarrow, big screen TV and lots more. The buffet dinner was expertly cooked and served by the Chapter board members, who even constructed a barbecue shelter to make sure no one got soggy chicken. The event was not only a blast for all attendees, it served a great cause. All proceeds from the raffle tickets and gumball guessing contest were donated to the trust fund established for the children of Mark Smith (Marcus and Madison). Mark Smith was a hard working and dedicated employee of Scott’s Landscaping, who at the age of 38, passed suddenly in the family home on Mar. 10, 2010. October: The November chapter meeting was the kick-off to winter. Speaker, Jim Hornung Jr. of the Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA), discussed snow contracts. The meeting was hosted by Duke Equipment and Hort Protect was the meeting sponsor. November: Dave and John Wright of Wright Lawn Care Services shared their expertise with Chapter members. In addition, Eleanor Rebelo, training consultant for the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, attended to register apprentices. The meeting was hosted by Connon Nurseries/NVK Holdings. February: This lunch meeting featured the Ontario Regional Common Grounds Alliance talking about locates. In addition, a representative from Bell Canada came to answer questions from the members. The meeting took place at Copetown Community Centre. March: MTO representative Ian Walters assisted those in attendance on how to stay compliant with the rules and regulations put out by the provincial government. J.Paul Lamarche provided an afternoon presentation, outlining how to improve your business. All who attended felt this presentation was well worth braving the snowstorm that day. The meeting was hosted by Hamilton Builders’ Supply. April: Due to extreme weather conditions, the original MTO meeting held at Hamilton Builders’ Supply did not receive the expected attendance numbers. To ensure all members had a chance to hear this valuable information, the Chapter board brought Ian Walters back for an evening barbecue and MTO presentation. Hamilton Builders’ Supply once again donated the space to host this meeting. Annual golf tournament: This year’s golf tournament was a sold out shotgun style tournament held at Willow Valley Golf Course. The event raised thousands of dollars and brought 144 people out for a beautiful day of golf. Next year’s tournament information will be available shortly. Respectfully submitted Fiore Zenone President, 2010-2011

London Chapter President: Grant Harrison CLT Past president: Tim Cradduck Secretary: Nicola Kemp Directors: Jan Hunter, Derek Geddes, Jarrett Woodard, Jason Zehr, Jerry Hakkers, Mike Martins It was another beautiful day on Sept. 10 for the annual London Chapter Golf Tournament, held at Pine Knot Golf Course in Dorchester. Over 130 golfers enjoyed a day off work in the sunshine, as well as a fantastic dinner. A big thank you goes to all of our sponsors, with special mention to Stratford Farm Equipment. September 2010: Michael Lewis presented the best methods to spend your advertising budget. Jim Graham from Try Recycle updated Chapter members on waste transfer issues. October 2010: This salt management meeting prepared members for the upcoming snow season.

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

November 2010: This meeting, sponsored by Unilock, discussed the latest trends in hardscapes and permeable pavers. February 2011: A seminar took place on website development and taking perfect pictures to showcase your business. This meeting was sponsored by Landscape Safety. March 2011: Under discussion was ‘how to utilize your LO membership perks.’ Members found answers to questions on how use associate supplier discounts, online website profile, certification and more. There were also displays of new products from the London area. The meeting sponsor was OLS Canada.

Ottawa

Veterans Memorial Parkway

It’s been another busy year for members in the nation’s capital. Ottawa Chapter AGM took place on Jan. 18. Despite a snowstorm that day, 39 attendees braved the weather. This group included many past presidents and long-time members of the Ottawa Chapter. The AGM 2011 included a past presidents’ luncheon, as well as a presentation from LO president Tom Intven, who spoke on his theme of ‘Prosperity Through Engagement’ and what it is to be a volunteer. Executive director Tony DiGiovanni spoke about human resources development, public relations and Chapter relevance, both involving Landscape Ontario and local Chapters. Ottawa Chapter undertook a different approach to meetings this year. The lunch-and-learn meetings included speakers Mark Burleton, manager of grounds and greenhouses at official residences, National Capital Commission, and Mark Buchshon, Ottawa Construction News Group. This format offered members a chance to hear relevant speakers and network, while having lunch. This upcoming year, Chapter meetings are moving to a new location, the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 641, in Barrhaven. The meetings will feature new speakers, lunch, and a chance to win one of two pairs of tickets to the Ottawa Senators, all free to members who pre-register.

The London Chapter joined the executive of the Veterans Memorial Parkway Community Initiative Program (VMP) with a clean and green initiative for the Parkway on Apr. 16. The Chapter has committed itself to future beautification of this parkway. This event was just the first step in an ongoing involvement.

Big thank you to Wendy Harry

We are going to miss Wendy Harry as our Chapter Coordinator. She gave amazing support to our members and we look forward to her contributions as she remains a member in our Chapter.

New Chapter coordinator

Carla Bailey joined the London LO team as Chapter coordinator in June 2011.

Gardens of Distinction Tour

It was a gorgeous July day when over 130 people enjoyed the third annual Gardens of Distinction Tour , taking in 13 properties between London and St. Thomas. There was plenty to see and be inspired from the creations by London Chapter members. All the funds raised go to our next community garden project. We look forward to raising the stakes next year. Respectfully submitted Grant Harrison CLT President 2011

President: Chris Burns CLT Vice president: Ed Hansen Past president: Sarah Johnston Treasurer: Sundaura Alford CLD Provincial board representative: Bruce Morton CLP, CIT Directors: Jim Curran, Tim Dyer, Stacy Elliott, Bert Minor, Kelly Mulrooney-Cote, Patricia Stanish CLD, Chris Urquhart CLP

Annual Day of Tribute

This annual event was once again well attended by over 20 companies and 44 members at the National Military Cemetery at Beechwood. Military members who attended that day included Commander Marie-France Langlois, Deputy Director of the Directorate of Casualty Support Management, Chief Warrant Officer Dan Bradley, manager of the National Military Cemetery, and Warrant Officer David Hannigan, Canadian Forces Liaison Officer to Beechwood Cemetery. Dominique Boulais represented the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Present from Beechwood Cemetery were Roger Boult and Nicole Bedard. This event was initiated and is chaired by member Sharon Rouette-Urquhart and David Stewart. It is a great day, and great way for our members to give back to the military, our veterans and their families.

GreenTrade Expo 2011

London Chapter president Grant Harrison has some help from city mayor Joe Fontana digging in the first tree at the Veterans Memorial Parkway project.

The 18th annual Ottawa Chapter GreenTrade Expo was attended by over 1,100 people and featured over 85 exhibitors. The day began with the MTO Snow Contractors’ breakfast, featuring presenter Mark Stang from the MTO. He attracted a full house of 70 attendees, who benefited from hearing about the new legislation and hot button issues from the MTO official. The Profit Builders’ Luncheon featured keynote speaker Brian Kilrea, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and former coach and current general manager of the Ottawa 67’s. A portion of the luncheon’s profit was donated to the Brian Kilrea Teaching Room at the Children’s Hospital of

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Eastern Ontario by GreenTrade Expo chairperson and Ottawa provincial representative Bruce Morton of Greenscape Watering Systems. Kilrea also graciously signed copies of his new autobiography co-authored with James Duthie, They Call Me Killer; Tales from Junior Hockey’s Legendary Hall of Fame Coach. We also presented free business education seminars such as Landscape Management Network, Full Dimension Group, Peter Knippel Nursery’s Joan Johnson, Workplace Safety Prevention Services Sheila James, and perennial favourite Bill Bitz’s pruning seminar. GreenTrade Expo 2012 will take place on Feb. 15, 2012, with preparation already underway. The excitement begins with the new location at the Capital Exhibition Centre, a brand new, state-of-the-art trade and convention centre near the McDonald Cartier International Airport in Ottawa.

Certification

Certification of landscape trades took place again this year at University of Guelph — Kemptville College, on Aug. 11 and 12. On both days, 17 local candidates and many local members volunteered their time during the written and practical testing days. Thanks to many local associate and active members and volunteers who participated, ensuring success once again for this important industry event.

Toronto President: Lindsay Drake Nightingale First vice: Arvils Lukss Second vice: Allan Kling CLP Past president: Fiona Penn Zieba Treasurer: Sabrina Goettler CLP Secretary: Janet Mott CLP Provincial board representative: Ryan Heath CLP, CLT Directors: Christine Moffit, Janet Ennamorato, David Nemeth, and Mike O’Connor The 2010-2011 season was filled with success stories for the Toronto Chapter. We continue to align our Chapter events with the Pillars of Prosperity – Sales Success, Financial Health, Operational Excellence, Customers for Life and Leadership. We also continue to encourage members to attend Chapter events as a way to connect and network, as well as to learn and discuss issues important to the industry and members. October 2010: The 2010-2011 season began with a presentation on ‘The Permit Process: How to Successfully Navigate Projects Involving Urban Forestry, Ravines, and TRCA Protected Sites.’ This tenacious topic

Golf tournament

The annual Ottawa Chapter Golf Tournament took place this year at the Canadian Golf and Country Club in Ashton on Aug. 26. The 64 golfers and 85 attendees enjoyed the day at the golf course in support of the Ottawa Food Bank. This year tickets were raffled for the day’s use of the celebrity hummer golf cart. Live music, a great meal, networking as well as great sponsorship and door prizes made the day of success. Ottawa Chapter is donating $3,000 to the Ottawa Food Bank from proceeds of this year’s golf tournament.

Education

The winter seminars included Prosperity Partners Profitable Business with George Urvari, Landscape Design with Beth Edney, Container Gardening with Paul Zammit, WHMIS Training from WSPS Sheila James, and Pruning with Bill Bitz.

Cancer Survivors Park

Rooftop garden at Sick Kids.

Chapter members continued to volunteer to maintain the gardens at the Cancer Survivors Park this season. This initiative, coordinated by Ed Hansen, Ottawa Chapter vice-president, had weekly maintenance visits provided by the following companies: Lindsay Landscape, Hansen Lawn and Garden, Terra Pro, Garden Creations, Clintar Landscape Management, Lafleur de la Capitale, Greenlife, Greenscape, Horticare, Manotick Tree Movers and The Professional Gardener. In closing, I would like to thank our many local members who continue to volunteer their time and resources to the betterment of our association and community. We are fortunate to have such an involved membership group. Respectfully submitted Chris Burns CLT President 2011

was peppered with many questions from the audience. November 2010: We were pleased to have Stuart Knight speak on ‘The Art of Powerful Conversation.’ This entertaining and thought provoking evening was well received by all in attendance. We are pleased that Landscape Ontario will be using the services of Stuart Knight at future events. February 2011: Another successful full-day seminar on ‘The Elements of a Successful Maintenance Business’ involved presentations from Clarity for the Boss, Prosperity Partners, GroBark Soils, vehicle safety with the officers from MTO, and Workplace Safety and Prevention Services. There were over 50 participants at this year’s workshop. We look forward to more information at next year’s event. March 2011: The number of Toronto Chapter members volunteering at this year’s Canada Blooms was staggering. The beauty of the whole experience showed the commitment of the entire industry to continue to provide the wider community (local, provincial, and national) with an outstanding garden festival. Exceptional experience! April 2011: This meeting was the very successful Annual General

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011 Meeting and Suppliers’ New Product Showcase, held at York Region Equipment Centre, with food sponsored by Unilock. We were fortunate to elect three new board members, as well as welcome a number of new members. It was a great evening of networking and sharing of product knowledge. June 2011: Members of the Toronto Chapter, in conjunction with the Starlight Foundation, were able to renew an old terrace/helicopter pad on the ninth floor of the Hospital for Sick Kids by building a total accessible space for children and their families to enjoy. I would like to thank and recognize the following members or member companies: Designs By The Yard, Landscapes de Sol a Sol, Permalock, Armstrong Landscaping, Gardens in the City, Double Tree Landscaping, Dragonfly Features, Neighbourhood Landscaping, Urban Garden, Outside Pros, Christine’s Touch, Landscapes By Lucin, Cypress Hills Landscaping, Tumber and Associates, Trillium Maintenance, and the following individuals, Michelle Arthur, Samantha Thomas and Adam Bonin. Please accept my apologies if I inadvertently missed your name. It is a truly beautiful space! July 2011: Another successful Dick Sale Memorial Golf Tournament was held at Nobleton Lakes Golf Club. The event raised approximately $7,800 with proceeds to Sick Kids Foundation. It is always an enjoyable day of golf, lunch, prizes and good fun. August 2011: Again this year, the annual baseball tournament was held at Richmond Green in Richmond Hill. The tournament trophy was won for the second year in a row by Arbordale/Moonstruck. A terrific and delicious barbecue lunch was enjoyed by everyone, and as per usual, rain held off for all but the very last game. It was a great day. Our Chapter could not carry out its many events and activities without the support, dedication and sponsorship of our terrific volunteers, board members, suppliers and Landscape Ontario staff. Everyone contributes to make Toronto Chapter successful! Respectfully submitted, Lindsay Drake Nightingale President 2010-2011

Upper Canada President: Terry Childs Vice president: Neil Bouma Secretary: Dan Clost CHT Treasurer/Provincial board representative: Paul Doornbos CLP, CLT, Directors: Judy Bell, Ken Dehaan, Pamela McCormick CLP, Rick Murray, Sian Pritchard, Lisa Smith, Andre Ypma It has been a very interesting year in the Upper Canada Chapter. The mantra of ‘Relevance in our Community’ resonated through the implementation of actions defined by our strategic planning sessions. That’s newspeak for, “We talked about what we needed to do as Landscape Ontario members, and then we did it.” Education, information and training became our focal points. The first general Chapter meeting of the year centred on formal education paths and LO’s role in developing those pathways. Representatives from three local school boards, Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU), apprentices, co-operative education students, the first Special High Skills Major (Horticulture, SHSM) student in our catchment, and a full complement of members came together to see how we all interact. How important was this seminal town hall-style meeting? The following results speak for themselves: a pilot project for SHSM; a first year intake of 18 Red Seal horticulture apprentices through Loyalist College; representation on the East Central Ontario Training Board (an MTCU funded board focusing on workers); a probable permanent train-

ing site for future apprenticeship programs, and a better understanding of how we all need to interact to achieve the mandate of Landscape Ontario. On a lighter note, LO president Tom Intven and executive director Tony DiGiovanni, who were present at the meeting to bring provincial greetings, were told that they could not talk as long as they wanted. The first annual Training Days were initiated to allow smaller companies to have their employees attend both legally mandated and workrelated sessions. Qualified instructors covered newly legislated Acts, lawn care equipment, skid steer certification and WHIMS. (A list of acknowledgements follows this report, but this is the place to express our appreciation to Terry Childs for offering up his workshops and offices.) Cost of these invaluable two-day training sessions? Donations to the local food bank. Other training and information sessions looked at snow and ice management-budgeting, an LMN workshop on planning for profit, a workplace prevention safety presentation on new legislation and the most painless methods to achieve compliance, and — the second best attended session — the MTO meeting. Upper Canada was also well represented this year at the CLT certification and testing days at Kemptville College, Congress and Expo planning boards, as well as many other provincial committees. Community relations had Upper Canada on local cable TV during the presentation of the 5th annual Commercial Beautification Trophy at a city council meeting. There were several articles in three local newspapers. The annual golf tournament enjoyed its greatest participation and profit, thanks to the efforts of Paul Doornbos, Pam McCormick and Stephen Poole. At the time of writing this report, the Chapter is involved in creating a sensory garden for Community Living Quinte West at its training site in Trenton. This will be a two-day build, involving many members, potential members and bucket loads of sweat equity from stakeholders. Politicos and media types will be on hand on Oct 11 for the official unveiling; a good cause for a great community resource. There are two exciting events in the planning stages for Upper Canada: a lawn care mini-expo and a garden centre formal evening. On the organizational front, the Chapter has taken a good look at succession planning for the board of directors. The goal is to eliminate recreating-the-wheel syndrome for incoming members. The incoming board comprises an excellent mix of four new and six returning members. Employees of member companies have also played a significant role in day-to-day operations this year. This is the best part of the report, revealing those who make our organization the special body of people it is. Thank you to long-time stalwarts for their years of dedication, and thank you in advance to you newbies for your willingness to step up to the plate. My utmost respect and admiration is extended to each of you. The Chapter gratefully acknowledges the work of provincial staff members, Sally Harvey and Helen Hassard, who were both instrumental in many of our successes. Martha Walsh from Ottawa Chapter receives kudos. Personally, I need to mention the invaluable mentorship of Diana Cassidy-Bush and the guidance of Terry Childs and Paul Doornbos. It has been a fantastic year. Much has been done, and much is left to do. Respectfully submitted, Dan Clost CHT Secretary 2010-2011

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Waterloo

Windsor

President: Robert Tester Vice president: Randy Adams Provincial board representative: David Wright CLP Treasurer: Helmut Zgraja Secretary: Jeff Thompson Directors: Cor Bultena, Richard Burch CIT, CLP, CLT, Jason Dietrich, Don Prosser CLD, CLT

President: Mark Williams Vice president: Nino Papa Past president: Karl Klink Treasurer: Don Tellier CLT Provincial board representative: Garry Moore Secretary: Jay Rivait Directors: Chris Power, Doug Roberts, Chuck Pronger, Dan Garlatti Regional outlook

September’s meeting saw Mark Bradley make a business presentation that was well received by our members. GroBark was the meeting’s sponsor, promoting Landsource Organix and products. The presentation highlighted a job in N.Y. State. In October, the Chapter meeting took the form of a tour of the Hanson Hardscape production facilities. Andre presented information on ICPI starting an Ontario chapter. He also presented information on upcoming trends in the segmental paving and wall products in southern Ontario. November was the annual snow meeting, with the Kissner Group as the sponsor. Lackner McLennan Insurance’s Tim Paulowski presented information on some pitfalls in contracts relating to insuring in the snow industry. Our annual Fall Freeze-up dance was held with a few changes. We moved the social to Waterloo Inn, and everyone had a great time. It was a job well done by our organizing committee. December was our annual social and meeting with National Leasing as the meeting sponsor. Landscape Ontario home office staff talked about marketing. Helmut cooked-up a storm on the barbecue with roast beef and roast pork. Irene once again provided the sweet table for all to enjoy. January proved a very involved meeting for all who attended, as we had representatives from local cities to go over by-laws that have an impact on our operations. World Gym was our sponsor and introduced a group rate for all members in the Chapter. February brought in Jeffery Scott to speak on marketing. Sponsors were Canadian Recycled Glass and Nutrite. March saw the Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance make a presentation to our members. We also ran training session for key staff members on how to read locate drawings. Sponsors were Transpave and Ferrell Brick and Stone. In April, Edith George presented information on heritage trees and their value. Botany Bay Estate Perennials and Grand River Natural Stone were our sponsors. Extra events this year for the Waterloo Chapter saw the 5th consecutive year of our school planting. This took place in April at Elizabeth Ziegler Public School, which received our green transformation to their school grounds. We also completed a project that was inspired by the staff and students at Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School. Once again the Chapter hosted a golf tournament with proceeds going to help our Chapter’s greening initiatives, the Rotary Centre and the Hort Foundation. The home and garden show saw our members handing out tree seedlings to link us to the Green for Life. Once again, our Chapter hosted the local competition among high school students in landscaping division of Skills Canada. This was our biggest event yet, with 13 teams competing from three school boards. Thanks all our sponsors and members who help judge and organize this event. Respectfully submitted, Rob Tester President 2010-2011

We had a winter with lots of snow and quite cold, which is a little unusual for our area. The spring offered lots of rainy and cloudy weather, hampering retail garden centre sales. Landscapers found it difficult to complete projects with all the rainfall. There seemed to be plenty of work available, but that weakened as the cool, wet weather turned to very hot temperatures almost instantly, skipping spring entirely! Hard work and focus kept businesses in the game. Good luck and continued success to all.

Volunteer renewal

All individuals in our area are tired, but at Landscape Ontario events our members came through with flying colours. All members who participate feed off of each other and a good time is had by all. Membership functions have countless benefits and hopefully all firms take the time to participate in some or all of Windsor’s many events.

Chapter meetings

The attendance at our Chapter meetings has continued to increase. We, as a board, are not sure if it is the meeting topics or the free food! We always leave time for questions and social interaction. October 2010: A group of over 50 people gathered at Garlatti Landscaping for this year’s Awards of Distinction presentation and barbecue social. It was a great evening of socializing and a chance for everyone to view some of the spectacular work from local companies. We are so proud! November 2010: This meeting was well attended with 30 members for dinner held at Dominion Golf Course. An excellent presentation on snow and ice/salt applications was made by Robert Roszell, the chair of the salt research committee of LO Snow and Ice Sector Group. January 2011: A lunch meeting was held at the Dominium Golf Course with 28 members in attendance. John Lavoie of Unilock made an informative presentation on hardscapes and surface water control on interlocking stone. It was most interesting. Newsletter: Once again, Jay Rivait has not let us down and continues to keep everyone informed and up-to-date. We can’t thank you enough, Jay, for a job well done!

Chapter helps community

We helped the Town of Leamington with a plan to replant trees that were destroyed by the June 2010 tornado. The trees were located in various parks and boulevards. The plan was donated to the town and then many of our members tendered the replanting process. Multiple firms received work from this project. Our members continue to do outstanding work and are recognized each year at our Awards of Excellence presentations, held in October. Many businesses bring their employees to this premier event. Respect and appreciation for all talent and efforts are experienced at this event and it is one meeting you do not want to miss. Great pride can be taken from Chris Power and his volunteers from Windsor Chapter for the hospice project. Its beauty is appreciated and admired by all, and it is a huge legacy with great accomplishment for the Windsor Chapter.

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011 July saw the Windsor Chapter come together for its first annual baseball tournament. Lots of great fun and relaxation were experienced by the 60-plus people who participated. Our Bob Girard Memorial Golf Tournament, held in September, was a huge success, even though the event was rained out. Sixty-plus golfers joined us that day with many sponsors and door prizes. Orchard View Golf Course staff cooked a great steak barbecue meal that was enjoyed by all. The rain didn’t dampen the fun and social time for all those who took the time to attend. Windsor Chapter has a few members who always step up and contribute so much. Thank you! As a Chapter, Windsor took on a project to make a backyard wheelchair accessible for a young girl named Olivia. Without these members, this dream of being able to enjoy the outdoors would not have been realized. Windsor Chapter really can make a difference! Plans are well underway for Windsor Chapter to be involved in an upcoming home show event. We will enhance certain areas of the show, as well as provide an educational/informative source. The members

2011

along with St. Clair College horticulture students will participate.

President’s closing remarks

First, I must say a huge thank you to all the members who have decided to get involved and volunteer their time and skills to this Chapter. Just when you think things might go soft, many people step up to carry this Chapter to a new level. The members just keep trying to improve, and it is amazing! Thank you to Jay Rivait for the amazing newsletter; there’s no shortage of correspondence in this Chapter. I encourage all members to continue their involvement. Everyone watch for his newsletter and please come out to our next function. Our Chapter does make a difference. Please get involved! Respectfully submitted Mark Williams President 2010-2011

sector

reports

The scope and mandate — and therefore the needs — of the various industry sectors served by Landscape Ontario are distinctly different. The specific requirements of each of these groups are facilitated by the association’s sector group structure. The objective of each sector group is to respond to current concerns resulting from marketplace pressures and government legislation.

Garden Centre Chair: Michael Van Dongen Provincial board representative: Bob McCannell Members: Barry Benjamin, Perry Grobe, John Hawkes, Alice Klamer, Robert Kuepfer, Chas Lawton CIT, CHT, Shannon Lindensmith, Susan Richards, Tony Sgambelluri, Art Vanden Eden CHT The Garden Centre Sector Group members demonstrated this past year how resilient and adaptive we all can be. The Garden Centre Symposium at Expo 2010 featured presentations on how to improve and expand garden centres, including layout, merchandising, web presence and product offering. Judy Sharpton, Doug Green, Eve Tigwell and Tom Intven captivated a roomful of owners and managers, who despite an economic downturn, were invested in the growth and improvement of their respective garden centre. The Garden Centre Sector Group was also happy to release the Employee Manual, which the group commissioned and made available free of charge to members. This template manual allows for customizing policies related to government standards, and unique procedures specific to the improvement of retail and garden centre operations. CNLA and Garden Centres Canada, under the leadership of chair Anthony O’Neill with the support of Landscape Ontario and the Garden Centre Sector Group, had a tremendous year in regards to the improvement of independent garden centre and public awareness. CNLA conducted its third annual inspection program with Eve Tigwell, which focuses on the quality of the garden centre experience. National Recycle

Week, in its second year, diverted even more plastic and gained increased public press coverage. Finally, this year the Garden Centres Group was happy to support the first annual National Tree Day on Sept. 21.

Adverse conditions

The year 2011 was the wettest spring on record, and was also one of the hottest and driest summers in many years. These adverse conditions for Ontario garden centres demonstrated the sector’s resilience. The Garden Centre Sector Group reacted by hosting a free event with guest speaker Judith Guido, who focused on how to improve our industry, company brand image, and where to grow in the future. Over the next year, the Garden Centre Sector Group will once again show its adaptive abilities. In reaction to member demand, we moved the 2011 Symposium program to the morning of Expo, which over a warm breakfast, will feature a presentation by Karl Stensson, ‘Taking a Good Garden Centre and Making it Great.’ The committee will also work on the program, ‘Improvement of Garden Centre Staff,’ by redeveloping the retail certification program to make it easy and accessible to train within the garden centre industry. We will also look at ways to expand the inspection program for our members and improve on industry knowledge and idea sharing. We greatly appreciate input from anyone, and welcome the participation of members in our committee meetings. Respectfully submitted, Michael Van Dongen Chair, 2010-2011

Grounds Management Chair: John Hewson CLP/ Mike DeBoer CLT Provincial board representative: Brian Marsh Members: Carmine Filice CLP, Anthony Kampen, Jeff McMann CLT, Dean Schofield, Rodger Tschanz, Jay VanGelder

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

This is the fifth year of the Trial Gardens at the Landscape Ontario home The Nursery Growers’ Sector Group continued to work on strategic prioroffice site, under the supervision of Rodger Tschanz of the University ities throughout the year, which include professional development and of Guelph. The goal of the trials is to highlight new and under-utilized education, research and market development and industry advocacy and plant varieties to the Ontario landscaping industry. promotion. This year the Trial Gardens included a display that featured a bed of The year started out with a very successful annual Nursery Growers’ kalanchoe in the centre of the site by Balfour Greenhouses. A two-day Tour on Sept. 16, 2010. Over 120 people climbed aboard two charter open house event had over 80 industry members attending on the Fri- buses to visit six sites in the Niagara area. Host sites included Connon day, with the public open house on the Saturday, with over 175 attend- Nurseries/CBV Holdings in Waterdown, Blue Sky Nursery in Beamsville, ees. Visitors came from as far as New York State. On the Saturday, the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, J.C. Bakker and Sons Nursopen house presented an ‘ask-the-expert’ booth with representatives ery near St. Catharines, Mori Nurseries at Niagara-on-the-Lake, The Ice from the Master Gardeners of Ontario. Thank-you to all sponsors of this House Winery and Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens. Great weather and event who ensured that was a great success. The new varieties were sched- excellent camaraderie were shared by all with the help of sponsors ASB uled for display at Expo 2011, and Congress 2011 in the New Product Greenworld, Gro-Bark Ontario and Plant Products. Showcase. Our fall dinner meeting was held Nov. 3, 2010, at the Oakville QualThe Sector Group’s ity Inn. Attendees vision statement is, enjoyed network“A prosperous, proing with industry fessional, ethical, recpeers over refreshognized and trusted ments and dinner. Grounds Management Mario Lanthier of Sector.” CropHealth AdvisThe group worked ing and Research on and discussed the spoke about pest following issues: management in • Develop a strategic Canadian nurseries. plan through This was followed SWOT (Strengths, by Ken Rounds Weaknesses, of Ethosolar, who Opportunities and gave an informative Threats). overview of solar • Benchmark energy options. projects/charting He also provided accounts by information about developing a the Ontario Power program that Authority incentives includes: overhead, Industry open house at LO/University of Guelph trial gardens. to promote solar sales per truck, energy installations sales per day, productivity ratios, etc. The Group will review in 2012 to through the Microfit program. see if this is still required by industry. The Growers’ research subcommittee is successfully identifying • Develop a communication plan. Who is our customer? What is our important projects that align with our key research and industry develstory? Possible delivery systems of this information. It was agreed that opment priorities. They work directly with horticultural researchers Canada Blooms was a good venue. and collaborate on improving best management practices. Leveraging • Emissions. The Group invited distributors and manufacturers of research and development monies available from government programs, grounds equipment to a special meeting to discuss reducing emission. this group is marshaling several projects that include highway plantings, • Special project to energize the sector. The plan is to develop a set of alternatives to ash and Norway maple, water quality and usage, bioconlow impact guidelines for the property management industry (Green trols, fertilizer application, integrated pest management and disease supGuidelines). The guidelines would act as a pre-qualification device. Jeff pression. Thanks go to Alex Verbinnen, research subcommittee chair, McMann is spearheading this project with input from the rest of the and his group of committed growers. Group. A think tank session with industry owners and operators was held on Jan. 25, 2011. Moderated by Tom Intven, this forum’s objective was Respectfully submitted to encourage an exchange of ideas among businesses to help address John Hewson the economic challenges facing our industry. Several speakers, includChair ing guests Debbie Lonnee from Bailey Nurseries in the U.S. and John Chisholm from S.B. Partners, gave their perspective on stimulating prosperity within the framework of a slowing economy. Discussion and several action items revolved around stimulating demand, operations improvement, public and government awareness and finance-related Chair: Mark Ostrowski ideas. Vice-chair/ Provincial board representative: Gerwin Bouman Jeff Gregg is the chair of our Safety Subcommittee. The group has Treasurer: Bill Putzer made significant progress working with Sally Harvey and Workplace Members: Jamie Aalbers, Dave Braun, Harry Devries, Tim Dyer, Kam- Safety and Prevention Services to establish a nursery-specific safety traineron Fordyce, Jeff Gregg, Jennifer Llewellyn, Glen Lumis, John Moons, ing program. This adds great value and will make a positive difference in Fred Somerville, Melissa Spearing, Christine Stein, Dave Tillaart, Alex promoting safety in the industry. WSPS is developing the workbook and Verbinnen, Rita Weerdenburg, Youbin Zheng organizing education sessions for this winter in partnership with LO.

Growers

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011 The annual Nursery Growers’ Short Course was spearheaded by Jennifer Llewellyn and Glen Lumis again this year, on Feb. 9. Well over 200 growers gathered at the Royal Botanical Gardens to hear presentations on water, pest and soil management practices. Several industry suppliers brought exhibits and shared their products and service knowledge with attendees. Thank you again to all of the generous sponsors who helped with the food and speaker costs. This year’s Research Auction was hosted by Blue Sky Nursery. Many made the trip to Beamsville on a beautiful, hot day to bid on top quality plant material, landscape supplies and equipment. Thanks again to all of the bidders, sponsors, volunteers and staff for making it a successful day. Great food and fun were enjoyed by all who participated, raising $20,000 for our horticultural research and scholarship program. Many individuals work countless hours to ensure that this industry continues to be a vibrant, successful and fun sector to work in. I would like to personally thank all of the directors, volunteers, sponsors and staff who support this group and make it a pleasure to serve. Respectfully submitted, Mark Ostrowski Chair, 2010-2011

Interior Plantscapes Chair: Stephen Schell CHT Provincial board representative: Stephen Schell Members: Hella Keppo CHT, Fred Prescod CHT, Phil Van Alstyne CHT, Nanthakumar Paramanathan On October, 2010, we held the second Interior Landscape breakfast during Expo at the Toronto Congress Centre. The theme was Environmental Design, featuring guest speakers, Kathy Fediw and Joanne Young. Sponsor this year was Westbrook. The presentation was held at the Green for Life Stage with 40 participants. The group reviewed the logistics of the seminar, and it was decided that something different is required for Expo 2011. The theme agreed upon was Living Walls.

Other initiatives

• The Sector Group became a member of Green Plants for Green Buildings. This allows access to numerous training programs and marketing promotion material. • Redeemer College was contacted to determine opportunities to work with the school to provide a marketing plan for the industry. This would be part of the school’s curriculum. • On the issue of Certification, the Group will work with PLANET to finalize the interior manual.

The committee will discuss ways to revitalize the Interior sector in 2011-2012. Respectfully submitted Stephen Schell CHT Chair 2010-2011

Irrigation Chair: Chris LeConte/John Lamberink CIT Members: Robert Cooke, Louise Cottreau, Chris Davies, Brian DeCaluwe CIT, Alan Driedger, Andrew Gaydon, Kara Gibbons, Gillian Glazer, Steve Macartney CIT, Roy Neves, Mike Ross, Tony Serwatuk CIT, Gary Supp, Henry VanHengstum CIT, Neil Whitehall CIT, Chuck Yates CIT

The Irrigation Sector Group hosted the annual Irrigation Conference at Congress 2011 on Jan. 10. The theme of the event was Get Smart about Irrigation. It was a full-day conference with dynamic speakers and topics, which were well received by the 110 participants.

Projects/events

• Education: CIC, CID, CLIA, CLEA; promotion of educational opportunities and certification • Developed a two-day boot camp, scheduled for April, 2012 • Water Stewardship Awards of Excellence; review the criteria and update • Marketing of the sector through the website • Promote Smart Irrigation Month in July of each year • Participate in the 2012 IPM Symposium, Benefit of Green Infrastructure • National Electrical Code and how it affects the sector • Irrigation Conference at Congress 2012

The irrigation industry is under increasing scrutiny from policy makers and environmental groups and the Irrigation Sector Group is keeping abreast of the situation. Respectfully submitted John Lamberink CIT Chair 2011

Landscape Contractors Chair/Board representative: Peter Guinane Members: Thomas Blatter CLP, Brian Clegg, Charlie Dobbin, Janet Ennamorato, Harry Gelderman, Steve Hary, Ryan Heath CLP, CLT, Barry Hordyk, Arvils Lukss, Brian Marsh, Arthur Skolnik I would like to thank all of the members of our committee for the time they contributed to the Landscape Contractors Sector Group. The annual lecture series was held in conjunction with Industry Night at Canada Blooms on Mar. 17. Speakers were Mark Hartley, who presented designs of private residential gardens located in the city and in the country, and Mark Bradley, who talked about the designs and construction of his award-winning projects. Special thanks to the sponsors of the event: Beaver Valley Stone, Dufferin Aggregate, Eloquip, Gro-Bark, and Unilock. Over 100 attended the event, enjoying the presentation. Everyone then joined the Industry Night celebration and Canada Blooms Awards program. For the 2012 Lecture Series, the group decided to change venue and date to revitalize the event. It will be held on Feb. 22, at the Toronto Botanical Gardens. Speakers will be Haig Seferian and Terry McGlade. Although there is no charge for the event, the Landscape Contractors Group is asking for a donation of canned goods or funds. All proceeds from this event will be donated to the re-planting efforts in Goderich. The Landscape Contractors Group assists with the feature gardens at Canada Blooms, reviewing the entries to ensure they meet industry standards and quality. With the assistance of LO staff, and Tim Kearney’s vision, the ‘wow’ factor was returned to the show in the Landscape Ontario garden. The 2011 Canada Blooms show at the new location – Direct Energy Centre – was a great success, featuring everything on one floor level. Following the completed negotiations with the National Home Show, the 2012 Canada Blooms will take place over 10 days. The Landscape Contractors will continue to assist with the feature gardens. Items of interest • Landscape Contractors’ newsletter focuses on the issues pertaining to contractor sector. • Work to increase the number of members in the group. It was decided

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

to try to include representatives from all chapters, ensuring the group’s membership captures the needs of the sector. Group members will visit all chapters and make a presentation. • How to promote sector to the consumer. Discussion took place on the ‘Selecting a Landscape Contractor Brochure’ to incorporate all aspects of the horticulture industry. It was felt the best venue for distribution to consumers is Canada Blooms. The Contractors support the new Green for Life initiative. We are the green industry, and need to get the message out to the people. Respectfully submitted Peter Guinane Chair, 2010-2011

Landscape Designers Chair: Tony Lombardi CLD, CLP Provincial board representative: Beth Edney CLD, Paul Brydges OALA Treasurer: Fred Post CLD Newsletter editor: Jennifer Hayman Members: Paul Brydges OALA, Don Chase CLD, Harry Gelderman, Judith Humphries CLD, Alice Klamer, Ron Koudys OALA,CLD, Fred Post CLD, Haig Seferian CLD, OALA, Ron Swentiski CLD, Catherine Geratts The Landscape Designers Sector Group hosted the annual conference at Congress on Jan. 10, 2011. The full-day event had guest speakers Ron Koudys, Jeff McMann, Wendy Shearer, Rosalind Reed, Dave Maciulis, Beth Edney and Paul Zammitt. They were well received by the 175 people in attendance. We would like to thank our sponsors: Blue Sky Nursery, Unilock, Rockdeck, HGH Granite, Dynascape, Betz Pools and CNLA. Added to the conference was a special area where sponsors of the event had tabletop displays and were able to network with participants. The conference committee members are Jodie Munshaw CLD, speaker coordinator; Chris Mace, sponsor coordinator; Catherine Geratts, décor coordinator; and Kristen McIntyre CHT, event coordinator. The Group also hosted a Designers’ Breakfast at Expo in October, 2010. This session was held at the Green for Life Stage, with 70 participants. Guest speaker was Theresa Syer, whose topic was Wow your Clients with Great Service. This event was sponsored by Connon Nurseries/NVK and Gibsan Pools. Because of the success of the conference and breakfast, the Landscape Designers Group plans to continue hosting both these events. The Designers Group newsletter continues to be a great success, and has been widely circulated. It is to be incorporated with the LO website. The Group is working on the following projects/events: • The CLD committee continues to spend time on the exam and portfolio reviews. Discussion on the process, standards and education opportunities is ongoing. The Group is also working on the manual, which is due for completion and release in time for the 2012 Landscape Designers Conference on Jan. 9 • OTS Student Design Competition • A review is underway of the present strategic plan and update to accommodate for the development of the CLD and its progress as the official nation-wide designation for landscape designers • Participate in the 2012 Canada Blooms garden build Respectfully submitted Tony Lombardi CLD, CLP Chair, 2010-2011

Lawn Care Chair: Steve Tschanz Provincial board representative: Alan White Members: Tom Somerville, John Wright, Rohan Harrison, Don McQueen CIT, Don Voorhees, Paul Gaspar, Richard Reed, Bill Van Ryn Jr., Mark Goodman, Kyle Tobin, Dave Soepboer, Ryan Van Haastrecht, Lee Radcliffe, Thom Bourne CIT, Phil Bull, Pam Charbonneau, Martin Horsman, Gavin Dawson Last year continued with government issues at the forefront of many meetings. This included the eco-fee on fertilizer and water quality issues pertaining to fertilizer usage. The eco-fee issue resolved itself with the backlash of public pressure. The recycling of fertilizer bags is still a potential problem, as some avenues for recycling disappeared with further discussions. We met with Canadian Fertilizer Institute about fertilizer usage and ground water quality. The approach of the Institute has a familiar feel as Crop Life’s did to the pesticide industry. There is concern on this direction that will potentially once again leave only lawn care operators protecting products. We created a sub-committee to promote the benefits of turf. This committee is working in conjunction with the sod growers on plans to have a nice display at Canada Blooms in 2012. There is still no legal method to control chinch bugs in Ontario. The rumours of new products coming to the market continue, but there is nothing yet. A letter was sent to the Minister of the Environment about the lack of products and potential easing of the rules on class 11. A meeting followed with the ministry staff in the spring to address the lack of products coming to the market, but it was not very successful. Government officials said that companies that want to bring products to Canada should talk to them before the PMRA to see if it will be suited for class 11. This emphasizes the lack of science used in the formulation of the regulations and classes. The use of the product Fiesta has been tough this year, as price is still an issue and re-growth continues to be a problem. Respectfully submitted, Steve Tschanz Chair 2010-2011

Lighting Chair/Provincial board representative: John Higo Members: Pamela Bingham, Gillian Glazer, Carl Hastings, Leon Hordyk, Raymond Josephian, Cory MacCallum CIT, Ken Martin, James Solecki, Joe Willemse, Corey Yourkin Training and certification were priorities this year. The group worked to develop a training manual for a written Certified Landscape Lighting industry test and practical test stations. This is ongoing. The group is still working on the main issue for this sector, Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) regulation. The goal is to have ESA recognize the competency, credibility and professionalism of the Certified Landscape Lighting industry. The members are still active, and await information and confirmation in regards to the Act. So far, there has been little movement. Note, permits and inspections are now required for all jobs. The Sector Group hosted the annual Lighting Symposium and Trade Show at Grand Chalet in Milton in February, 2011. It was decided in 2010 to change the venue to accommodate more participants and exhibitors. Over 110 participants and 12 exhibiting companies attended the event, which was deemed a great success.

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011 Other priorities include a communication newsletter and creating a brochure with promotional material to help a Lighting Contractor. Respectfully submitted, John Higo Chair, 2010-2011

Snow and Ice Chairs: Edward Hewis/John Fulford Committee: Randy Adams, Vince Arone, Gerald Boot CLP, John Buikema, Carmine Filice, Steve Hary, Mark Humphries, Keith McDow, Jim Monk, John O’Leary CLT, Darren Rodrigues, Robert Roszell, Bob Tester, William Tiemersma, Martin Tirado SIMA This year the group continued to • Create and implement standard record keeping forms • Adopt and promote the Smart about Salt program as a benchmark for good practices • Revise the current Landscape Ontario Snow Contract • Investigate insurance coverage

2011

The annual Snow and Ice Symposium/Trade Show was held in Kitchener/Waterloo in September, 2010. Landscape Ontario, OPA and MEOA partnered on the event. There were over 300 attendees at the event. The group is working on the following projects/issues that include: a) Chloride Research Project – Dr Liping Yu of the University of Waterloo b) Smart about Salt accreditation c) Review of the contract d) Insurance issues e) Review of strategic direction The Optimum Salting for Parking Lots and Sidewalks report by Liping Yu and Raqib Omer, both of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, continued its research to develop a better understanding of the conditions that influence the effectiveness of various commonly used deicing and anti-icing treatments for parking lots and sidewalks, and to develop knowledge for optimum selection of materials, application rates and techniques. Robert Roszell attended the International Conference on Road Salt and reported back to the group on what took place during the event. Respectfully submitted, John Fulford Chair 2011

committee

reports

All of Landscape Ontario’s affairs are governed by its members. Regional needs are met at the chapter level, while industry-specific issues are dealt with at the sector group level. All other affairs are conducted at the committee level. Some, such as Congress, Communications or Finance, are long-standing committees that oversee the association’s very important, revenue-generating activities. Often, committees are formed on an as-need basis to deal with specific matters. Once a committee has successfully completed its mandate, the committee is discontinued.

Branding Chair: Paul Doornbos CLT, CLP Members: Darren Bosch, Diana Cassidy-Busch CLP, Phil Dickie, Tom Intven, Tim Kearney CLP, Shannon Lindensmith, Steve Macartney CIT, Bob McCannell, Jim McCracken, Mark Ostrowski, Alan White As envisioned in the marketing plan drafted several years ago, LO’s Green for Life brand has now taken on a life of its own. The centrepiece of the initiative, the consumer-targeted website www. landscapeontario.com, continues to connect consumers with LO members. People may search for LO members who provide services within a consumer’s locale. The search links inquiries to customized member profile pages. Some members have reported receiving valuable referrals from the website. The site also serves to inspire consumers on the beauty and benefit that is provided by horticulture. Member volunteers who created the program in 2008 had, among their many goals, the objective of creating a sustainable industry pro-

motion to drive demand, should the economy soften. Their vision and commitment deserve immense gratitude, as Green for Life continues to strive to do exactly that. As hoped for, members are co-branding their companies, and building the GFL brand across Ontario with vehicle stickers, as well as logos on print and electronic promotions. The brand is front-and-centre at all LO events, including our trade shows. Exposure is further reinforced at the chapter level. LO’s trade publications also help spread the Green for Life story. Landscape Ontario’s leadership has now inspired other provinces across Canada. We created Green for Life, and it fits LO’s values to share the program with our sister associations. Our program has been gratefully adapted and integrated by British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The program also inspired a very successful tree-planting event in Minnesota. LO members, especially through their chapters, already perform an impressive amount of community service work. Now that work is aligning with the spirit of Green for Life. LO utilizes Denis Flanagan as our public spokesman, supplemented by his many contacts. He makes countless live, TV and radio appearances across the province and Canada. In addition, he is a leader with organizations including Communities in Bloom, Canada Blooms, the Ontario Horticultural Society and others. His public relations activities, in accordance with the Green for Life brand’s focus, are now supporting our many community initiatives. Landscape Ontario’s presence at Canada Blooms 2011 was the association’s largest-scale statement ever, all built around the Green for Life

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

brand. LO’s 10,000-sq. ft. garden greeted every visitor at the show’s entrance. This garden exemplified the “culture” of Green for Life, with over 40 member companies and 200-plus volunteers coming together to show our pride in promoting our industry, by working together and checking egos at the door. Dream landscapes and new plants were featured at the show in Garden Inspiration magazine, flip side of the Canada Blooms show guide, to give visitors a take-home reference on how to beautify their landscapes, and connect with LO members. The GFL brand was also promoted through extensive media coverage built around the show. Special funding to implement Green for Life expired at the end of the last fiscal year. This year, our branding initiatives were integrated with LO’s general operating budget. Thanks to my fellow committee members for guiding our public image in such a positive, productive direction, and thanks to all who implemented the program with an eye for effectiveness and good value. The challenge for the association now is to ask the question, “Does this fit with our brand?” for all strategic initiatives going forward, and to have the courage to continue moving forward with those initiatives that fit. Respectfully submitted, Paul Doornbos CLT, CLP Chair 2010-2011

Building

decide to sell. We hired a development consultant to help us through the process. In order to maximize the value, we will submit a Draft Plan of Subdivision to the Region of Halton. The Draft Plan will be circulated to a wide number of agencies for comment. After the circulation period (and revisions to the plan if required by the reviewing agencies), draft plan approval is given by the Region. Draft approval states that the plan may be registered and the lots created, subject to a series of conditions. When all of the conditions have been fulfilled, the plan is registered and the individual lots sold. The process includes preparation of items such as, proposed road locations, functional servicing plans, topographical survey, archaeologist report, biologist report, etc. The home office continues to be well used by the membership. We host over 150 seminars and countless meetings. We also expanded the Trial Garden area this year. It acts as an outdoor classroom for new varieties of annuals and perennials. The garden’s open house events for the public and trade continue to become more popular each year. The colourful garden attracts a great deal of attention from the highway. We also landscaped around the Union Gas transfer station, using many different types of native plants. The plantings have been designed to be used for certification testing. We look forward to renovating the main building as soon as the surplus lands are sold. Respectfully submitted, Karl Stensson Chair 2010 - 2011

Chair: Karl Stensson Directors: Hank Gelderman CLT, Tom Intven, Paul Olsen, John Putzer, Haig Seferian CLD, Marc Thiebaud, Rene Thiebaud CLP, Bob Tubby CLP, Monica van Maris, Neil Vanderkruk

Canada Blooms

We are making slow but steady progress in developing the Landscape Ontario home office. Last year our committee recommended that we keep 10 of our 48 acres. The board agreed. We are now in the process of preparing the surplus lands to enhance its value, if and when we

Co-Chairs: Jeff Olsen and Heather Fuller Directors: Everett DeJong, Suzanne Drinkwater, Jill Fairbrother, Michel Gauthier, Peter Guinane, Tim Kearney CLP, Mary Jane Lovering, Janette MacDonald, Lawson Oates, Janet Rowley, Jacqueline Tilford-Clarke

The Green for Life garden at Canada Blooms inspired visitors with the beauty and benefits of green infrastructure.

The theme for the 15th annual Canada Blooms Flower and Garden Festival was Rhythms. It was a perfect complement to our collaboration with the Juno Awards and its 40th anniversary. Canada Blooms and five talented members of Landscape Ontario created garden tributes to previous Juno award winners with the creation of beautiful gardens to reflect each artist’s particular style and genre. We thank Jully Black, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Sarah Harmer, Ben Heppner and the family of Oscar Peterson for their participation. Held at the Direct Energy Centre for a second year, Canada Blooms featured over six acres of colourful gardens, 100,000 square feet of marketplace

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011 and 200 hours of guest speakers, workshops and demonstrations over five days in mid-March. A spectacular entrance garden was created by the Landscape Ontario Green for Life team, headed by Tim Kearney and designed by the Haig Seferian team. The build team consisted of over 50 companies, 200 individuals and hundreds of thousands of dollars of material and labour. Once again this year, each Chapter in LO was represented. The Green for Life garden showcased a multi-coloured floral wall, gentle water feature, with an area to sit and relax under the 10 foot high trees in beautiful planters, all giving a park atmosphere. The garden also featured plant material selections for green roofs. Canada Blooms 2011 was attended by over 90,000 enthusiastic guests. Attendees came from across Ontario, other Canadian provinces, the United States, along with international visitors from the United Kingdom and Europe. The marketing plan for the 15th anniversary celebrations involved Canada’s top media organizations, including The Toronto Star, Rogers and CTV. Canada Blooms presented a pull-out section in both The Star and new partner Metro Newspaper, as well as extensive online promotion. This year Canada Blooms participated in a provincial transit shelter campaign with the support of the Ontario government, which attracted more guests from outside of the GTA to visit the host City of Toronto. A big thank you is extended to all our sponsors, growers, greenhouse operators and horticultural suppliers who generously donated funds, time, services and supplies to ensure the growth and success of Canada Blooms. We thank them all for their continued support. We also would like to thank the over 1,200 volunteers, who donated numerous hours doing many different jobs: greeting the buses, handing out the show guides, assisting with the build of the gardens, introducing guest speakers and answering questions from attendees. Without these volunteers, Canada Blooms would not be what it is. The year 2012 will bring some major changes for Canada Blooms, as we co-locate with the National Home Show, Canada’s largest home show to create the largest home and garden event in North America. This new 10-day event from March 16 to 25, is expected to see a huge crossover attendance, allowing Canada Blooms to introduce new consumers, new exhibitors and media to our world-class horticulture and floriculture event. Respectfully submitted Jeff Olsen, Heather Fuller Co-chairs, 2011

CNLA LO representative: Gerald Boot CLP CNLA’s relationship with the rest of the provinces has never been as productive or relevant. There are so many initiatives and issues, that sometimes it is difficult to simplify and articulate, unless some background is provided. This report will attempt to connect those dots.

Public/government relations

The George Morris Centre report, Documented Economic, Environmental and Health Benefits of Horticulture, and the Deloitte report, Economic Impact of the Ornamental Horticulture Industry, were both initiated by CNLA in 2009. These documents, as well as the Sustainable Sites Initiative, Green Cities Movement and Green Infrastructure project, are being used to make a credible case for the quality of life benefits of our industry. The more we collectively deliver the message that horticulture is much more than ornamental, the more our entire sector will benefit. This is the simple and central message of the public and government

relations activity. It is no different for Landscape Ontario. Here are some of the programs and activities CNLA is working on to advance our sector’s story: Horticulture for Health and Green City promotion.

Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance (COHA) This is an alliance of CNLA, Flowers Canada and Federation Inderdisciplinaire du Horticulture de Quebec. Its sole focus is to raise awareness for the benefits of our sector to the federal government. A new executive director, Pierre Cadieux, has been hired. His office is in Ottawa. COHA is funded by the three founding groups. Since we fund CNLA, therefore COHA is funded by Landscape Ontario.

Political Action Committee

The committee encourages all members to develop a relationship with their MP. Relationships help build awareness for the benefits of our sector. CNLA will assist members with communication materials.

Environment committee

The plastics recycling program was very successful across Canada. The committee is investigating the Green Cities accreditation program. This program is being developed in the Netherlands.

Business development and innovation

CNLA, through COHA, convinced Agriculture Canada to contribute the original genetics for the Explorer Roses to CNLA. They also agreed to fund the majority of the rose breeding program at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. This project has the possibility of developing amazing hardy shrub roses, generating a real benefit for many in our industry. In addition, the Vineland partnership generates more funding to develop innovative products and processes.

Insurance program

I am the insurance chair for CNLA. It has been a time-consuming and complex job, however, the potential benefits for the association and members are enormous. We switched to Marsh from Sinclair Cockburn last November. Marsh has been very good to deal with. They are the largest insurance broker in Canada, and therefore have considerable influence with insurance companies. Since November, they have built premiums to over $1-million. The insurance program was once at $12-million. We still have a long way to go. The benefits of our relationship with Marsh are many. They have agreed to form a risk management council to help our members reduce business risk. They will also build a fund to help fight frivolous claims. Ultimately, however, the idea is to form our own industry insurance company. Once the premiums reach $10-million, we will explore this option. Here is how it works: Members pay their premiums into a collective fund; the premiums are used to pay any claims; insurance is then purchased for any risk above the premium amount. If the collective premiums are not utilized, because of good claims experience, these funds remain as the property of the group.

Barriers to acceptance

• Changing insurance programs is not easy. Members are encouraged to get quotes. • Provincial representatives have been asked to act as an advisory group. It is hoped that this will accelerate acceptance. • We need to reduce the risk within the group. • The greatest risk is related to driving. Marsh will develop an online vehicle safety awareness program for member employees. • Goal is $25-million. • We will start fighting frivolous claims.

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

CNLA dues

Last year the LO board gave me the authority to negotiate a 1.5 per cent increase for the next three years. All provinces agreed to the increase, with the exception of British Columbia.

Green for Life National Awards

CNLA has adopted the Ontario Green for Life Awards program. This will be an award within the Communities in Bloom program.

Member recruitment

CNLA wants to assist with member recruitment. The board agreed to purchase a list of all industry members in Canada on a 50/50 basis. LO has already purchased the list.

Grower issues

CNLA is presently determining research priorities, so that funds raised may be raised to support those priorities. The U.S. has passed legislation that will force growers to identify the country of origin on all plants going into that country. This might stop many exports and is a serious issue. Currently, Canadian Food Inspection Agency is helping CNLA determine the impact of the legislation, so that an appropriate response may be developed. The Advanced Payment Program is now available for growers. Preferred financing is available to pay for planting crops. CNLA lobbied for this benefit. Up to $400,000 is available, with first 100 interest free, and the rest is at prime. Administration fees do apply. The Clean Plants Program was responsible for the survival of the B.C. industry when faced with the sudden oak death crisis. The risk management program uses a systems-based, audited approach to implement best practices to reduce the spread of regulated pests. It also enhances the grower’s ability to trace-back and trace-forward any plant. This ability is essential in case of a quarantine and/or eradication order. The program was funded by the B.C. government. Funds have now run out and the program is in danger of being shut down. CNLA agreed to take over the administration of the program until it becomes sustainable. The new U.S. legislation, noted above, might make the program essential for all growers. Canadian Label: The growers group is looking for common branding to sell Canadian product. One idea is to use “Cool-Roots,” or “Canadian Roots.”

Human resource development

There is major progress on the Red Seal program. Program standards have now been aligned across Canada. The national exam is almost complete. Once the program is complete, there will be a major effort to build demand by lobbying government to make apprenticeship and certification requirements in tender documents. An on-the-job training program will be a major priority next year. This will help members train their employees, based on a well researched system used in the military. A Masters level program has been developed with the George Morris Centre. Owners and managers are encouraged to take the program.

Governance

CNLA is reviewing its governance structure in order to reduce the size of the board and to save on travel costs. A proposal was put forward for consideration. Comments are encouraged. A decision on change will be made at the next meeting from Feb. 7 to 11 in Halifax. Respectfully submitted, Gerald Boot CLP CNLA representative

Communications Chair: Hank Gelderman CLTT, CLTO Members: Gerald Boot CLP, Laura Catalano, Tim Kearney CLP, Marty Lamers, Janice Laurin, Bob Tubby CLP LO’s communications initiatives consistently served the industry well during prosperous times, and the association’s Communications Committee is pleased at the levels of service delivered during recent tougher times. Of the association’s many initiatives, publication revenue was hard hit by the recession. As marketing budgets dried up, our issue sizes certainly went down. However, we found the means to get unique industryand sector-specific information to our audience, despite lower revenues. Actually, publications were hardest-hit during FY 2009-2010. This year’s results show gross revenue up three per cent, unchanged direct expenses and a five per cent improvement in net proceeds before wages. Committee members applaud the communications team on these results. Our flagship, Landscape Trades, continues its respected leadership role for Canada’s industry. While a few other Canadian green industry magazines serve niche regions or sectors, LT’s quality, reach and industry service ethic is unchallenged. This year saw the successful launch of www. landscapetrades.com. The site features story archives, online subscriptions, classifieds and the online Source Book, plus online display advertising — a new revenue stream. Horticulture Review is as popular among LO members as ever. Committee members view it as a critical communications link, defining the association. HR helps to drive attendance and success at association events, recognize volunteer achievements, promote professionalism and deliver news about Ontario’s industry and LO members. The e-broadcast LO This Week, an extension of HR, has become an indispensible tool for LO and its members. In the spirit of spreading our message as widely as possible, an electronic replica edition of HR is distributed in e-news ahead of the print version, and we offer free electronic subscriptions to anyone interested. Times and preferences change, but we feel we are doing a good job of serving members with timely electronic communications, without going overboard. Canada Blooms is our most effective opportunity to connect with the public, and our team once again published the official Blooms show guide, along with the flip-format Garden Inspiration. The beauty and benefits of horticulture, through our Green for Life initiative, were communicated to 45,000 readers through the magazine. While your publishing team produces about a thousand magazine pages annually, the volume of other support work it performs is astonishing. The official LO website, www.horttrades.com, ranks high in richness and complexity of information; this is the reason it appears at the top of search engine queries. We continue to connect and inspire consumers through the Green for Life initiative, built around www. landscapeontario.com. And a few of the other projects completed during the course of the year include the LO Member Handbook, the Landscape Trades wall calendar, LO Professional Development Guide, Congress Conference Guide, Congress and Expo show guides, countless brochures, flyers and more. Committee members, through their time and interest, provide a valuable sounding board to determine whether our communications initiatives are on target. I know that our staff values their input, and I echo that appreciation. Respectfully submitted, Hank Gelderman Chair, 2010-2011

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Congress and Expo Chair: Brian Lofgren Vice-chair, Congress: Brian Cocks CLT Vice-chair, Expo: Beth Edney CLD Members: Scott Beaudoin, Diana CassidyBush CLP, Terry Childs, Doug Coote, Paul DeGroot, Barry Dickson, Nathan Helder, Michael LaPorte CLT, Bob McCannell, Klaas Sikkema, Nick Solty, Jack VandeRee CLT and Monica van Maris. Landscape Ontario’s Show Committee hosts two major industry trade shows that include both exhibits and professional development. The industry’s fall show for the floral and garden industry assumed a new name – Landscape Ontario’s Expo, formerly Garden & Floral Expo, to take full advantage of being LO’s trade shows offer a chance for industry members to meet Face-to-Face. associated with the LO brand. Held Oct. 19-20, 2010, the show opened a Window to the World of retail. eries/CBV Holdings and Medallion Fence contributed product for merCongress ran Jan. 11-13, 2011, offering industry specific pre-confer- chandising the area. Michael LaPorte, Clearview Nursery, Terry Childs, ence professional development, a full three-day conference and trade Natures Way Landscaping, and Klaas Sikkema, a LO alumni member, are show. Congress 2011 closed on a revenue high note of $109,000 over congratulated on designing and merchandizing the products. total revenue and net proceeds compared to Congress 2010. Expo Partnerships with Communities in Bloom Ontario, Flowers Canachieved more modest results, but still a positive revenue increase of ada (Ontario), Master Gardeners of Ontario, Niagara Economic Devel$27,000 over projected revenue and $31,000 over projected net pro- opment Department and the Canadian Academy of Floral Art (CAFA) ceeds. enable us to reach out to have designers create an environment that welAttendance, unlike revenue, didn’t fare as well. At Expo there was a comed visitors to the show floor and attracted a new generation of garmodest increase to 2,800 visitors while Congress, hit by a snowstorm den centre retailers and florists, who expected to be wowed at Expo. in the middle of the show, experienced a 12 per cent decrease from the The entire event was made possible through the generous support of previous year. The weather and the economy caused fluctuations in both our sponsors: Global Arch, Greenstar Plant Products, HortProtect-Marsh revenue and visitor participation; neither of which are predictable or and Turf Revolution. controllable. The Green for Life Stage, sponsored by Turf Revolution, partnered with Landscape Ontario to offer educational programming to help Expo, formerly Garden & Floral Expo industry professionals become green for life. Connon Nurseries/NVK Expo 2010 opened in a blaze of colour and well merchandized displays Holdings and Camilla House Imports also made contributions. which captured the attention of over 2,800 horticulture and floriculture The dynamic education programs for the Garden Centre Sympoprofessionals. High quality booth displays, hundreds of new plant and sium, Landscape Designer Breakfast and Interior Plantscape Breakfast product introductions, sector specific symposia and floral masterpieces, and Networking event were made possible through the commitment of featured in Aisle 400 of the show floor, left attendees feeling excited companies that believe strongly in professional development. Appreciaabout the state of the industry. A visit from over 30 garden writers helped tion is extended to: Fafard et Freres, Connon Nurseries/NVK Holdings, garner some great post-show media coverage. Permacon, and Westbrook Floral, along with the following contributors: The show committee’s goal has been to give attendees and exhibi- Brookdale Treeland Nurseries, Canada Nurseries, Canadian Nursery tors a world class, retail focused trade show that is conveniently located Landscape Association/Garden Centre Canada, Langendoen Nurseries, within their own market area. The show is designed to inspire visitors Manchester Products, Turf Revolution, Valleybrook Garden (Ontario) to take action to create extraordinary experiences in their own stores for and Willowbrook Nurseries. their customers. To this end, Expo 2010 introduced design and merchanRenamed a year ago, Expo has gained recognition in the world of dising elements that sparked ideas, including: modern artistic lighting, horticulture trade shows, as offering not only some of the freshest plant updated colour schematic, a welcoming entrance garden, creatively mer- material grown in Ontario, but also the one stop event to see many of chandized new product and plant introductions, and improved staff the favourites grown in the University of Guelph’s trial gardens. Retail knowledge on plants and products. Credit for the continuous improve- and floral visitors depend on Expo to network with the vendors and ment in the show environment can be attributed to artistic director growers who supply the plants and products their customers expect. Albert Graves, landscape designer Beth Edney, floral designer Derrick Foss, AIFD, CAFA, of Just Me Floral, and garden designer Diana Cassidy- Congress 2011 Under the leadership of Gilles Bouchard and the sales proficiency of Bush of Fresh Landscape and Garden Solutions. The theatrically lit section was expanded for Expo 2010 and contin- Paul Day, Congress enjoyed resounding success in the sale of exhibit ued to offer dramatic displays to entice visitors into booths. Over 100 space. Revenue was up by $109,000 over 2010. Despite the challenge of inclement weather and constraints on the of the latest product additions to the world of ornamental horticulture were featured in the New Product Showcase. Greenstar Plant Products, a parking lots at the Toronto Congress Centre, due to the rental of the leading innovator in the industry, sponsored the feature. Connon Nurs-

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

north building on the same dates as our show, attendance declined by 12 per cent, but was still 10 per cent ahead of 2009. For several years, Congress has benefited from strong partnerships with the Canadian Fence Industry Association (CFIA), Communities in Bloom — Ontario and the Ontario Parks Association (OPA) who help fill the trade show floor with related products and professional development programs that compliment both the business and technical programming of Congress. The show committee is grateful to Pat Hillmer, enticed out of retirement, who put the Congress pre-show and dynamite conference program together. The events attracted 400 delegates to the one-day only, IPM Symposium, a total of 98 delegates to the Irrigation Conference, 10 CLP delegates at the Toronto Congress Centre certification event, and 195 delegates at the Doubletree by Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel to participate in the Landscape Designer Conference. Rachel Cerelli, LO’s certification and apprenticeship coordinator, handled the symposia logistics with the same attention to detail she demonstrates on certification test days. Kristen McIntyre, returning from a second maternity leave, did an outstanding job in her new role as conference and events coordinator. The conference began on a light-hearted note by keynote speaker, Jody Urquhart, who reminded the 150 delegates that humour helps to handle disappointment and setbacks. The balance of the conference featured business themes and industry specific topics. Delegates rated them ‘great’ and ‘excellent,’ except for two sessions on financial management. The full conference registration numbers increased by 10 per cent, as did single-day registrations. The popularity of the social events continued among Congress delegates. Held concurrently with the trade show and conferences, over 600 Landscape Ontario members and guests attended the Awards of Excellence ceremony in recognition of the landscape design, construction and maintenance accomplishments of members. Close to 500 trade show delegates and vendors frequented Tailgate Party to network with industry peers in a fun and entertaining event. The success of the 38th edition of this event can be attributed to the generous support of our sponsors: Platinum – Banas Stones and Global Arch, Gold – Chrysler Canada, Silver- Doubletree by Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel, and Landscape Trades; Bronze – Bobcat of Hamilton, Davey Tree Expert of Canada and Vermeer Canada. Like organic foods in grocery stores, green products, services and organizations, are required to demonstrate business profitability. Gaining market acceptance and penetration for products on display in the Green Forum is an ongoing challenge. Despite the time it takes to gain market acceptance, there is commitment to sustainable green space management and best practices in all aspects of business. The Ontario Parks Association and Communities in Bloom — Ontario continued the endorsement of the Green Forum by supporting it with exhibits and professional development programming and events, including Green Connections: Green Communities, Parks and Partnerships and the OPA’s Conference: Parks: Connecting the Community. Ontario Lieutenant Governor David Onley delivered an inspiring speech to a crowded room of park managers, planners and business owners of landscape companies. After LO president, Tom Intven, gave a guided tour of the Congress trade show, the Lieutenant Governor agreed to meet with members from LO to discuss the topic of designing green spaces for the physically challenged. There were 619 exhibitors at Congress 2011, compared to 622 in 2010. The upbeat tone of the show resulted in many exhibitors rebooking for Congress 2012. The success of the show, in terms of attendance and vendor participation, is attributable to the strength of our partnerships with allied trades - the Ontario Parks Association’s Explorations and Canadian Fence Industry Association’s Fencecraft trade shows. Congress continues to hold its reputation as one of North America’s leading horticulture sector trade shows.

Summary

I take this opportunity to thank the LO staff, volunteers and committee members for their ability to align with the LO Board of Directors and branding committee vision of being Green for Life. Respectfully submitted, Brian Lofgren Show Committee Chair, 2010-2011

Education, Training and Human Resource Development Education and Labour Development continued as a high priority in 2011. The Prosperity Partners journey is truly integrated in all professional development products and services that we offer to our industry members. These include the winter seminars, webinars, symposia, conference seminars, Safety Group, engaging Chapter meetings, magazine content, trade show opportunities, the Landscape Ontario resource booth at the shows, certification and much, much more. Your Landscape Ontario staff is working hard to partner with you to help achieve a new level of prosperity in your businesses and personal lives. Long- and short-term human resource development continued to be a focus this past year with the addition of energetic synergies with various industry stakeholders. The Education and Labour Development team had a busy year involved in and supporting many activities. Highlights are listed below:

Secondary and post-secondary

• Horticulture Ontario Secondary Teachers Association (HOSTA) meetings and activities • Hosting HOSTA website • Twenty-four programs in 2010- 2011(17 programs in 2010) • Update online tools for careers for members • Supported member promotion of the industry as a career to youth and newcomers • College program revision and program advisory committees • Skills Ontario grade eight workshop • Ontario Technological Skills competition at secondary and postsecondary level

Apprenticeship

• Delivery and expansion of apprenticeship program • Microskills pre-apprenticeship program • MTCU - Red Seal Landscape Horticulturist apprenticeship program and exam launch • Participated on IC Committee • Industry committees transitioning to Trade Board with College of Trades • Development of trade boards delayed until Fall 2011 • Active apprentices: 895 (not written final exam) • Active Certificate of Qualification: 98 (Doubled since 2009) • Active employers: 504 • New registrations as at Mar. 31, 2011: 220 • Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program apprentices: 22

Safety:

• Sponsored Landscape Ontario Safety Group

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011 • 2010 Landscape Ontario Safety Group was very successful with a record rebate score 5.74 per cent, and a group rebate of over $60,000 returned to the 25 participating firms • Partnered with Workplace Safety Prevention Services (WSPS) to provide industry-specific safety education and training across the province • Worked with WSPS, formerly Farm Safety, in ongoing development of online safety resources relevant to the industry • Revised safety web resource • Safety Council met quarterly to discuss strategies, gaps and trends within our industry and pending regulation from WSIB, MOL, WSPS, ORCGA, MTO • Supported several firms undergoing Work Well audits, resulting in positive outcomes • Represented the industry on WSPS Agriculture Advisory Committee as vice chair • Focused communications and efforts on compliance, Ministry of Labour, ORCGA, safe work blitzes and practices and prevention strategies • Release of Tony Dean Report – Bill 160. WSIB to focus on insurance and MOL to assume inspection, enforcement and prevention

Certification:

• Launch of Landscape Industry Certified Manager (CLP) long distance learning opportunity with Humber College and CNLA • Practical tests were offered at Kemptville College in the Ottawa Chapter and at LO home office in Milton • Certified Individuals in Ontario: CIT: 526, CLT: 309 (Many with more than one designation), CHT: 73, CLD: 61, CLP: 76 in Ontario, with 70 in progress. • Influencing integration of core CLT competencies within college program curricula • Gaining recognition within industry and among purchasers • Increased access and availability as written tests are regularly offered throughout the year at all trade shows, Canada Blooms and some Chapters.

Grant projects

• Approved for a Labour Market Partnership Employment Ontario grant by the Ontario Government, entitled, Identifying Labour Issues and Challenges in the Landscape Horticulture Industry • Approved for a Farm Credit Canada grant entitled, Ornamental Growers’ Safety Program

Professional development events

• Expo 2010 hosted successful Garden Centre, Landscape Designers and Interior Plantscape symposiums • Congress conferences included a pre-trade show symposium series, including the only IPM event for 2011, the landscape designers’ conference, a CLP seminar and the irrigation conference. All were very successful and well attended • Thirty-two Congress conferences had over 500 attendees • The 2011 awards program continued to evolve with active participation from members. This resulted in 165 awards in construction, maintenance and design programs, along with 22 special awards • The second Lighting Symposium in February was re-located due to increased attendance the previous year

Seminars

• Developed Prosperity Partners overview visual online • Seminar attendance for 2010-2011 was down, but stable • Feedback was positive on content • Increased use of online registration • Planning for 2011-2012 underway, based on member and committee feedback

• Increased leveraging endorsed suppliers; hosting and cross-promoting development opportunities • On-the-job training program established master trainers to deliver seminars in 2012

Industry relations

• Attended Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council meetings, which provided a valuable connection at the federal level • Participated in Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance collective collaborations • Ongoing advocacy with new College of Trades, Ministry of Education and Ministry Training Colleges and Universities • A member of the Ministry of Agriculture horticulture value chain round-table labour working group’s management and technical skills development sub-committee • A member of the horticulture value chain round-table labour working group’s sector promotion and career awareness sub-committee

Human Resources Development Committee

The Professional Development and Education Review Committee, chaired by Richard Rogers CLTH, CLTS, reviewed the results of Landscape Ontario’s education offerings to the trade over the past year. The review included Chapters, Sector Groups, winter workshops, Congress conferences, symposia, Green Trade Expo and webinars. Recommendations from this committee have benefitted members greatly in 2010 and 2011. We thank the committee for its continued leadership and contributions to continually improving professional development opportunities for the industry.

Long-term Human Resources Planning Committee In 2010, Landscape Ontario (Tony DiGiovanni and Tom Intven) asked Michael Pascoe of Fanshawe College to chair a committee and review Landscape Ontario’s mandate in regard to education and to formulate a five-year action plan for the association. A group of concerned individuals (industry professionals and educators, representing apprenticeship, secondary and post secondary institutions), CNLA, Ontario Parks Association, as well as resource staff from Landscape Ontario, debated and discussed the issue over a 12-month period through email, articles in Horticulture Review, meeting at Landscape Ontario and the online chat forum www.linkedin.com. The basis for the discussion centred around three questions developed by the chair. Question one recognized what LO was currently doing in regards to education and creating awareness within the group of what needed to be addressed. Question two was framed as a ‘wish list’ of what LO’s involvement could/should be within the context of this plan, while question three engaged educators to define and/or redefine their role and relationship with the industry.

Report summary

Through the three areas of education (secondary, apprenticeship and post secondary), several common themes evolved that could be developed as one unified target for the association in its efforts to promote this profession to students and potential students. 1. Landscape Ontario should develop a unified approach to education with promotion addressing all three of the core educational sectors using current, innovative techniques such as YouTube, websites, podcasts, etc. 2. Develop a unified one-stop shopping resource that is current and regularly maintained. This resource would list all educational opportunities, student resources and scholarship information from across the province. This resource would also promote cohesion between educational groups (teachers to college professors).

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

3. Assist in the development of an annual Ontario horticulture educators’ conference. Currently, it is very difficult to bring all educators together with industry stakeholders. 4. All curriculum should include green infrastructure and sustainability issues (diploma programs have the internal flexibility to do this), and LO should work with all stakeholders to ensure curriculum meets industry needs and trends. 5. Over the next five years, LO and the education community should explore financial sustainability of all horticultural programming. Through all levels of education, it was noted that financial security for programming was and is at the forefront. This is a complex issue to tackle and can only work with a long range, aggressive marketing campaign led by LO and supported by all educators. 6. Landscape Ontario must develop its own attitude; some call it swagger. We cannot allow decision makers to simply put us in the ‘unimportant file.’ Therefore, industry professionals with jaw-dropping expertise need to make the decision-makers take notice. 7. Various programs connected with our industry must develop attitude. As we have seen time and time again, programs force educators to do everything but educate. As a combined team, both educators and LO need to possess a strong and unique attitude. We need to make a pact and insist that education just doesn’t sit on the shelf. LO must ensure that education remains a priority. What can educators do to refine and expand the role of education going forward? To borrow a phrase, I am sure we have all heard from Tim Kearney: “We must remove the silos that exist.” As educators, we are viewed as leaders and as such need to explore all educational opportunities within our remit. Opportunities that educators might enact include: college credits given to high school horticulture students, advance standing in diploma programs to apprenticeship students, and advance standing to college students entering university horticulture programs. These are all within reach if educators knocked down the silos. By laddering educational opportunities, not only provincially but also nationally through programs such as CCTT, we can build a stronger, seamless industry. “Education is fortunate to have a partner such as Landscape Ontario at the table; the ongoing support is exemplary. It is hard to imagine another trade or industry that is as responsive and thoughtful as LO. Through the past initiatives, LO has supported the sustainability of OHEC, HOSTA and the growth of apprenticeship. It has ensured the financial stability of hundreds of students in education through bursary and scholarship awards and has supported research through the Foundation. We as educators are fortunate to have such a supportive industry voice and one that has directed a renewed approach through the initiation of this report.” (Excerpt from the report submitted by Michael Pascoe) The Education and Labour Development team will continue to support and advocate as your partners in prosperity on behalf of related educators, instructors, students and industry, as we strive to bring relevant development opportunities that will develop and sustain a ‘prosperous, professional and ethical industry that is respected and recognized by all stakeholders for the contribution that the industry makes in enhancing quality of life.’ Respectfully submitted Sally Harvey CLT, CLP Manager, Education and Labour Development Team

Environmental Stewardship Committee Chair: Nathan Helder Vice-chair: Chris Le Conte Members: Susan Antler, Scott Bryk, Janet Ennamorato, Sean James, Allan Kling CLP, John Lamberink CIT, Bob McCannell, Peter Scholtens, Anna van Maris, Art Vanden Eden CHT, Alan White, Alex Zalewski CLT Since the mandate of this committee is very broad in nature, at times it’s been difficult to see progress. Environmental stewardship should be at the heart of everything we do as a green industry, and sometimes it is difficult to detect progress while in the middle of positive change. The committee, however, has acted as a catalyst and nurturer of positive change throughout the organization. The following list outlines some of those changes: • The Green Infrastructure Coalition has made some progress in defining many of the opportunities and issues related to the promotion of green infrastructure. Workshops have been held in many areas throughout Ontario. The Coalition is made up of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, Evergreen, Ontario Parks Association, LEAF, OALA, Toronto Region Conservation Authority and Landscape Ontario. • The Greening Highway Project was successful in receiving provincial funding to initiate this research project that will attempt to identify the optimum cultural conditions and plant choices for highway plantings. Evidence of the two-year old project can be viewed at 401 and Allan Road (both sides of the highway) and 401 and 427 (north bank of 401). • The committee is part of the Smart about Salt accreditation, which includes Region of Waterloo, Building Owners and Managers Association and Ontario Good Roads Association. The aim is to reduce salt use and promote professional snow operations. • Development of the Horst Dickert Memorial Native Plant Award. It is positive to see LO members taking initiative with their own environmental stewardship projects. Some companies have been involved in an installation of a green roof on the Big Carrot Whole Food Store in Toronto. Others are involved in developing a new project known as Green Streets, coordinated by the Toronto Chapter, while others have made changes in their own businesses. The LO Sector Groups have also embraced environmental stewardship. This is evident and seen in the Irrigation Group, which is providing leadership and promoting water conservation. And, Grounds Maintenance Group is in the process of writing specifications and guidelines with stewardship in mind. The Garden Centre Group is developing creative partnerships with plastic recyclers. The Environmental Stewardship Committee looks forward to another year. I would like to recognize my fellow committee members, LO and CNLA staff for their dedication and contributions. Respectfully submitted, Nathan Helder Chair 2010-2011

IPM Symposium Chair: Mark Goodman Committee members: Pam Charbonneau, Jeff Lowartz, Doug Smith, Rohan Harrison, Gerald Stephenson, Kyle Tobin, Monica van Maris, Violet Van Wassenaer, John Wright and Tim Cradduck

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011 Reflecting on our 2011 IPM Symposium, what resonates is that our committee accomplished exactly what we set out to do: combine all of our regional events into one ‘super-symposium.’ It was our 46th annual event symposium. Billed as a ‘new format, new energy, more value’ event, it surpassed expectations. Our newly amalgamated format proved successful, with almost 500 engaged attendees at the Toronto Congress Centre. The full-day event was held in conjunction with Congress 2011, on the pre-trade show day, Monday. For the first time, lunch was included, as was a post-session networking reception. We are professionals in our field of turf and landscape management, and strive to continue to be regarded as such. IPM Council of Canada CEC’s were granted through the required number of confirmed attendees. For all who attended, I wish to express my thanks. A special note of appreciation to all our sponsors, without whom we could not achieve the high level of experience provided to our guests. Also appreciated are the surveys returned by attendees. The time spent filling out the surveys is appreciated and your comments will help build and shape future events. Lastly, the symposium would not be successful without our amazing and dedicated committee members. They all contribute to the success of the event, and their time and expertise is appreciated. We welcome everyone to the 2012 event being held on Mon., Jan. 9, at the Toronto Congress Centre, Cohen Ballroom. With the ever-changing new products and tools, the 2012 Symposium is sure to help attendees manage turf, trees and expectations. We look forward to seeing you there. Respectfully submitted, Mark Goodman Chair 2010-2011

Membership Recruitment and Retention Chair: Warren Patterson Members: Hank Gelderman CLT, Brian Lofgren, Frans Peters, Michael Van Dongen, David Wright CLP This committee’s responsibility is to oversee the programs and processes which relate to providing exceptional value and service to the members. Specifically this includes: Design and coordinate a membership recruitment and retention campaign. Review communication methods and strategies used to make members aware of the benefits and programs of LO/CNLA. Review, improve and promote membership benefit programs.

2010 - 2011 Highlights

• Congress 2011 hosted a membership focus group of new members seeking information on why they joined and how their expectations matched what was received once they did join. Results of this focus group were extremely helpful (refer to Horticulture Review, February 2011, Page 6 for complete details). • Chapters are pursuing local suppliers to host chapter meetings. Supplier nights have proved quite successful, as they give associate members an opportunity to promote their business, allow active and interim members to learn about new products and services, promote LO to non-members through the supplier’s other networks and raise funds for Chapter activities. • In September, 2011, LO hosted a Leadership Development Summit. This meeting was to lay the groundwork so that Chapter and Sector Group board members could be more comfortable in their roles and

more capable in accomplishing their goals. • LO through its Chapters has been working to build local relevance and recognition. Several Chapters have held events toward this goal, but I would like to highlight one particular event. The Durham Chapter hosted its annual supplier barbecue on Aug. 25 with tremendous success. This event was promoted by the suppliers, as well as through local media. The result was over 200 guests in attendance at this educational, networking event. • LO is working to build a marketing campaign around the Green for Life message. This goes out electronically to non-members, as well as being highlighted in signage and magazine ads. The campaign will demonstrate the benefits of membership in a way that is both eyecatching and amusing. • New and exciting topics are being selected to drive attendance at Chapter meetings and events through the use of technology in business, photography, marketing, sales and roundtable discussion meetings. In addition, the Chapters have decided to create events geared more towards building relationships and networking with peers in a social setting, rather than a formal meeting with a built-in presentation. • A survey went out at the end of March. An interesting finding included the fact that the main benefit of LO membership is networking and education. Members also want LO to develop an accredited membership level and educate the public to increase GFL brand awareness.

Goals to pursue:

• Increase awareness of Landscape Ontario with non-members through multi-media marketing campaign. • Increase consumer awareness of Landscape Ontario and the GFL brand at the local level by utilizing local media and community projects. • Membership drive involving endorsed supplier; all members need to be aware of the various benefits available through LO. • Continue to build local relevance so that members in all areas of Ontario can benefit from a Landscape Ontario membership. • Develop an accreditation status to provide differentiation, provide relevance to consumers and to recognize excellence. Respectfully submitted, Warren Patterson Chair 2011

Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation Chair: John Wright Members: Bob Allen, Brian Cocks CLT, Hank Gelderman CLT, Ben Kobes, John Peets, Mike Thomas, Marc Thiebaud, Dave Turnbull CHT, Neil Vanderkruk, Monica van Maris, Bob Wilton The Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation is the research and scholarship arm of Landscape Ontario. The Foundation’s mandate is to ensure a healthy future for the horticultural industry, through financial support of research and scholarships from interest generated on capital investments. The capital in the Foundation has continued to grow, despite very little organized fundraising. Most of the funds are generated through association events and activities. The Foundation would like to thank donors. A donation is an easy and effective way to benefit Ontario’s horticultural community and is taxdeductible. Donations were received this year from Michael Gregorasz, Willi Hessenthaler, Ann Jakins, Joerg Leiss, Nathan Paramanathan, Mon-

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

ica van Maris, Karen Weyermann, Patricia Worgan, John Wright, Agrium Advanced Technologies, Armstrong Landscapes, Beaver Landscaping, Beaver Valley Stone, Cambridge Landscaping, Cameron Landscaping, Connon Nurseries/NVK Holdings, D&R Mazza Landscape Maintenance, DenBok Landscaping and Design, Eastbrooke Contracting, Echo Power Equipment (Canada), Entire Landscapes, Enviroscape Incorporation, Forecast Landscaping, Forever Green Lawn, Future Road Solutions, Geoscape Exteriors, Gravely — an Ariens Company, Green Again Irrigation, Green Masters Landscaping, J. Garfield Thompson Landscape, JCA Trees, Kubota Canada, Maitland and Maitland, Mar Lamers Contracting, Nutri-Lawn Ottawa, Nutrite, Oaks Concrete Products, OJ Muller Landscape Contractors, Omega Landscape Outdoor Services, Paysagement Trillium, Petries Quality Topsoil, Stihl, The Investment Guild, The Well Tended Garden, Timm Enterprises, TLC Professional, Trillium Maintenance, Underhill Landscape, Van Holland Landscaping, Wright Landscape Services and Yorkshire Garden Services. Providing scholarships is particularly close to the hearts of Foundation supporters, who point with pride to the many recipients who are now successful industry members. This year, the Foundation distributed $13,000 in scholarships to students enrolled in horticultural programs across the province. The Foundation is especially pleased to encourage high school students to enter the landscape industry, by offering scholarship opportunities as they begin their careers. The new scholarship program Scholarships for New High School Graduates has been very successful. A new brochure, Horticultural Scholarship Opportunities was developed this year, listing all the available scholarships. This brochure was distributed to all post-secondary and secondary schools. Congratulations to this year’s recipients Post Secondary Scholarship ($1,000): Randi Brooks, Fanshawe Jakeob Daoust, Mohawk Nicole Hall, St. Clair Melissa Ozaruk, Fanshawe Jeffery Simpson, Fanshawe Jaclyn Van Der Heyden, Niagara Parks High School Scholarship ($1,000): Jeremy Sales, University of Guelph Emily VanderDeen, Fanshawe Apprenticeship Scholarship ($1,000): Katharine Flohr, Humber Suzie Michaels, Humber Tony DiGiovanni Scholarship ($1,000): Timothy Elliott, Fanshawe John and Ruth Wright Scholarship ($2,000): Kathleen Dodson, University of Guelph At Congress 2011, the Foundation hosted ‘The Legacy Lounge’ for the pioneers of the industry. Approximately 50 pioneers visited the lounge to talk about old times, what is happening now in the industry and what they hope will happen in the future. It was a way to thank them for the contribution to the industry. This year, the Foundation invited the Chapter Board and Industry Sector Group — approximately 20 members — to visit the lounge. It was a friendly spot to sit, relax, talk with others and enjoy refreshments. The Foundation thanks the following companies who sponsored the Legacy lounge: Agrium Advanced Technologies, Beaver Valley Stone, Connon Nurseries/NVK Holdings, Echo Power Equipment (Canada), Gravely, an Ariens Company, Kubota Canada, Nutrite, Oaks Concrete Products, Stihl, The Investment Guild, Timm Enterprises

Research programs

The Foundation has also contributed to numerous research programs. In the 2010 – 2011 fiscal year, the Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation contributed a total of $183,996.49 to the following projects: • University of Guelph ($9,375), leaf and stem diseases of boxwood • University of Guelph ($5,748), evaluation of steam and solarisation as alternatives to herbicides in ornamental and turf plantings • Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation ($5,000), stimulating host defenses for control of turf-grass diseases, irrigation protocols and over-seeding rates for pesticide-free soccer fields. Biological control of crabgrass • Vineland Research and Innovation Centre ($55,523.49), functional bio-pesticides for lawn care industry • University of Waterloo ($84,900), optimum de-icing and anti-icing for parking lots and sidewalks • University of Guelph ($23,450), irrigation water management on Ontario nursery farms The Foundation developed a new information brochure “Support the Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation”. With a donation to the Foundation, you have the satisfaction of knowing that you are “making a difference and leaving a legacy” for the industry that you love.

Fundraising programs

You can support the Foundation by: • Sponsorship: Join the Foundation by making a pledge as an annual donation or a one-time gift. • Memorial gift: This is a meaningful way to honour a friend, loved one, or professional contact, and help support the industry • Legacy gift: Earmark funds through your estate to sustain the horticulture industry. Contact your estate planner, or lawyer to include this legacy provision in your will. • Stewardship program: Many Foundation sponsors share their expertise by speaking to groups and direct their honorariums to the Foundation. In 2011, a fundraising raffle was held. Tickets were sold for $20 each with only 1,000 tickets printed. Cash prize winners were Helmut Zgraja, $5,000, Maria Bau-Coote, $1,000, and Del Cressman, $500. The winning tickets were drawn at the annual Growers’ Auction on Aug. 14 at Blue Sky Nurseries. Thank-you goes to all the members of the Foundation for your efforts and participation. Respectfully submitted John Wright Chair 2010-2011

Pesticide Industry Council Chair: John Wright Secretary: Tony DiGiovanni Manager PIC-PTP: Tom Somerville In 2000, the Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE) implemented new requirements under the Pesticide Act (originally Ontario Regulation 914). Under the new requirements, anyone who applied pesticides had to be either licensed, or have ‘Technician Status.’ The new regulation required that all unlicensed assistants working with licensed exterminators must complete a basic pesticide safety course to acquire Technician Status in order to legally apply pesticides. The Pesticide Technician Program (PTP) was then established as the ‘basic pesticide safety course’ to acquire Technician Status and meet the

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011 new requirements. The PTP is a basic two-part safety program that incorporates both a practical component and an academic exam, as the training requirements. The Pesticide Industry Council (PIC) was formed on behalf of the pesticide industry by the Lawn Care Sector Group to implement the new requirements. The PIC has worked with the MOE since 2000 to meet the new requirements and administer the PTP. Landscape Ontario is the administrator of the PTP on behalf of the MOE under the guidance of a Memorandum of Understanding. PIC is a council that has representation from Hydro One, Canadian Golf Superintendents Association, Ontario Golf Superintendents Association, Professional Lawn Care Association of Ontario, Urban Pest Management Council, Crop Protection Institute, International Society of Arboriculture, Ontario Parks Association, Ontario Vegetation Management Association, Structural Pest Management Association, and Landscape Ontario. This is the third year (2011) that the PTP and PIC have worked within the framework of the Cosmetic Pesticides Ban Act, 2009. The new regulations amended the Pesticides Act to prohibit the use and sale of pesticides that may be used for cosmetic purposes. Since the implementation of the new regulations curtailed the use of pesticides, the number of people enrolling in the PTP is significantly lower. However, under the new regulation, to apply the allowable ‘control products,’ a person still requires a license. Therefore, with the PTP still required, the PIC is still in business. The number of technicians enrolling in the PTP dropped from 1,200 in the years leading to the passing of the new regulation, to 800 the first year, when the new law was passed. The numbers did increase to 975 last year (2010), a year after the implementation of the new regulation. This year (2011) the number of technicians enrolling in the PTP is down slightly, to 925. To date, the total number of technicians enrolled in the PTP through the PIC is 12,500. There were 14 new people who became qualified PIC Accredited Examiners, for a total to date of 668. Financially, for 2011, PIC has broke-even. The new regulations also required that the program training material had to be significantly changed to reflect the new law. PIC worked with MOE last year to change the PTP training and testing material. This was the first year (2011) that the Technician Training Manual logbook and the question bank reflected the new regulations. In addition to working with the MOE to change the technician training material to reflect the new regulations, PIC also enacted a re-training program for examiners last year. All PIC examiners must take a refresher course to renew their PIC examiner status. Re-accreditation of examiners included a webinar detailing the implications of the regulation change and a re-signing of the Examiner Code of Ethics. Any examiners not taking the refresher course last year were required to take the refresher course this year (2011). Members of Pesticide Technician Advisory Council (PTAC) who contributed significantly to the development of the PTP include Wanda Michalowicz, Crystal LaFrance and Suzanne Durst (on maternity leave) from the MOE, John Wright, Tom Somerville from the PIC and Gary VanderHeide and Gerald Vander Ploeg from PIRC. Respectfully submitted John Wright Chair 2010-2011

Prosperity Partners Chair: Hank Gelderman CLT Members: Gerald Boot CLP, Bill DeLuca, Leon Denbok CLP, CLT, Mark Fisher, Eric Gordon, Jacki Hart CLP, Ryan Heath CLP, CLT, Tim Kearney CLP, Bob Tubby CLP, Michael Van Dongen Members very clearly told us that the priority of the association is to help improve business skills. This gave birth to the Prosperity Partners program. Here is the simple idea behind the concept: • Business prosperity is increased by focusing on five distinct, but interrelated competencies (Leadership, Sales, Finances, Operations and Customer Relationships). We call these “pillars.” They are based on Bob Prosen’s book Kiss Theory Goodbye. • All businesses will benefit from constant improvement in all these areas. • All businesses are unique. Some will be strong in some areas and weak in other areas. • The professional development activities of the association should continually reinforce and align with the pillar concept, so that we can unify the membership with a common business language. Landscape Ontario is a Prosperity Partner. A few years ago we developed an introductory Build your Prosperity seminar. The purpose was to orient members to the five pillar concept. Candidates discovered their strengths and weaknesses. They were encouraged to participate in the many professional development activities and programs of the association, designed to provide helpful resources no matter the size, level or age of the business. The seminar acted as a very important orientation and gap analysis tool. We have since delivered many seminars across Ontario. The program quickly gained in popularity and the positive response has been phenomenal. Many members have commented on how helpful the Prosperity Partner program has been to them. We were so successful in the early years and the results so positive, that the Board of Directors made the program mandatory for all new members. It was offered free of charge. New members have two years to take the program. We have found this has not worked. It has been very difficult to get new members to attend. Making the program compulsory seems to have worked against its uptake. Perhaps it’s a natural reaction from entrepreneurs. Perhaps it’s just been a difficult few years and finding time to leave the business to take a seminar has been a challenge. The Prosperity Committee and many of the members are still convinced of the relevancy and importance of the program as a business development tool. The evaluations from new candidates have been exemplary. Clearly a new approach must be developed. The early results of the program were encouraging. Prosperity Partners has provided a huge benefit to many. We will look for ways to reinvent the program. We can sense the potential. Recently the chair position has been assumed by Jacki Hart. We also added new enthusiastic members to the committee. I will stay on to offer as much support and encouragement as possible to the new team. The committee is determined to listen to members and tweak the program so that it touches the majority of the membership. Respectfully submitted Hank Gelderman CLT Chair 2011

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

2011

volunteers

Committees

Tom Intven, president of Landscape Ontario, extends his appreciation of the volunteers who sit on one or more of LO’s committees. These committees meet regularly to discuss the future of the industry and the association. Committees include, Accreditation, Awards of Excellence, Board of Directors, Branding, Building, Chapter Boards (Durham, Georgian Lakelands, Golden Horseshoe, London, Ottawa, Toronto, Upper Canada, Waterloo and Windsor), Communication, Executive/Finance, Environmental Stewardship, Foundation, Industry Sectors (Garden Centres, Grounds Management, Growers, Interior Plantscapes, Irrigation, Landscape Designers, Landscape Contractors, Lighting, Lawn Care and Snow and Ice), IPM Symposium, Legislation, Liaison, Membership Recruitment and Retention, Past Presidents, Pesticide Industry Council, Prosperity Partners, Trade Show and Trial Gardens. Ken Adair Garden Maintenance Only Randy Adams RM Adams Trucking Robert Adams Adams Landscaping and Property Maintenance Sundaura Alford CLD Yards Unlimited Landscaping Bob Allen RW Allen Horticultural Services Sheila Allin Creative Gardens and Waterscapes Ian Andrews Greenwood Interlock Susan Antler The Composting Council of Canada Vince Arone Pinpoint GPS Solutions John Bakker III JC Bakker and Sons Lynne Barnes Gordon J Leece Landscapes Brian Baun B.K. Baun Landscape Scott Beaudoin Manchester Products Judy Bell Treefrog Design Barry Benjamin Barry Benjamin and Associates Pamela Bingham LUNA Adam Bonin CLT Fern Ridge Landscaping Gerald Boot CLP Boot’s Landscaping and Maintenance Laura Booth CLT Fanshawe College John Bos CLT Bos Landscaping Darren Bosch The Landmark Group Neil Bouma Picture Perfect Landscaping Quinte Gerwin Bouman Stam Nurseries Dave Braun Braun Nursery

Paul Brydges Brydges Landscape Architecture John Buikema Gelderman Landscaping Cor Bultena Eloquip Richard Burch CLT, CLP, CIT Burch Landscape Services Chris Burns CLT Clintar Landscape Management – Ottawa Daryl Bycraft CLT Bycraft Gardens Diana Cassidy-Bush CLP Fresh Landscape and Garden Solutions Laura Catalano Nisco National Leasing Phil Charal Allweather Landscape Pam Charbonneau Guelph Turfgrass Institute Don Chase CLD Seferian Design Group Terry Childs Nature’s Way Landscaping Brian Clegg Allweather Landscape Dan Clost CHT Connon Nurseries/CBV Holdings (Trenton) Brian Cocks CLT Brian Cocks Nursery and Landscaping Robert Cooke Douglas Coote DG Coote Enterprises Louise Cottreau AWS Irrigation Management Tim Cradduck Tender Lawn Care Tim Cruickshanks Cruickshanks Property Services Jim Curran Lafleur de la Capitale Gavin Dawson GreenLawn Carl De Boer CLT Whispering Pines Landscaping

Brian De Caluwe CIT BDC Irrigation Systems Harry De Vries V Kraus Nurseries Mike DeBoer CLT Gelderman Landscaping Paul DeGroot Connon Nurseries/NVK Holdings Harold Deenen CLP Hank Deenen Landscaping Phil Dickie Fast Forest Barry Dickson BR Dickson Equipment Jason Dietrich Ace Lawn Care Charlie Dobbin Garden Solutions by Charlie Dobbin Paul Doornbos CLT, CLP Thornbusch Landscaping Company Lindsay Drake Nightingale Yorkshire Garden Services Tim Dyer Kings Creek Trees Beth Edney CLD Designs By The Yard Stacy Elliott Bradley’s Insurance Janet Ennamorato Creative Garden Designs Patrick Evangelisto Compliance Safety Solutions Kevin Falls Engage Agro Corp Carmine Filice CLP Greentario Landscaping (2006) Mark Fisher The Escarpment Company Carol Fulford Gerrits Property Services John Fulford Gerrits Property Services Dan Garlatti Garlatti Landscaping Paul Gaspar Weed Man – Toronto Andrew Gaydon Vanden Bussche Irrigation – Milton Derek Geddes Coldstream Land Escape Company Hank Gelderman CLT Harry Gelderman Gelderman Landscaping Catherine Geraats Aphrodite Design Group Kara Gibbons Toro Company Jeff Gilberds CLT, CLP Clintar Landscape Management Gillian Glazer John Deere Landscapes Sabrina Goettler CLP Oriole Landscaping Mark Goodman Enviroking Lawn Care Eric Gordon Gordon Landscape Company Earle Graham Lakelands Irrigation Jeff Gregg V Kraus Nurseries

Perry Grobe Grobe Nursery and Garden Centre Peter Guinane Oriole Landscaping Jerry Hakkers Sifton Properties Ed Hansen Hansen Lawn and Gardens Grant Harrison CLT Escapes Outdoor Living Designs Rohan Harrison Premier Turf Jacki Hart CLP Water’s Edge Landscaping Walter Hasselman Dutchman’s Landscaping Carl Hastings Arbordale Landscaping/Moonstruck Landscape Lighting Mike Hayes Allgreen Tree Service Jennifer Hayman Jennifer Hayman Design Group Ryan Heath CLT, CLP Ryan Heath Professional Landscaping Nathan Helder Gelderman Landscaping Edward Hewis Ground Control Contracting John Hewson CLP Greenscape Lawn Maintenance John Higo Turf Care Products Canada Bob Hodgins Smart About Salt Council Barry Hordyk Shademaster Landscaping Leon Hordyk Shademaster Landscaping Martin Horsman Gelderman Landscaping Mark Humphries Humphries Landscape Services Jan Hunter Hunter Home and Garden Tom Intven Canadale Nurseries Sean James Fern Ridge Landscaping Joan Johnston Peter Knippel Nursery Kennedy Johnston CLT Peter Knippel Nursery Sarah Johnston Greenlife Raymond Josephian Nightscaping Nicola Kamp Nicola’s Garden Art Anthony Kampen Boot’s Landscaping and Maintenance Tim Kearney CLP Garden Creations of Ottawa Robert Kennaley McLauchlin and Associates Hella Keppo CLT Stems Interior Landscaping Christoph Kessel Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Alice Klamer Blue Sky Nursery

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011 Karl Klinck Orchard Farm Nursery Allan Kling CLP Urban Garden Supply Ben Kobes Kobes Nurseries Ron Koudys CLD Fanshawe College Robert Kuepfer Fafard et Freres Michael LaPorte CLT Clearview Nursery John Lamberink CIT Aquality Irrigation and Illumination Marty Lamers Allan Block/Atlas Hardscapes Janice Laurin Connon Nurseries/NVK Holdings Chas Lawton CHT, CIT Taylor Nursery Chris Le Conte Smart Watering Systems Jeffrey Lee Lee’s Landscaping Tom Leedle CLT Landscaping by Leedle Shannon Lindensmith Georgina Garden Centre Jennifer Llewellyn Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Brian Lofgren Horta-Craft Anthony Lombardi CLP, CLD Dr. Landscape Russel Loney Loney Landscaping Jeff Lowartz CLT Healthy Lawn Care Services Arvils Lukss Landscapes by Lucin Glen Lumis University of Guelph Mike Lunau CLT, CLP Eden Gardenworks Mike Lysecki The Beach Gardener Cory MacCallum CIT Greenscape Watering Systems Gary MacPhail Ego’s Nurseries Steve Macartney CIT Raintree Irrigation and Outdoor Systems Chris Mace Leaside Landscaping Brian Marsh Earth Art Landscapes Ken Martin Copper Expressions Landscape Lighting and Design Bob McCannell McCannell Consulting Jim McCracken McCracken Landscape Design Mike McGrath CLT Heritage Green Landscape Contractors Jeff McMann CLT Town of Markham Burke McNeill

Don McQueen CIT Nutri-Lawn – Burlington Norm Mills Kobes Nurseries Bert Minor Prebbel Enterprises Christine Moffit Christine’s Touch Gardening Jim Monk Markham Property Services John Moons Connon Nurseries/NVK Holdings Garry Moore University of Windsor Bruce Morton CLP, CIT Greenscape Watering Systems Janet Mott CLP Christine’s Touch Gardening Kelly Mulrooney-Cote Geosynthetic Systems Jodie Munshaw CLD Reeves Florist and Nursery Jay Murray CLP TLC Professional Landscaping David Nemeth Elm Landscaping Roy Neves DJ Rain and Co Terry Nicholson CLT Clintar Landscape Management Mike O’Connor Outside Professional Services John O’Leary CLT Clintar Landscape Management Paul Olsen Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Peter Olsen Royal City Nursery Keith Osborne Gro-Bark (Ontario) Mark Ostrowski Laurel Forest Farms Nino Papa Santerra Stonecraft Nanthakumar Paramanathan Warren Patterson Botanix - Barrie’s Garden Centre Ken Pavely Dufferin Lawn Life Michelle Peeters Baseline Nursery - Division of Peeters Landscaping John Peets John Peets Landscaping Fiona Penn Zieba Fiona’s Garden Gate John Perriman Mountview Services Frans Peters Humber Nurseries David Pierce Unilock Fred Post CLD Your Designer Landscapes Chris Power Bellaire Landscape Fred Prescod CLT Plan It with Plants Sian Pritchard The Cutting Garden

Chuck Pronger Watergardens Unlimited Don Prosser CLT, CLD Don Prosser Landscape Design Bill Putzer M. Putzer Hornby Nursery John Putzer M. Putzer Hornby Nursery Lee Ratcliffe Dr Green Services Richard Reed Dufferin Lawn Life Susan Richards New North Greenhouses Jasanna Rivait Top Grade Landscape and Garden Solutions Darren Rodrigues Sinclair Cockburn International Richard Rogers CLT R J Rogers Landscaping Mike Ross Rain Bird International Robert Roszell Road Equipment Links Gregg Salivan Salivan Landscape Greg Scarlett CLT Urban Landscape Solutions Stephen Schell CLT The Plant Lady Dean Schofield Landmark Landscaping Peter Scholtens Verbinnen’s Nursery Todd Schwindt TS Benefit Solutions Haig Seferian CLD Seferian Design Group Frank Selles CLT Framar Landscape & Maintenance Contractors Tony Serwatuk CIT HydroSense Irrigation Design & Consulting Gord Shuttleworth Delaware Nursery Klaas Sikkema Arthur Skolnik Shibui Landscaping James Smith Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture Jeff Smith Lynden Lawn Care James Solecki Integra Works Nick Solty Solty and Sons Fred Somerville Somerville Nurseries Melissa Spearing Ground Covers Unlimited Stuart Sprout Sprout’s Premium Earth Products Patricia Stanish CLD Patricia Stanish Landscape Design Christine Stein Agrium Advanced Technologies Bill Stensson Sheridan Nurseries

Karl Stensson Sheridan Nurseries Gary Supp Turf Care Products Canada Stephen Sutcliffe Atlas Block Ron Swentiski CLD Trillium Associates Donald Tellier CLT St. Clair College Robert Tester TNT Property Maintenance Marc Thiebaud OGS Grounds Maintenance Specialists Rene Thiebaud CLP OGS Landscape Services Mike Thomas The Investment Guild Jeff Thompson Native Plant Source Dave Tillaart Dutchmaster Nurseries Kyle Tobin LawnSavers Plant Health Care Rodger Tschanz University of Guelph Steve Tschanz Turf Management Systems/Truly Nolen Bob Tubby CLP Arbordale Landscaping/ Moonstruck Landscape Lighting David Turnbull CHT David Turnbull and Associates Chris Urquhart CLP Green Unlimited Phillip Van Alstyne CLT Michael Van Dongen Van Dongen’s Landscaping and Nurseries Anna van Maris Parklane Nurseries Monica van Maris Van Maris Holdings Harry Van Staveren Van Staveren’s John van Staveren The Garden Shop Deanna Van Varik Connon Nurseries/NVK Holdings Violet Van Wassenaer Ministry of the Environment Jay VanGelder DenBok Landscaping and Design Jack VandeRee CLT Boot’s Landscaping & Maintenance Art Vanden Eden CHT Sheridan Nurseries (Whitby) Neil Vanderkruk Connon Nurseries/NVK Holdings Peter Vanderley CLP Pete Vanderley’s Lawn Maintenance and Landscape Services Alex Verbinnen Verbinnen’s Nursery Don Voorhees Bruce Warren Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Alan White Turf Systems Joe Willemse DiMarco Landscape Lighting

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Mark Williams Williams Nurseries Bruce Wilson Permacon Group - Greater Toronto Area Robert Wilton Clintar Landscape Management

Jarrett Woodard Grand River Brick and Stone David Wright CLP Wright Landscape Services John Wright Wright Lawn Care Service

Special events

Tom Intven, president of Landscape Ontario, expresses his thanks to those volunteers who assist and participate at numerous events during the year: Canada Blooms, certification, golf tournaments, baseball tournaments, Chapter home shows, awards judging, Congress, Expo, Green Trade Expo – Ottawa, Ottawa Day of Tribute and other Chapter events.

Abate Wori Abate Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Camilla Ackroyd St. Clair College David Agnew Seneca College John Aird Ontario Service Safety Alliance Dave Alexander Atlas Block Ricky Allen Picton Ross Allin Creative Gardens and Waterscapes Stephen Anderson Sthil Andrew Arsenau Arbordale Landscaping/ Moonstruck Landscape Lighting Collette Bacchus Humber College Margaret Baker St. Clair College Stephen Barker CLT, CIT Ganden Landscapes Simon Barnes CLT Bos Landscaping Ben Bauer Clintar Landscape Management – Ottawa Jim Bauer Bauer Landscape and Garden Maintenance Melanie Beacham MicroSkills Bob Bellaire Bellaire Landscape Mike Bellaire Bellaire Landscape Olivia Bellaire Bellaire Landscape Michael Bellingham CLT Garden Creations of Ottawa Chris Bird Sycamore Landscape Scott Bird Sycamore Landscape Amanda Bishop-Ashe MicroSkills Bill Bitz Bytowne Lawn Experts Nadia Blackburn

Scott Boere Arbordale Landscaping/ Moonstruck Landscape Lighting Kevin Boggs St. Clair College Jeff Bonnett Seferian Design Group John Boot CLT, CIT Boot’s Landscaping and Maintenance Derek Booth Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Elaine Bouma Picture Perfect Landscaping Quinte Thom Bourne CIT Nutri-Lawn – Ottawa Gregory Bouwman Boot’s Landscaping and Maintenance Collin Brasz Boot’s Landscaping and Maintenance Paul Brasz Boot’s Landscaping and Maintenance Glenn Bridge Environmental Design Landscaping Contractors Al Briggs Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Kirby Brock CIT Boot’s Landscaping and Maintenance Eric Brooks CLP Eco Landscaping Cody Bruce CLT Clintar Landscape Management Mount Hope Matt Burke CLT Clintar Landscape Management Mount Hope Chris Burns CLT Clintar Landscape Management – Ottawa Jorge Capiro Leaside Landscaping Sri Chandrakanth MicroSkills Harry Chang Humber College Mike Chapman Oasis North Landscapes Greivin Chavez Double Tree Landscaping Tico Chavez Double Tree Landscaping

Chuck Yates CIT Yates Custom Lawn Sprinklers Alex Zalewski CLT Parklane Nurseries Jason Zehr Rural Roots Landscaping

Fiore Zenone Tumbleweed Landscape Contracting Helmut Zgraja Helmutz Interlock Youbin Zheng University of Guelph

Heather Chavuson Water’s Edge Landscaping Mark Chidlow Outside Professional Services Don Clark St. Clair College Christopher Clayton Landscape Architect Stephen Coffin Dr. Landscape Terrance Coffin Dr. Landscape John Cordingly M. Putzer Hornby Nursery Patricia Cowdrey Safe Communities Incentive Program Melanie Cristiano CIT Greenscape Watering Systems Joshua Crowe Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Janet Cuff MicroSkills Mark Cullen Mark’s Choice Trevor Cullen CLT Cullen Landscaping Louis D’Alonzo Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Christiaan Dannrath Boot’s Landscaping and Maintenance Elyse Davenport St. Clair College Dianna Dawson CLT Garden Creations of Ottawa Dennis DeJong Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Dana DeKuyper MicroSkills Andrew Desjardins CLT Clintar Landscape Management Toronto downtown Anthony DiFranco Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Chris Diacur CLT Clintar Landscape Management – Niagara Merita Dinaj MicroSkills Yverine Dongmo MicroSkills Sean Donnelly Dry Stone Guild Commission Matthew Dressing CHT Francois Dussealt The Beach Gardener Mitchell D.Souza Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Wally Earl CLT, CHT Green Things Landscaping 2010 Jeff Eidsness CLT Clintar Landscape Management – London

Stacy Elliott Bradley’s Insurance Pat Elo CLT Earth Art Landscapes Jason Felker CLT Gelderman Landscaping Lorraine Flanigan Kris Flindall Earth Art Landscapes Roy Ford Ontario Ministry of Labour Liberato Franchino Arbordale Landscaping/ Moonstruck Landscape Lighting Nick Fratoni CLT Heritage Green Landscape Contractors Patricia Gadoury St. Clair College Michael Gagne Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Belinda Gallagher Triffids Plants Jim Garrett Garrett Insurance Agency Jason Gaw Sycamore Landscape Jean-Paul Gervais Paysagement Trillium Landscaping Kim Goodwin Living Landscapes Chris Graham Kimberley Cottage Garden Jeremy Graham Earth Art Landscapes Nina Gronland MicroSkills Ryan Haluska CLT, CIT Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture Tim Hand Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Dave Harrington Barry Harrison Skills Canada – Ontario Sandy Harrison Balfour Greenhouses Kassie Harvey Green Design Landscaping Rick Harvey CLT, CLP Green Design Landscaping Lorne Haveruk CIT DH Water Management Robin Henry Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Iku Hiroaka MicroSkills Sonja Hirsig CLT Hirsig Landscapes Rick Hofstetter Hofstetter Landscaping

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011 Peggy PEI Hong/Yang MicroSkills Joel Hordyk Shademaster Landscaping Mark Hordyk Shademaster Landscaping David Hupman Jr. Brickman - Ohio Division Sherry Ing Sara Irven Ritchie Feed and Seed Mary Anne Jackson-Hughes Algonquin College Sheila James Workplace Safety and Prevention Services Alistair Johnston Strybos Barron King Joan Johnston Peter Knippel Nursery Shane Jordan CIT Ganden Landscapes Mykola Kachmar Sara Katz Wild at Heart Design Ryan Kearney CLT Garden Creations of Ottawa Tyler Kearney Garden Creations of Ottawa Darrell Kekanovich CLT Ritchie Feed and Seed Paul Kelly Garden Creations of Ottawa Al King CLP Outside Professional Services Isaac Kirwin Dry Stone Guild Commission Heather Klimes CLT, Peter Knippel Nursery Liz Klose CLP Canadian Nursery Landscape Association Stefan Koechlin Arbordale Landscaping/ Moonstruck Landscape Lighting Terry Kowalski Kowalski Landscaping Richard Kuizenga Shademaster Landscaping Mark Lambley Pete Vanderley’s Lawn Maintenance and Landscape Services Maria Lanaverde MicroSkills Kelly Lance Lorraine Langston Battlefield Equipment Rentals Mike Larocque Greenspace Services – Ottawa Richard Laurie M. Putzer Hornby Nursery Shawn Lefebvre Gelderman Landscaping John Lein St. Clair College Phil Lindsay CLT Lindsay Landscape Michael Louasi Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Eric Louie Christopher J Clayton Landscape

Jim Lounsbery Mohawk College Sonya C. Lovino St. Clair College Todd Lynch CLT Ganden Landscapes Murray Macken Arbordale Landscaping/ Moonstruck Landscape Lighting Faith Mahi MicroSkills Len Mancini Holland Park Garden Gallery Ken Marsh Earth Art Landscapes Jacki McFarlane MicroSkills Blair McKergow Double Tree Landscaping Dan McLean Outside Professional Services Dean McLellan Dry Stone Guild Commission Jenny Mei MicroSkills Suzie Michaels MicroSkills Hank Mollema TerraPro Corporation Rodney Monteith CLT Ganden Landscapes Chad Moore CLT Planit Earth Landscaping Chaz Morenz Gardens in the City Terry Murphy CLP Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association Rob Musson Bellaire Landscape Jared Myer St. Clair College Allan Nason Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Tammy Nason Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Ana Natyshak St. Clair College Jim Neumann CIT Greenscape Watering Systems Tim O’Brien CLT Garden Creations of Ottawa Samuel Oldsfield Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Nick Olshewski Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Ryan Owen The Beach Gardener Mike Palermo Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Kostas Paliulis Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Michael Pascoe CLT Fanshawe College Peter Patterson J Garfield Thompson Landscape

Chris Pearson CLT Heritage Green Landscape Contractors Daniel Pirrie Dr. Landscape Nick Pisano National Research Council Canada Meredith Plant Seferian Design Group Jason Pond Battlefield Equipment Rentals Richard Portelance Cypress Hill Design and Build Alysa Pottage Workplace Safety and Prevention Services Alice Power Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Jason Power St. Clair College Tracy Pring CLP Clintar Landscape Management Mount Hope Michelle Pugliese Gelderman Landscaping Tracy Qui MicroSkills Ian Rootham Earth Art Landscapes Barbara Rosensweig The Cultivated Garden Gary Ross CLD Designed and Delivered Sharon Rouette-Urquhart Green Unlimited Jeff Rowley CLT Fanshawe College Robert Russo Mohawk College Ursula Russo Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Chris Rylands CLT Clintar Landscape Management – Niagara Bruce Scott Casa Loma Robert Shane Weed Man – Ottawa Gord Sherwood Balfour Greenhouses Brad Small St. Clair College John Smit Peter Smit and Sons Claude Smith Kemptville College Jennifer Smith Clintar Landscape Management – Ottawa Gail Smyth Skills Canada – Ontario Reid Snow Dry Stone Guild Commission Tammy Stawnyczy Turf Care Products Canada David Stewart CLT Custom Lawn Care Brian Streight Boot’s Landscaping and Maintenance Lou’ay Sulaiman Burl-Oak Landscaping

Shayla Supo Canadian Nursery Landscape Association Angelina Targatt MicroSkills Sally Taylor Seferian Design Group Connie Teplitsky Gerrit Tervrugt CHT Andrew Thompson CLT Ganden Landscapes James Thompson J Garfield Thompson Landscape Edward Tooke Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Jacob Torenvliet Environmental Design Landscaping Contractors Koos Torenvliet Environmental Design Landscaping Contractors Mark Torenvliet Environmental Design Landscaping Contractors Nicholas Torenvliet Environmental Design Landscaping Contractors Nick Torenvliet Environmental Design Landscaping Contractors Jacob Trevena Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Elizabeth Tuntevski MicroSkills Olivia Urquhart Green Unlimited Aaron VanBerckel Shademaster Landscaping Laura VanRooy MicroSkills Brent Vanderkruk Connon Nurseries/NVK Holdings Mark Vanderkruk Connon Nurseries/NVK Holdings Shannon Vanderkruk Environmental Design Landscaping Contractors Dave Vandermulen Connon Nurseries/NVK Holdings Victor Velastegui Boot’s Landscaping and Maintenance Alex Verdonk Shademaster Landscaping Kurtis Vesby Earth Art Landscapes Mauro Vesia Arbordale Landscaping/ Moonstruck Landscape Lighting Nathan Vickery St. Clair College Clarence Visser Shademaster Landscaping Shelley Wall David Webssies Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Barb Welburn The Cultivated Garden Oscar Werkmen Shademaster Landscaping Aj White Armstrong Landscaping

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Rayne Wildwood The Cultivated Garden Fraser Wilson Fraser Wilson Inc. Lindsey Wilton CHT Reeves Florist and Nursery Welwyn Wong Welwyn Wong Landscape Design

Jess Woods MicroSkills Eric Wright CLT Pete Vanderley’s Lawn Maintenance and Landscape Services Tavis Yeates Oasis North Landscapes Scott Young Arbordale Landscaping/ Moonstruck Landscape Lighting

Companies Bauer Landscape and Garden Maintenance, Bradley’s Insurance, Clintar Landscape Mangement — Ottawa, Fraser Wilson Inc., Ganden Landscapes, Garden Creations of Ottawa, Green Unlimited, Greenscape Watering Systems, Greenscape Services — Ottawa, Lindsay Landscape, Nutri-Lawn — Ottawa, Peter Knippel Nursery,

Peter Smit and Sons, Ritchie Feed and Seed, TerraPro, Thornbusch Landscaping and Weed Man — Ottawa.

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED AUG. 31/11

BALANCE SHEET

FUND ALLOCATIONS

2010 Audited Statements

2011 Audited Statements

Assets Cash Investments Accrued Interest Accounts Receivable Prepaid Expenses Land/Building-Vineland Land/Building-Steeles Ave Land/Building-Head Office Total Assets

213,210 1,555,218 50,646 2,096,642 711,973 57,645 0 1,243,947 5,929,280

240,364 1,277,563 42,907 2,029,423 677,371 57,645 580,462 1,243,947 6,149,681

Liabilities & Surplus Accounts Payable Accounts Payable-Garden Centre Group Accounts Payable-Growers Group Accounts Payable-Ipm Symposium Accounts Payable-Special Projects Deferred Revenue Hort. Centre Improvement Fund Hort. Industry Development Fund Technology Fund Promotion Fund Surplus-Members Equity Net Income Total Liabilities & Surplus

540,754 10,093 (19,712) 18,691 12,089 2,786,858 898,010 469,913 5,320 10,483 1,046,568 150,215 5,929,280

614,098 4,961 (225) 28,310 7,440 2,872,169 871,544 582,897 (817) 14,263 1,046,568 108,475 6,149,681

2010 Audited Statements Horticultural Industry Development Fund Opening Balance 607,992 Expenditures (138,079) Industry Funding/Donations 0 Transfer From Net Income 130,215 Closing Balance 600,128

2011 Audited Statements 600,128 (17,231) 0 77,475 660,372

Horticultural Centre Improvement Fund Opening Balance Expenditures Industry Funding/Donations Transfer From Net Income Closing Balance

899,151 (53,891) 52,750 0 898,010

898,010 (26,638) 172 0 871,544

Technology Fund Opening Balance Expenditures Transfer From Net Income Closing Balance

24,367 (19,047) 10,000 15,320

15,320 (16,136) 25,000 24,183

Promotion Fund Opening Balance Expenditures Industry Funding/Donations Transfer From Net Income Closing Balance

28,692 (18,210) 0 10,000 20,483

20,483 (6,220) 0 6,000 20,263

INVESTMENTS Maturity Date

Bell Canada Coupon Province Of B.C. Coupon Province Of Quebec Coupon B.C. Telus Coupon Bank Of Montreal Coupon Ontario Hydro Coupon Totals

Apr 15, 2019 Dec 18, 2018 Dec 1, 2021 Apr 8, 2022 Feb 20, 2015 Aug 18, 2022

Rate Of Opening Value Purchases Return At Cost At Cost Sept. 1/10 5.16 % 4.20 % 4.79 % 4.79 % 2.73 % 4.23 %

491,318 491,318 300,046 272,537

Disposals Gain/Loss Disposals

491,318 491,318 300,046

Realized Accrued Closing Value Interest On Interest At Cost Disposals Aug. 31/11 Aug. 31/11

42,039 21,598 1,349

449,999 555,027 1,555,218

1,005,026

1,282,682

Market Value Aug. 31/11

64,987

13,504 10,097 19,306

272,537 449,999 555,027

293,527 454,546 597,818

42,907

1,277,563

1,345,891

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011â&#x20AC;&#x192;

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED AUG. 31/11

INCOME STATEMENT - GENERAL 2010 Audited Statements

2011 Audited Statements

2011 Revised Budgets

2012 Revised Budgets

2013 Proposed Budgets

Revenue Rent Administration Fees Earned Interest Gains/Losses-Investments Information Technology/Web Fees Miscellaneous Total Revenue

118,747 121,219 60,730 37,467 8,633 176,865 523,661

122,147 86,991 42,489 64,987 9,218 5,885 331,716

115,000 78,000 60,000 1,000 9,000 1,000 264,000

122,000 28,000 70,000 1,000 9,000 1,000 231,000

Expenses - Administrative Expenses Property Taxes Telephone Hydro Heat Maintenance-Yard Maintenance-Building Office Supplies Office Equipment Computer Equip/Software Information Technology/Web Exps Postage Courier Audit Legal Fees Advertising Insurance Expense Meeting Expenses Travel Dues & Subscriptions Donations Training (Staff) Miscellaneous Expenses Bank Charges & Interest (Gain)Loss On Foreign Exchange Total Expenses

42,552 39,373 36,753 23,896 37,464 86,281 30,418 7,390 11,136 22,331 12,587 6,273 16,775 3,746 1,538 16,024 18,025 66,346 8,759 1,692 7,080 12,671 55,813 (486) 564,437

52,249 37,223 31,898 23,759 40,831 65,789 21,788 7,136 3,693 21,896 10,251 6,101 18,000 1,764 1,696 19,479 18,477 76,673 8,441 2,690 3,011 10,406 66,267 2,940 552,457

50,000 40,000 40,000 30,000 45,000 80,000 26,000 10,000 10,000 22,000 15,000 6,000 16,000 1,000 1,500 16,000 18,000 52,000 10,000 3,000 5,000 15,000 53,000 1,000 565,500

52,000 33,000 35,000 26,000 40,000 70,000 23,000 8,000 4,000 22,000 14,000 7,000 17,000 3,000 2,000 18,000 17,000 50,000 9,000 2,000 5,000 12,000 60,000 2,000 531,000

Compensation Wages Benefits Source Deductions Total Compensation

1,637,928 128,121 91,343 1,857,392

1,699,149 100,447 94,857 1,894,454

1,638,000 100,000 98,000 1,836,000

1,676,000 110,000 98,000 1,884,000

Total Expenses

2,421,828

2,446,911

2,401,500

2,415,000

(1,898,167) 1,271,249 627,121 203

(2,115,194) 1,344,137 598,209 (172,848)

(2,137,500)

(2,184,000)

Net Income(Loss) Wage Allocations Overhead Allocations Net Income(Loss) Net Of Allocations

50â&#x20AC;&#x192;

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED AUG. 31/11

INCOME STATEMENT - MEMBERSHIP SERVICES Revenue Membership Dues Awards of Excellence Merchandise Referral Fees Total Revenue Expenses - General CNLA Membership Dues Member Subscriptions Awards of Excellence Membership Plaques Annual Report Merchandise Membership Campaign Membership Booth Promotion-Members Promotion-Canada Blooms Promotion-GFL/Branding Total Expenses - General Chapters and Sector Groups Windsor London Golden Horseshoe Waterloo Ottawa Toronto Georgian Lakelands Durham Upper Canada Growers Lawn Care Garden Centre Landscape Contractors Grounds Maintenance Designers Irrigation Interiorscape Snow & Ice Landscape Lighting Total Chapters and Sector Expenses Total Expenses Net Income(Loss) Wage Allocations Overhead Allocations Net Income(Loss) Net Of Allocations

2010 Audited Statements

2011 Audited Statements

2011 Revised Budgets

2012 Revised Budgets

2013 Proposed Budgets

922,022 41,003 7,548 42,550 1,013,123

943,558 38,403 1,681 22,039 1,005,681

935,000 42,000 7,000 45,000 1,029,000

950,000 38,000 3,000 40,000 1,031,000

267,650 88,000 88,278 3,803 2,565 5,621 10,594 33,885 35,015 74,108 609,519

270,303 88,000 60,958 5,973 3,183 0 9,095 13,421 20,897 126,606 18,334 616,770

271,000 88,000 73,000 7,000 3,000 4,000 10,000 20,000 26,000 50,000 20,000 572,000

275,000 88,000 73,000 7,000 3,000 4,000 10,000 18,000 23,000 50,000 15,000 566,000

2,736 6,264 8,383 7,120 4,977 4,667 6,628 5,603 3,770 1,968 397 213 992 655 1,691 2,787 3,207 1,407 (1,848) 61,618

3,260 5,139 8,920 7,318 6,417 2,190 4,929 5,828 1,320 3,419 412 80 127 343 996 3,443 585 880 (2,576) 53,032

3,260 6,264 8,920 7,318 6,524 20,740 6,316 6,628 3,710 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 99,680

3,230 6,290 9,480 7,010 6,342 20,560 6,342 6,550 3,770 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 99,574

671,137

669,801

671,680

665,574

341,986 (513,174) (156,780) (327,968)

335,880 (516,252) (149,552) (329,925)

357,320

365,426

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011â&#x20AC;&#x192;

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED AUG. 31/11

INCOME STATEMENT - LANDSCAPE TRADES MAGAZINE 2010 Audited Statements

2011 Audited Statements

2011 Revised Budgets

2012 Revised Budgets

2013 Proposed Budgets

572,511 450 40,917 3,745 5,668 44,000 667,290

608,527 1,950 27,018 4,984 5,489 44,000 691,968

723,000 1,000 35,000 5,000 8,000 44,000 816,000

630,000 15,000 35,000 5,000 5,000 44,000 734,000

76,003 11,663 87,666

76,122 14,659 90,781

80,000 28,000 108,000

80,000 15,000 95,000

Gross Revenue

579,624

601,187

708,000

639,000

Expenses Printing Freelance Editorial Editorial Travel Sales Travel Mail Preparation Poly Bag Costs Postage (2Nd Class) Postage(Foreign) Courier Charges Subscription Campaign Promotion/Media Kits CCAB Circulation Audit Miscellaneous Bad Debts Total Expenses

95,384 14,118 1,932 15,657 7,840 5,378 47,937 3,196 993 0 14,817 5,556 73 0 212,880

102,016 14,290 3,132 16,458 6,826 4,249 49,124 2,683 1,626 0 7,462 5,220 96 1,880 215,061

120,000 18,000 4,000 15,000 9,000 8,000 48,000 5,000 2,500 1,500 6,000 5,000 500 1,000 243,500

100,000 15,000 4,000 15,000 8,000 7,000 48,000 4,000 2,000 1,500 6,000 5,000 500 2,000 218,000

366,745 (166,122) (78,390) 122,233

386,126 (170,064) (74,776) 141,287

464,500

421,000

Revenue Advertising Web Display Ads Polybag Classified Ads Subscriptions Member Subscriptions Total Revenue Discounts Member Discounts Agency Discounts Total Discounts

Net Income(Loss) Wage Allocations Overhead Allocations Net Income(Loss) Net Of Allocations

52â&#x20AC;&#x192;

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED AUG. 31/11

INCOME STATEMENT - HORTICULTURE REVIEW 2010 Audited Statements

2011 Audited Statements

2011 Revised Budgets

2012 Revised Budgets

2013 Proposed Budgets

139,591 12,434 7,170 8,260 406 44,000 211,860

156,472 7,974 5,800 10,832 212 44,000 225,290

160,000 8,000 6,000 8,000 500 44,000 226,500

145,000 9,000 6,000 9,000 500 44,000 213,500

24,860 864 25,724

27,882 970 28,852

28,000 600 28,600

25,000 600 25,600

Gross Revenue

186,136

196,438

197,900

187,900

Expenses Printing Editorial Travel Mail Preparations Poly Bag Costs Postage Miscellaneous Bad Debts Total Expenses

42,729 987 4,251 2,180 17,372 0 0 67,519

39,047 996 4,640 1,633 17,233 0 0 63,549

42,000 1,200 5,000 2,000 18,000 250 500 68,950

42,000 1,000 4,500 2,000 18,000 250 500 68,250

118,617 (121,731) (39,195) (42,310)

132,889 (129,976) (37,388) (34,475)

128,950

119,650

95,000 60,000 35,000

Revenue Advertising Polybag Classified Ads Web Classsified Ads Subscriptions Member Subscriptions Total Revenue Discounts Member Discounts Agency Discounts Total Discounts

Net Income(Loss) Wage Allocations Overhead Allocations Net Income(Loss) Net Of Allocations

PUBLISHING - SPECIAL PROJECTS Revenue Expenses Net Income(Loss) Wage Allocations Overhead Allocations Net Income(Loss) Net Of Allocations

110,446 60,914 49,532 (9,287) 0 40,246

103,866 58,835 45,031 (9,368) 0 35,663

95,000 60,000 35,000

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011â&#x20AC;&#x192;

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED AUG. 31/11

INCOME STATEMENT - CONGRESS Revenue Exhibit Space Exhibit Space-Partners Registration Sponsorship Miscellaneous Total Revenue Discounts Member Discounts Member Discounts-Partners Total Discounts Gross Revenue Expenses Exhibit Hall Security Show Services Feature Area Garden Subsidy Speakers Registration Services Audio Visual Equipment Receptions Printing Promotion Public Relations Services Advertising Photography Flowers Gifts/ Gratuities Insurance Move In/Move Out Snow Removal Travel Parking Police Postage Janitorial Software Labour Commissions-Partners Miscellaneous Total Expenses Net Income(Loss) Wage Allocations Overhead Allocations Net Income(Loss) Net Of Allocations

2010 Audited Statements

2011 Audited Statements

2011 Revised Budgets

2012 Revised Budgets

2013 Proposed Budgets

1,730,964 59,000 129,076 28,500 6,246 1,953,786

1,851,223 93,025 124,465 27,241 7,179 2,103,133

1,765,000 70,000 120,000 25,000 5,000 1,985,000

1,900,000 90,000 130,000 30,000 5,000 2,155,000

156,784 5,950 162,734

192,687 9,800 202,487

170,000 7,200 177,200

200,000 10,500 210,500

1,791,053

1,900,646

1,807,800

1,944,500

356,110 23,030 101,525 0 12,186 31,818 36,066 7,715 32,807 25,573 14,307 8,302 28,527 2,592 2,684 30 6,664 91,450 0 45,491 10,611 1,680 19,888 35,175 10,492 6,351 13,825 6,993 931,891

366,785 23,477 98,603 1,544 5,679 21,869 33,787 12,051 35,956 29,886 9,856 7,218 32,705 0 1,493 0 5,881 95,907 0 40,560 11,150 1,680 21,802 42,000 9,001 3,106 20,735 3,780 936,510

366,785 24,000 100,000 4,000 14,000 30,000 37,000 15,000 33,000 32,000 22,000 7,000 30,000 2,800 3,000 1,000 7,000 90,000 10,000 43,000 11,000 1,800 22,000 36,500 9,000 7,000 13,000 5,000 976,885

377,800 25,500 110,000 3,000 9,000 35,000 37,000 15,000 36,000 30,000 12,000 8,000 34,000 3,000 2,000 0 6,000 100,000 10,000 42,000 12,000 2,000 24,000 44,000 10,500 5,000 20,000 2,500 1,015,300

859,161 (209,020) (156,780) 493,362

964,136 (243,410) (149,552) 571,174

830,915

929,200

54â&#x20AC;&#x192;

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED AUG. 31/11

INCOME STATEMENT - EXPO Revenue Exhibit Space Registration Sponsorship Miscellaneous Total Revenue Discounts Member Discounts Total Discounts Gross Revenue Expenses Exhibit Hall Security Show Services Registration Services Printing Promotion Public Relations Services Advertising Photography Move In/Move Out Travel Parking Receptions Postage Janitorial Software Commissions-Partners Miscellaneous Total Expenses Net Income(Loss) Wage Allocations Overhead Allocations Net Income(Loss) Net Of Allocations

2010 Audited Statements

2011 Audited Statements

2011 Revised Budgets

2012 Revised Budgets

2013 Proposed Budgets

553,145 4,614 3,775 5,229 566,763

613,900 6,770 8,750 400 629,820

594,000 6,000 5,000 0 605,000

631,000 3,500 9,500 0 644,000

22,402 22,402

27,375 27,375

20,000 20,000

35,000 35,000

544,361

602,445

585,000

609,000

95,580 8,147 54,637 11,290 9,791 7,785 3,500 30,121 33,885 14,985 1,906 10,633 15,383 7,360 7,235 0 5,795 318,031

98,440 8,424 52,169 10,640 13,147 9,458 5,332 24,959 1,350 34,757 16,688 2,000 11,834 7,657 7,720 7,348 3,250 1,103 316,275

98,444 9,000 53,000 12,000 14,000 9,400 5,300 25,000 1,500 34,000 15,000 2,000 8,500 16,500 7,500 7,000 9,100 2,350 329,594

98,920 10,300 58,250 12,000 15,050 7,700 5,750 30,380 2,250 37,350 13,750 2,000 9,000 7,800 8,000 8,500 12,500 3,250 342,750

226,330 (120,548) (117,585) (11,803)

286,170 (130,249) (112,164) 43,756

255,406

266,250

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2011â&#x20AC;&#x192;

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED AUG. 31/11

INCOME STATEMENT - EDUCATION 2010 Audited Statements

2011 Audited Statements

2011 Revised Budgets

2012 Revised Budgets

2013 Proposed Budgets

Revenue Special Projects Trade Courses Certification Total Revenue

7,881 207,269 60,939 276,089

17,479 163,113 47,704 228,296

17,000 205,000 50,000 272,000

17,000 170,000 30,000 217,000

Expenses Special Projects Trade Courses Certification Promotion Foundation Scholarships Funding Total Expenses

77 115,769 49,021 13,212 12,000 190,078

11,107 94,523 30,819 6,411 12,000 154,859

2,000 117,000 35,000 15,000 12,000 181,000

12,000 100,000 40,000 5,000 12,000 169,000

86,010 (131,368) (78,390) (123,748)

73,437 (144,818) (74,776) (146,157)

91,000

48,000

Net Income(Loss) Wage Allocations Overhead Allocations Net Income(Loss) Net Of Allocations

INCOME STATEMENT - DEPARTMENTAL SUMMARY 2010 Audited Statements

2011 Audited Statements

2011 Revised Budgets

2012 Revised Budgets

2013 Proposed Budgets

Revenue General Membership Publications Congress Expo Education Total Revenue

523,661 1,013,123 876,206 1,791,053 544,361 276,089 5,024,493

331,716 1,005,681 901,491 1,900,646 602,445 228,296 4,970,275

264,000 1,029,000 1,000,900 1,807,800 585,000 272,000 4,958,700

231,000 1,031,000 921,900 1,944,500 609,000 217,000 4,954,400

Expenses General Membership Publications Congress Expo Education Total Expenses

2,421,828 671,137 341,312 931,891 318,031 190,078 4,874,278

2,446,911 669,801 337,444 936,510 316,275 154,859 4,861,800

2,401,500 671,680 372,450 976,885 329,594 181,000 4,933,109

2,415,000 665,574 346,250 1,015,300 342,750 169,000 4,953,874

150,215

108,475

25,591

526

Net Income(Loss)

LO STAFF PROFILE Sarah Willis

Editorial director

What is your job description at LO? As editorial director, my main responsibility is the production of Landscape Trades. As a member of the communications department at LO, I am part of a team that works together to produce all the publications, newsletters and consumer pieces put out by the association to support the work that our members do. What is your background before coming to LO, and when did you begin work at LO? M y background is in horticulture. I am an alumnus of the University of Guelph

and the Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture. My first job after graduation was as a gardener at the Royal Botanical Gardens. When I was laid off in winter, I responded to an ad in Horticulture Review for a writer and Rita Weerdenburg hired me immediately. In 1991, Landscape Ontario bought Horticulture Review, so I’ve just passed my 20-year anniversary with the association. When not at work, where can you be found? M y husband and I are just getting used to being empty nesters, so are starting to reinvent our lives together after living for years at the dojo and hockey arenas with our three kids. As our children leave for school, we are gradually replacing them with large dogs, so we spend a lot of time hiking with them. I enjoy kayaking on quiet rivers, and am a knitter and beginning quilter. I also took up hockey a few years ago, so am having a great time on the ice after cheering from the stands for so long. Also, my family is part-owner of a garden centre in Oakville, so in my spare time in the spring, I can be found helping out in the sales yard. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a writer. When I was little, my father built me a Wendy House (Google it), and I spent hours and hours there, writing and illustrating my

56 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO DECEMBER, 2011

own magazines—which I would distribute to friends. What inspires you during your time at LO? As the final instalment after two years of LO staff profiles, it’s become a cliché, but I really am inspired by the creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and generosity of our members. I am fortunate to have chosen to work in such a phenomenal industry. Name your all-time favourite movie, musical group and TV show. The movie I can watch again and again is The Shawshank Redemption. I have varied musical tastes, but would have to go back to my 70s roots with Elton John or The Who as my all-time picks; and pretty much any gritty series on HBO is my favourite TV show at the time—Deadwood, Rome, Band of Brothers, etc. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? W hile I enjoy visiting European countries, some day I hope to go to the Pacific Ocean and see the Galapagos, Polynesian Islands, and end up in New Zealand. Tell us one thing about you that few of your colleagues know about you. W hen we were young, my brother and I were discouraged from listening to rock and pop music at home. The h ousehold record collection featured classical music, jazz and show tunes. As a result, we are both still able to sing our way through the scores of all the great original Broadway shows — but rarely do!

THE UNDERGROUND WORLD What the experts are saying By Terry Murphy CLP

f you really want to know what the experts think about a subject, just ask for their input. So I did just that. I called Mike Scarland, manager of damage prevention for Enbridge Gas Distribution. I asked for his take on the Underground World, what is happening, what are the problems and what the landscape industry can do to make life easier for Enbridge and vice versa. Enbridge is one of the largest gas companies in Canada. By the way, Mike has spent more than 20 years in damage prevention, is a founding member of the Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance (ORCGA) and extremely knowledgeable on all underground issues, and is very open, straightforward and candid with his remarks. He also sits on the Ontario ORCGA board of directors. “You know Terry, most of our problems with landscapers can be solved if they would just take the time to get locates. This is the number one problem.” First, the number of gas line hits by landscapers is on the decline, which is great, but more significantly, the number of hits due to lack of locates is constant. This means that the majority of landscaper hits are the result of digging without locates.

captured. “This means that all utility strikes are recorded and the key information facts are consistently compiled, so we have provincial statistics on all utility hits in Ontario,” said Mike. “The reason DIRT was incorporated from our United States colleagues, is so we had complete and consistent reporting on damages to know who was causing hits and the reason for the hit. This reporting tool helps us zero in on the problem and the company, or industry and helps us improve our damage prevention and reduce repair costs and more importantly, save lives.” Mike clearly noted that Landscape Ontario has done a very good job over the last couple of years to bring down the number of utility hits. “Our goal is to reduce the landscape industry hits by 50 per cent in two plus years. However, there is just one area that the landscape community has to work on and that is to make sure to call for locates before digging.

This is still the number one cause of the problem with landscapers” This information from Enbridge is not new information, as we have heard this scenario many times before. As a matter of fact, that is the reason why Landscape Ontario was originally asked to sit on the ORCGA board: too many hits without locates. I then asked Mike, where does the information come from. “We get this information from our own Enbridge field reports that our people generate, where they must give a reason for a hit. This information is part of our ‘root cause’ reporting analysis that we use to help us reduce hits. We pass this info on to firms and organizations like Please send your comments, suggestions Landscape Ontario, so we can help them and ideas to tvmurphy@ca.inter.net. reduce their hits and damage costs. Don’t forget, the cost of an average gas hit to a landscaper is about $3,000.” I learned from Mike about the overall number of hits that are caused by the landscape community in Ontario. He indicated that ORCGA has a reporting tool called DIRT (Damage Information Reporting Tool). Every time there is an accident reported, the industry and root cause is Fire that could result from a typical residential gas hit.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 57

IRRIGATION Acidify irrigation water for potted nursery crop production By Dr. Youbin Zheng, Katherine Vinson, and Dr. Mike Dixon University of Guelph

he majority of the Ontario potted nursery crops (perennials, shrubs, and trees) are grown in organicbased growing substrates containing components such as pine bark, peat moss, and other types of composts. Most plants grow best at a pH of 5.4 to 6.4 in organic substrates. Of course, some crops prefer an even lower root zone pH. For example, the best pH for azalea is 4.5-5.8. A substrate pH above 6.2 can lead to Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Boron (B), and even Phosphorus (P) deficiency in some crops (blueberry, pin oak, red maple, hydrangeas) and cause symptoms like leaf chlorosis. Also, when the substrate pH is above the optimum range, the applied fertilizer can be wasted. For example, when the substrate pH is above 6.5, most of the phosphorus is in insoluble forms, which are difficult if not impossible for plants to uptake.

Low pH rare in Ontario

When there is P limitation, even if there is plenty of nitrogen, potassium, and other nutrient elements, plants still cannot utilize these nutrients to best effect. Therefore, the fertilizer applied will be wasted and may also move out of the system to harm our environment. A substrate pH that is too low can cause Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu toxicity, and Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg) deficiency. However, in Ontario, too low of a pH is rarely seen. Managing substrate pH may prove to be the single, most cost effective practice in potted nursery production. Substrate pH is mainly controlled by the materials used in mixing the substrate, the fertilizer applied, irrigation water, and the plants themselves. In this article, we will address the water issue only. In Ontario, many nurseries use water from wells, rivers, and other sources with a high alkalinity and a high pH. A

high alkalinity in irrigation water is usually caused by high concentrations of carbonates, usually calcium carbonate (CaCO3), magnesium carbonate (MgCO3) and bicarbonates (HCO3-). pH is a measure of the acidity and basicity of irrigation water. Using irrigation water with a high alkalinity can lead to an increased pH in the growing substrates or soils. To reduce water alkalinity and pH, acid can be injected into the irrigation water. How much to inject depends on the alkalinity of the irrigation water, the type of acid used, and the target alkalinity and pH you want to achieve. There are a number of useful sources to use for guidance. The following are a few free web-based calculation tools to easily achieve your goal. • North Carolina State University: www. ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/floriculture/ software/alk-calc/alk.html • University of New Hampshire: http:// extension.unh.edu/Agric/AGGHFL/ Alkcalc.cfm • United States Geological Survey (USGS): http://or.water.usgs.gov/alk/

Calculate alkalinity

Choose whichever method you prefer, but the first thing is to know the alkalinity of your water. Either measure the alkalinity using some of the simple, inexpensive kits available, or send a sample of your water to a commercial laboratory. When you do the calculation, please pay special attention to the alkalinity unit, since different laboratories may give you different units and different calculators may require different unit inputs. Measured as either HCO3- or CaCO3, the unit can be milliequivalents per litre of water (meq/L), parts per million (ppm), or mg/L. Here are three simple equations to use for converting one unit to another: 1 meq/L CaCO3 = 1 meq/L HCO3-, 1 meq/L CaCO3 = 50 ppm = 50 mg/L, and 1 meq/L HCO3- = 61 ppm = 61 mg/L. Also, to convert from ppm CaCO3 to ppm HCO3-, multiply the CaCO3 value by 1.22. The other thing to know for links above is the pH of your water. Determine this yourself by using a pH meter, or pH test kit, or send a

58 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO DECEMBER, 2011

sample to a laboratory. If using sulphuric acid (H2SO4), phosphoric acid (H3PO4), or nitric acid (HNO3) to lower the pH of your irrigation water, calculate how much S, P, or N you are adding to your pots, so you can reduce the fertilizer application of that element, otherwise you may run into some nutrient imbalance issues. For example, when using HNO3 to acidify irrigation water, you are adding more N into the system. If you are still using the same amount and type of fertilizer as you did before, then your plants may grow more rapidly, but less hardy. If you do not want to change your type of fertilizer and application rate, then H2SO4 may be a better acid to use, since plant uptake of SO4- is much slower than the uptake of NO3-; therefore in the short term, you may not run into any big nutrient imbalance issues. However, if you are recycling irrigation water, then H2SO4 is not recommended, as SO4- will eventually accumulate in your water to an unacceptable level. For more information on the benefits and drawbacks of each acid, see the table at http://bit.ly/sLldCx.

Systems vary

It is important to ensure that the injection equipment is appropriate for use with acids. Read product descriptions carefully as one company may provide multiple injection systems, but each system may vary in terms of its suitability for strong acids. It is also suggested that separate injectors be used for fertilizer applications to avoid salt precipitation. Agitation of the pipes may be required to prevent the acid from resting and wearing down the equipment. All metal irrigation pipes should be well rinsed at the end of each acid injection treatment.

Ongoing updates

Currently, our group is testing whether acidifying irrigation water alone can keep growing substrates within an optimum pH range and improve the performance of several plant species, some of which require a lower substrate pH. We will provide ongoing updates on this and other aspects of our research program at the University of Guelph. If you have any questions, contact Dr. Youbin Zheng, 519-824-4120, ext. 52741, yzheng@uoguelph.ca. Dr. Zheng is a researcher in horticulture, www.ces. uoguelph.ca/greenroof/.

SMART ABOUT SALT Rock salt doesn’t melt anything!

frost. However, the dry salt will only last a day because traffic whisks the material off the road. In four days they could apply about 400 kilograms of salt on two-lanes per kilometre. If they applied liquid anti-icing, they would only use about 23 kilograms of salt, with one application lasting for the four days, if there was no rain. That is a 94 per cent saving in salt and much safer conditions. There are a number of different liquid anti-icing materials on the market with different properties and working temperatures. It is an excellent tool for maintaining safe winter conditions in parking lots and sidewalks. As with any tool, snow users need to understand when and how to properly use liquid anti-icing material. If you are a contractor, I encourage you to look into these materials. If you are a site owner or manager, discuss the use of liquids with your contractor. Bob Hodgins may be contacted at bob. hodgins@sympatico.ca.

Left: Left side of driveway lightly treated with saltbrine. Above: The end result after snowfall.

By Bob Hodgins Smart about Salt executive director

n my course Smart about Salt Essentials Training I conduct an experiment using a cold plate, where I simulate a frosting situation in the classroom. The photograph on this page shows that the surface temperature is at -6.3oC and there is a good layer of frost on the surface. The granular of salt on the left has been sitting on the surface for some time, with very little melting occurring. Melting won’t happen until a combination of moisture, heat and salt forms a brine (solution of salt in water). It is the brine that melts the frost, snow, or ice. This is a fundamental principle that all snowfighters should understand. At the end of the lesson, I spray the

right side of the cold plate with a 23 per cent sodium chloride brine, and VOILA — the frost is immediately eliminated. Under the right conditions, the use of liquid anti-icing materials can create a much safer condition than straight salt. This requires significantly less salt. I demonstrated this by spraying half my driveway with a liquid before a snow event. I applied just enough liquid to dampen the pavement. The next morning I woke to see the results of my efforts. The side of my untreated driveway was covered with snow, whereas the treated side was bare and damp. The salt residue that was left after I sprayed melted the snow. Over the following week a warm spell melted all the snow, but we had no rain to wash away the salt brine that remained on the left side of the driveway. Then we got another small snowfall and the same thing happened. The left side of my driveway was bare and damp, and the right side was covered in snow. Road authorities that use liquid antiicing have learned that this same principle can save them time and money and create safer conditions. For example, a road authority could apply dry salt to take care of four consecutive mornings of WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 59

MEMBERSHIP It’s the chicken and egg syndrome By Helen Hassard Membership coordinator

ecently I was in Windsor for that Chapter’s annual Awards of Distinction. I found myself in a conversation with a new member company, our executive director Tony DiGiovanni and our public relations manager Denis Flanagan. One of the interesting things that I learned from this conversation was the origin of our logo. As most of you may know, a few years ago LO adopted the Green for Life logo. It was the result of our branding committee’s hard work. But what you might not

know is this brand has gone national with PEI, Manitoba and New Brunswick joining us. When the board decided it was time to rebrand, the branding committee hired a marketing company to develop a logo and tagline. This company found that the target market for our membership is women between the ages of 35 to 60. Although this is a generalization and does not necessarily represent all members, what they found through the survey is that those consumers related to the image of a little girl on a swing. Just like that, the GFL logo was born! As I mentioned, the research was a generalization. For those members who didn’t want to use the little girl on the swing, because they knew it wouldn’t appeal to their clients, the tree logo came to be. It is an equal, but different logo.

We encourage you to use whichever one will best suite your business needs. I’ve have heard that a number of members don’t want to use the logo, or put the decals on their trucks, because their customers don’t know what it means. Well to them I say, it’s the chicken and the egg situation. Consumers aren’t going to recognize the brand until they see it out there on your trucks, business cards and websites. Now, I don’t expect to convince everyone, but for those of you that see the value and want the GFL brand recognized, please start incorporating this into your marketing. We have free promotional materials available at www. horttrades.com/green-for-life. In addition, your local chapters and LO home office are always working on building GFL brand recognition, whether it’s by attending local events, community projects, or sponsoring charities and events. If you have a great idea, or want to get more involved, we would love to hear from you. Helen Hassard may be contacted at Helen@landscapeontario.com.

NEW MEMBERS Durham Cotter Landscaping Brian Cotter 142 River Street, Seagrave, ON L0C 1G0 Tel: 905-424-3440 Membership Type: Active Mr. Grass Landscaping Ltd. Paul Gervais 1860 Brock Road, Uxbridge, ON L9P 1R4 Tel: 416-410-9046 Membership Type: Active Williams Design Studio Paul Williams 1470 Hwy 7A PO Box 86, Bethany, ON L0A 1A0 Tel: 705-277-2666 Membership Type: Active Georgian Lakelands Ideal Landscape Services Andrew Beattie 31 Allsop Crescent, Barrie, ON L4N8T7 Tel: 705-896-0196 Membership Type: Interim London Steer and Graham Property Care Nick Graham 102 Duke St, Komoka, ON N0L 1R0 Tel: 519-200-9431 Membership Type: Interim

Toronto Avant-Garden Services Tiago Varella-cid 704 Spadina Ave PO Box 20, Toronto, ON M5S 2S7 Tel: 416-783-8448 Membership Type: Active Cooper Equipment Rentals Doug Dougherty 33 Racine Rd, Toronto, ON M9W 2Z4 Tel: 416-744-5000 Membership Type: Associate Entripy Custom Clothing Andrea Pellizzer 5, 6 & 7 - 2320 Bristol Circle Oakville, ON L6H 5S3 Tel: 905-844-1291-x3065 Membership Type: Associate Highland National Leasing Mike Manson 15783 Yonge St, Aurora, ON L4G 3H4 Tel: 866-980-8037-x264 Membership Type: Associate Marsh Canada Limited Lyne Erwin 800 - 70 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5J 2M4 Tel: 416-349-3060 Membership Type: Associate

60 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO DECEMBER, 2011

Ontario Sawdust Supplies Ltd Joe Falcone 48 Sluse Rd, Holland Landing, ON L9N 1G8 Tel: 905-836-9356 Membership Type: Associate Paul Will Do It Paul Kornatz 503 - 15 Park Hill Crt, Brampton, ON L6Y 1P6 Tel: 905-497-9059 Membership Type: Horticultural Town of Richmond Hill Elke Gruenewald 42 Bedford Road, Sutton West, ON L0E 1R0 Tel: 905-716-3345 Membership Type: Horticultural Windsor St. Clair College John Lein 156 Robson Road, Leamington, ON N8H 5P9 Tel: 519-966-1656-x4344 Membership Type: Horticultural

SAFETY AND TRAINING New year is time to energize yourself By Sally Harvey CLT, CLP Manager Education and Labour Development

t is hard to believe that Congress is approaching once again. This is always a time of year to which I look forward. It is a time of renewal. The New Year energizes me to reach out for new opportunities that will help us to achieve goals both on a personal and business level. New opportunities require planning, education and training to be successful. As your partner in prosperity, Landscape Ontario offers you many opportunities to gain a fresh perspective with the vast professional development and training seminars presented in the Prosperity Partner Professional Development Guide released last month. www.horttrades.com/professionaldevelopment-guide-2011-2012, and within the Congress Conference guide, is available for a sneak peak at: www.horttrades. com/congress-conference-guide-2012 and is also included in your next issue of Landscape Trades. Our conference and events coordinator, Kristen McIntyre has worked diligently to make sure that the 2012 Congress conference offers you more ‘Tools for the Trade.’ Over three days the conference will provide such things as tips on how to trim your costs, sharpen your skills and build a competitive edge. I can promise that you will be inspired and energized. Again this year, we are pleased to provide the Monday warm-up programs prior to the trade show on Jan. 9 that includes: • 47th Annual IPM Symposium • Landscape Designers’ Conference • Certified Landscape Professional Study Group that includes an exam writing option.

Tuesday through Thursday (Jan.1012), the Conference will focus on prosperity for both business owners/operators and employees. Business development highlights include sustainable best practices, innovation, sales and marketing, operations, safety, human resources, and plan-

ning for our future. New this year: The Irrigation Conference is moving to Wednesday afternoon. New this year: New speakers and a new format with sessions offered in the mornings only to allow attendees to spend quality time on the trade show floor. With more than 27 sessions, including three-hour owner-based workshops, attendees have many options to expand their knowledge. New this year: All conference pass holders are invited to ‘life lessons at lunch’ with interactive business focused discussion and networking sessions. It is included in your conference pass. Check your Conference guide for more details, or contact us. Teachers/Instructors and their students are encouraged to attend the 2012 Congress trade show. Go to: www.horttrades. com/sessions-for-students-and-teachers. In addition to the many conferences and seminars available to teachers and students, we are also presenting free special sessions; one for students and teachers, and another for teachers only. It doesn’t stop there. Sector events, Chapter meetings and events are planned throughout the year, all offering an opportunity to learn, improve your business and network within your community that we proudly call Landscape Ontario. I encourage everyone to start now about your professional development plan. Take advantage of the early bird discounts. Use the savings to bring another staff person to Congress, or register him/her in a seminar.

The Landscape Ontario Safety Group is returning with a record performance this past year. The 2010 Safety Group scored and celebrated a record high score of 5.74 per cent out of a possible six Twentyfive Safety Group firms received a rebate cheque. The total rebate was over $60,000 in October. We congratulate those who participated in building their safety programs, and reaped the benefit. The 2012 Safety Group will deliver an increase in service and value this year. WSPS Workplace Safety Prevention Services is visiting each member in February to provide safety program development resources. This will be followed by a voluntary spot-check in August and September to provide feedback and advice on how and where improvements are needed. Register now for the 2012 Safety Group. Go to www. horttrades.com/safety-groups.

Did you know?

You can stay on top of the Ministry of Labour news and updates by subscribing to the newsletter entitled, What’s New? To subscribe, go to www.labour.gov.on.ca/ english/about/pubs/whatsnew/. Contact Sally Harvey at sharvey@landscapeontario.com.

Labour market partnership

The Employer Human Resource Policy and Procedure Guide and Employee Handbook and other tools funded by Employment Ontario are to be released in January to help our employers manage their human resource asset. Stay tuned. Safety remains a hot topic with the introduction of the Ornamental Growers Safety Program seminars by the Farm Credit Canada Ag Safety Fund. These promise to deliver compliance awareness and the return on investment that a progressive safety program can provide in every workplace. The cost benefit of a safe workplace is PRICELESS! WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 61

PUBLIC RELATIONS Garden of fond memories By Denis Flanagan CLD Director of public relations and membership services

ne of our goals in 2012 is to continue to recognize the wonderfully generous contributions that our members make to their local communities. The stories of these contributions will not only run in our own publications, but we will also make a concerted effort to get these stories the credit they deserve into national and local news media. The following is one such story that deserves that sort of attention. When Bill Roseborough’s wife passed away in 2009, he wanted to build a legacy in memory of her and allow other people to share in the experience. Karen Roseborough was dedicated to her nursing profession in Hanover from 1963, until she retired in 2000. It was at Hanover and District Hospital that she was diagnosed with cancer, passing away in 2009. Bill contacted LO member Tim Kraemer from Ground Effects Landscapes. He and Tim knew each other from projects they worked together in the community. Bill shared his idea of building a garden, and Tim subsequently asked Paul Brydges, a landscape architect who he works closely with, to consult on the project. While Tim and Paul put their heads together to develop concepts to present to the hospital, Bill worked towards ensuring there were some initial funds available to get the project off the ground. And so a partnership was formed, from which a beautiful garden was designed and built from local materials and countless volunteer hours. The garden was designed to be a peaceful place where staff, patients and visitors can use for reflection and meditation, and where memories can be cherished and shared. As we all know, a challenge when building a project like this is sustainability. To overcome this obstacle, a number of steps were taken to ensure the ongoing viabil-

62 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO DECEMBER, 2011

Community enjoys garden that honours memory.

ity of the project. The Hospital Foundation administers the fundraising component of the project. Donors can choose features in the garden such as benches, fence panels, trees, etc., to be engraved as a way of celebrating someone’s life, or to pay tribute to a friend, doctor, nurse, or support staff. Paul continues to volunteer time on the project by advising on the placement of these special elements. Landscape Ontario will donate a Green for Life engraved piece as one of the River of Life Stones. Tim from Ground Effects Landscapes has pledged that his company will volunteer to maintain the garden for as long as it takes. I am constantly hearing about similar stories that involve our members. Yes, we have all read the business advice on how it’s good to be involved in community projects. It seems to me that the underlying motivation is not driven by a business model, but the sheer fact that you sincerely care about the community you live in. What a wonderful thought this month as we begin to celebrate the season of giving, but it’s obvious to me that the gift of giving among our members extends to all seasons. Please continue to share your stories with us, so we can share them with others. Denis Flanagan may be contacted at dflanagan@landscapeontario.com.

EXECUTIVE DESK Members give back Tony DiGiovanni CHT LO executive director

ecember is a time for reflection. This year has been a challenge for many of you, yet what stands out is your persistence, perseverance, tenacity, passion and willingness to contribute time and resources to improve the industry, association and community. I doubt other industries have so many individuals who are so generous and contribution-minded. Please read my Annual Report (page 17) for a glimpse at some of the great projects members and chapters were involved in this past year. While compiling the wonderful stories of how our chapters are enriching their communities, I began to wonder about your individual contributions outside of the association. I sent out an email asking for your stories. The response was incredible. Over

the next few months we will create a section in Landscape Ontario magazine to tell the story of how our members “give back” to make the world a better place. I found reading the stories very inspirational.

the president

In an association like ours, the president represents the membership. He represents you in front of the public, government officials, other members and the broader horticultural community. In my position as executive director, I am in the privileged position to support the president. I get to see what each person who serves that position is made of. I experience first-hand their sincerity and care for association members. Tom Intven’s term as your president will be over at Congress. It is difficult to believe that two years have gone so quickly. I was in Ohio at the Great Lakes conference when my counterpart from Minnesota told

Tom how influential his articles in Horticulture Review have been. Whenever I am with Tom at any LO event, someone stops to tell him the importance of his ideas and messages. Tom has represented us well. He reflects integrity, intelligence, empathy, thoughtfulness, sensitivity, caring and professionalism. I feel proud at the way he represents all of us. He reflects the best. Join me in congratulating Tom for a job well done. We look forward to his service as a ‘lifer’ in other activities of the association. The wonderful part of this job is that many members become friends. It is a good thing to have Tom as a friend. I would also like to congratulate Phil Charal, the new incoming president. Phil has been a perennial contributor to LO for many years. We look forward to his presidency. At this time of year, I want to thank the staff of Landscape Ontario. We have a unique team at LO. There are no slouches. They are like family. They care. They love to support the membership. Your staff wishes you all the best in 2012. We look forward to being your prosperity partner. Tony DiGiovanni may be reached at tonydigiovanni@landscapeontario.com.

Landscape Lighting Conference

February 16, 2012 NEW LOCATION - Pipers Heath Golf Club, Milton Network with your industry peers at this annual event Featuring a keynote presentation and round table sessions. Exhibits Highlighting new and exciting landscape lighting products on display - an opportunity to see them up close and talk to the suppliers. Early bird pricing until February 2 $90 LO member, $110 non-member Register at

www.horttrades.com/lighting2012 WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 63

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Closing thoughts By Tom Intven LO president

his will be my last message to you, as my term as president of Landscape Ontario comes to an end. First, let me say that it has been an honour and privilege to serve as your president. I enjoyed meeting many members in all the chapters involved in different sectors. While our members are diverse in their businesses, our strength lies in our common mission. Most of all, I have enjoyed working with the board and staff to help navigate our association through two very difficult and challenging years.

Uxbridge Nurseries

“We keep on growing” 8080 BALDWIN ST., BROOKLIN, ONTARIO L1M 1Y6

905.655.3379 1.877.655.3379 FAX: 905.655.8544 sales@uxbridgenurseries.com

www.uxbridgenurseries.com

My father used to say, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” My luck has been more serendipitous. By my simple election as president, I have lucked into a position that is surrounded by gifted volunteers and staff. It has been a privilege to have served with an exceptional provincial board composed of passionate, committed volunteer leaders.

Volunteer spirit

I have been absolutely blown away by the volunteer spirit observed at every level of governance — those members who have the ‘Landscape Ontario Gene.’ That is, they believe that by working cooperatively for a common goal, they will accomplish more than by working alone. This strong and passionate belief, found in so many of our members, is at the very heart of Landscape Ontario’s success. To all of our members who have given so generously of their time and resources over the last two years, I would like to sincerely say, THANK YOU! I would like to commend all of our staff on their contributions and work ethic over the last two years. Special recognition should be given to our executive director, Tony DiGiovanni. Tony has been inspirational in his continued and undying commitment to the development and prosperity of our members. His intelligent, adaptive, congenial and visionary management has been key to LO’s ability to navigate these rapidly changing. I encourage Tony, and all of our staff to stay committed and keep up the good work. If you would indulge me, I have a few closing recommendations to all of you that I would like to make.

Strive for excellence

I encourage all of our members and staff to strive for excellence in all aspects of your work. In order for our industry to become more appreciated and command higher wages and prices, we need to demonstrate excellence and professionalism in every sector and at every step of the way. We have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go in this regard.

64 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO DECEMBER, 2011

Fight for our relevance

If we are to survive as an industry with the changing demographics of North America, we need to be adamant about our story. In this world of information overload, we need to be actively and aggressively, preaching the benefits of the goods and services that our industry provides. We need to support the relevance of the activities of the green industry in our local communities, in our daily conversations with people, and in all of combined efforts. If we do not, our industry will lose its relevance in a technology dominated world.

Get involved with your association

My theme has been ‘Prosperity through Engagement.’ The concept presented in January of 2010 was that the more our members become engaged in what our community has to offer, the more success they will achieve and the stronger our association will become. The best way to face the challenges of the rapidly changing economy is to fully embrace Landscape Ontario, its culture, its programs, its network of members and staff and their touch points, and its sense of community. I still firmly believe this to be true. I have observed that many of our members have become more engaged in Landscape Ontario in the last few years, despite the increase in demands from our businesses. To all of you who are so committed, I would like to extend a sincere THANK YOU! for your continued expression of your passion for our industry through your engagement.

We are blessed

The work of association development is ongoing and challenging. We are again blessed with a talented and committed volunteer provincial board that represents our many and diverse interests and areas. I know that our new president will experience the same feeling of being lucky to be surrounded by many dedicated volunteers and staff in the pursuit of our mission. Please join me in wishing the new president, Phil Charal, the board of directors and all of our governance the best of luck in the coming years. Tom Intven may be reached at 519-631-1008, or tintven@landscapeontario.com.

r onge wn. L ng tant la lo t-resis ting too Cut ating. tand. s rf de he tu leaf bla he 3) of t

CLASSIFIEDS All classified ads must be pre-paid by VISA or Mastercard. Rates: $50.85 (HST included) per column inch Min. order $50.85. 15% discount on ads run for entire calendar year. Box Numbers: Additional $10. Confidentiality ensured. Deadlines: 20th day of the month prior to issue date. (eg: June issue deadline is May 20th). January deadline is Dec. 1. Space is limited to a first come, first served basis. To advertise: E-mail your name, phone number and ad to Robert at classifieds@landscapeontario. com or fax to (905) 875-0183. Online advertising: Website only ads are available for $67.80 (HST included). Website ads are posted for 30 days and are limited to 325 words. View ads online at www.horttrades.com/classifieds

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES TREE FARM 15 MINUTES FROM OTTAWA FOR SALE Hundreds of landscape-quality trees of various species available for wholesale and retail sales including Colorado spruce, red oak and maple, etc. Late model equipment: tracked loader, tree spades, tractors, etc. available. Secure, fenced yard available for rent. Perfect for landscape or tree company wanting to add general tree planting/ash tree replacements to their services. Email for more information: forest99@bellnet.ca

nursery stock HOFLAND GARDENS ORNAMENTAL GRASSES, PERENNIALS, GROUND COVER Tel: (905) 355-3392 E-mail: hoflandgardens@phc.igs.net

Turf tools for today Colour brochure from the Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation, offered to LO members for only $15 per 100 copies.

se nIu cts ca ntario? u d o in O h pr Whic wn pests lthy lawn a on la r a he fo Tips plus

ower. ng m

fall). g rain cludin or . etness eaf w . ds of l water nserve co o t t arate drough ur sep /early fall 2 ) in fo mer ft 1000 , late sum 2 lbs/ mer m (4 kg/100 g, mid-sum rin ate sp ber). revent and p stand, t. n the bes and either thicke works g ible to ass seed cultivatin ry yegr nial r weeds, t with ested d be shoul yer and atch. soil la up th s and breaks e e gras r, and to remov een th ai s ot ng the ro ower raki s ve his gi der p ores. T cm, consi .5 han 2 k. y. w bac quickl nd. ill gro by ha weed w ss seed. ra e them r the emov e plant o post and g th eeds, r om hed w roots with ds with c e wee king th oving the by rem

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

An established industry leading Landscape Contractor Has an opening for LANDSCAPE ESTIMATOR-PROJECT MANAGER Highly motivated results driven individual. Min. 5 yrs commercial estimating and selling experience. College Diploma with C.E.T. preferred. Landscape Design with Dynascape an asset. Excellent communication and leadership skills. Opportunity for advancement. Excellent wages & benefits. helmut@helmutz.com Application info on www.helmutz.com

SERVICES AND SUPPLIES TREE TRANSPLANTING Transplanting trees up to 9” truck diameter with 10,000 lb. rootball. 44”, 80” & 90” spades to move trees with and can basket up to 90” 100 acres of trees to choose from. BOTANIX OXFORD INSTA-SHADE RR # 2, Burgessville ON N0J 1C0 Tel: (519) 424-2180 • Fax: (519) 424-2420 Toll Free: 1-800-387-0246 Contact Jan Veldhuizen Email: jan@oxfordinstashade.com www.oxfordinstashade.com

equipment

FINN Hydroseeders & Bark Blowers New and Used: • Flex Guard FRM • Soil Guard BFM • Erosion Control Blanket Seed & Fertilizer Toll free: (855) 761-6649 Fax: (905) 761-7959 www.fibramulch.com

GreenTrade Expo – a ‘Don’t Miss It’ Show! In spite of the tough economic times… of our exhibitors renew each year!

82% 19th Annual

February 15th • 9 am – 4 pm CE Centre, Ottawa Airport

Blessed by our stable Federal Government, Eastern Ontario has weathered the global economic struggles better than almost anywhere in North America… and here are other great reasons to exhibit at GreenTrade Expo 2012… Compared to other regions, Eastern Ontario contractors in this stable region are in a  better position to buy your products & services Over 1,000 Eastern Ontario/Western Quebec green industry professionals will attend  Half the attendees are owners/decision makers who come to make buying decisions  We hold our show at the right time of year, in a time & cost effective 1-day format,  and deliver proven results! Brand new facility for 2012 - CE Centre (see www.GreenTrade.ca) 

This is a great sales and marketing environment with progressive, eager landscape industry professionals… and ation und n rch Fo undatio by Resea es Fo nted ad rass Prese Turfg ultural Tr rio ic ta ort On rio H Onta

To order, contact Jane Leworthy at jleworthy@landscapeontario.com

Presented by the Ottawa Chapter of Landscape Ontario

Book your exhibit space TODAY!

Call

613.796NOW! For E xhibit .5 156 Spa ce

Get details & registration information on-line at…

www.GreenTrade.ca

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 65

PROSPERITY PARTNERS Prosperity Partners solves business headaches – from the ground up By Jacki Hart CLP Prosperity Partners program manager

Learn to navigate business needs

The challenge lies in the reality that every business needs balance and strategy — and most entrepreneurs have never been taught how to navigate all of the needs of a business simultaneously. We’re here to give you a simple tool box for prioritizing differently, figuring out what’s missing, and guiding you to next steps.

Prosperity Partners Program Overview

ere’s a simple five-point test for you to see if the Prosperity Partners Build Your Prosperity seminar will help reduce stress and headaches at work: 1. Make a ‘to-do’ list of things you need to do at work tomorrow. Even it’s your downtime season, you likely have business related planning, purchasing, meetings, assessing, etc., you need to do. So, just write them all down. 2. At the end of the day tomorrow, check the list and mark off the ones you have done. 3. Add whatever else you think of to the list. 4. Repeat every day for a week — using the same original list — with things checked off and added each day. 5. At the end of the week, look at the list, and see what things you originally wrote down are not yet done, and which things you later added, and have now completed.

The moral of the story is that you will have attended to the items on your list that lie in your ‘sweet spot.’ That’s the place where you’re most proficient, comfortable, and focusing on the things you most like to do. I guarantee that the things you least like to do will always fall to the bottom of your to-do list through unintentional prioritizing. It’s right here — in the midst of gravitating to what you enjoy most — that your biggest headaches at work are born. The Build Your Prosperity seminar is packed full of enlightening facts and tricks to help you realize where you are most helpful in your business, and where you are ignoring things that need to be done, because it’s just not what you are good at or like to do. This applies to supervisors, managers and owners alike.

66 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO DECEMBER, 2011

So, what are you waiting for? More of the same headaches next year? Or a painless way to change the way you spend your time at work so that you can enjoy your career more – with a better work life balance? Your association has developed this unique business tool box for you. It’s simple, effective, and easy to access. Join us at the next Build Your Prosperity seminar: Feb. 16 and Mar. 7 at your home office in Milton. To register, or for more info, call Kathy McLean at 1-800265-5656, ext. 306, or email prosperity@ landscapeontario.com, or go to www.horttrades.com/prosperity. Jacki Hart may be reached at prosperitypartners@landscapeontario.com.

Employee Management Tools available to companies in the Prosperity Partners program • Attention to Detail Checklist Maintenance • Daily Planner • Drivers Agreement • Employee Checklist - Orientation • Employee Contract Sample • Employee Timecard • Employment Offer Template • HR - Employee Handbook • HR - Employee Orientation and Training • HR - Employee Performance Review • Performance Appraisal Master Personnel • Roles and Responsibilities • Sample Equipment - Uniform Checklist • Sample Exterior Practical Training Checklist • Supervisor Competency

ADVERTISERS COMPANY

PAGE

PHONE

WEBSITE

Canadale Nurseries

519-631-1008

Hillen Nursery Inc

4-5 519-264-9057

www.canadale.com

Kobes Nursery

905-263-8814

www.kobesnurseries.com

Landscape Safety

877-482-2323

www.landscapesafety.com

Legends Landscape Supply Inc

905-336-3369

www.landscapestore.ca

St. Thomas

Limestone Trail Company Ltd

905-563-8133

www.limestonetrail.com

Newroads National Leasing

416-587-1021

www.newroadsleasing.com

“ Taking the

Potters Road Nursery Inc

519-688-0437

www.pottersroadnursery.com

Riverbend Farms (Ontario) Ltd

519-765-2130 riverbendfarms@amtelecom.net

Sipkens Nurseries Ltd

866-843-0438

www.sipkensnurseries.com

Stam Nurseries

519-424-3350

www.stamsnurseries.com

Uxbridge Nurseries Ltd

905-655-3379

www.uxbridgenurseries.com

Winkelmolen Nursery Ltd

519-647-3912

www.winkelmolen.com

Zander Sod Co Ltd

877-727-2100

www.zandersod.com

Hetty Teuber

Owner, Silverthorn Landscape Supplies,

Prosperity seminar is helping me to become the type of leader/business owner I want to be. It opened my eyes to new and better ways of running a business.”

www.horttrades.com/prosperity

Attention Independent Garden Centres:

CANADALE NURSERIES

wants to help you thrive in the new economy, here’s how: In 2012, your customers will be looking for deals more than ever, Let us help you plan your sale schedule in the winter. Use our Great Sale Plants to plan your weekly sale schedule. You need a Plan to be successful this coming year more than ever! Don’t count on unknown last minute sales.

Differentiate Yourself by Offering Unique Plants! In 2012, set yourself apart with unique plant material. Your customers will still want new and unique plants to make their yards their own. Canadale can help with its Specialty, Unique and New plant lists.

Let us Help You! With years of experience, let us help you to plan your success for next year. We’d love to sit down with you to discuss your plant needs for the entire gardening season of 2012. Call and set up an appointment.

NEW

012 rn a2 o dale f a E2XPO NEfW r o m C G SHRUBS 0 1 IN

S TION ODUC TR aEleORDINARY T IN d a N n E a C & RE o m C FROM TH

FLOW

SPECIALTY PLANTS

frSELF APART

for Spr ing 201 2

SET YOURSELF APART

T YOUR

anese

n Jap Moo Autumn

SALE PL AN TS

ar ord Ced

Whipch

rance

FOR SPRIN

G 2012

Daphne

l Frag

Eterna

WITH UNIQUE, RARE

AND SPECIALTY PLANTS

la Weige Wine 2-3’ blooms

GREAT

Maple

pink ed Semi dwarfpleform leaves, es Spill • k pur e & Ros r Qty • Dar rf Win .50 • A dwa m $12

Orde

a ange

2G 30c

Hydr blooms er & Ice e to red grow Firer Qty • Largedy,whitsturdycolo ur Orde

• Har NEW at • Gre m

$15.00

3G 30c

Wolf Eyes Chinese Dogwood

ress oki Cyp

n Hin

PURCHA SE

Chirime e

ut Ros

cko ble Kno Dou

wood Gold

Rush

Dawn

Red

rangea rry Hyd Strawbe Vanilla

rangea bing Hyd ted Clim

ega nda Vari Mira le se Map Japane Sunset Oregon

Bristol Cone Pine

Japanese Umbrella Pine

THESE SA LE PL ANTS Create a week TO: ly sale progr am for next Creat

spring NOW e traffic flow ! in your sale plants, business next year by offering week and still achie Be competitive ly ve full marg in! with the Box Stores by offeri ng great week Order today, first come, ly sales! first Prices are Net,

served, Plants shipp while quantities last. ed prior to June 1.

Phone: 519. 631.1008

Little r Qty Orde

ange Hydr light Lime Limrfeform of colo ur • Dwa flower at mer • Gre lific bloo$12.50 • Pro

2G 30c

se ckout n Ro t of Kno e Ru single, sporstant Hom • True red ase resi r Qty

Orde

Fax: 519.631. 0818

Daub’s Frosted Juniper Standard

18 31.08 519.6 Fax:

y dise mer • Ver eat bloo$12.50 • Rep m

ries dale

Domingo Pine

Weeping White Spruce

Venus Hybrid Flowering Dogwood

Briggs Moonlight Daphne Specimen

31.10 9.6 e: 51

2G 30c

Ltd.

Phon

Canadale Nurseries Ltd.

Phone: 519.631.1008 Fax: 519.631.0818

269 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ontario N5R 3C4 Phone: (519) 631-1008 Fax: (519) 631-0818 E-mail: tji@canadale.com

Nurse

Cana

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 67

68 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO DECEMBER, 2011