Landscape Ontario - April 2019

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

HortTrades.com • APRIL 2019

GREEN profession is

PINK

WOMEN IN HORTICULTURE: A good news story gets better PAGE 4

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LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

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LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

April, 2019 • Volume 37 - No. 4 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 profession in Ontario.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Feature 4 Women in Landscaping 6 Canada Blooms 8 Canada Blooms Awards and Volunteers

Departments 10 15 16 17 18 21 26

Association News Events Scholarship Profile New Members Professional News Columns Advertisers

Editor Robert Ellidge rellidge@landscapeontario.com, 647-722-5645 Multimedia designer/IT coordinator Mike Wasilewski mikew@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5343 Account integrater Greg Sumsion gsumsion@landscapeontario.com, 647-722-6977 Communications coordinator Angela Lindsay alindsay@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5305 Accountant Joe Sabatino jsabatino@landscapeontario.com, 647-724-8585 Publisher Lee Ann Knudsen CLM lak@landscapeontario.com, 416-848-7557

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO STAFF Darryl Bond, Amy Buchanan, Kim Burton, Tony DiGiovanni CHT, Denis Flanagan CLD, Cassandra Garrard, J. Alex Gibson, Meghan Greaves, Sally Harvey CLT CLM CAE, Keri MacIvor, Heather MacRae, Kathy McLean, Kathleen Pugliese, John Russell, Ian Service, Myscha Stafford, Tom Somerville, David Turnbull, Lissa Schoot Uiterkamp, Martha Walsh,

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Department Landscape Ontario 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton, ON L9T 2X8 Canada Phone: 905-875-1805 ISSN 1928-9553 Publications Mail Agreement No. PM40013519 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 2019, reproduction or the use of whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited. Published 11x 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

Time to connect the dots

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We are having trouble attracting and keeping new people in our profession.

The strategies we are identifying and the groundwork being laid will start to provide the framework to attract and retain more staff.

The harsh reality of low wages and the seasonal nature of our work is something that we, as employers need to start to discuss and fix. Recently, I read some very interesting comments on Facebook via LO’s private Peer to Peer Network forum (if you have not joined Peer to Peer you should). One of the members simply asked what rates others were charging clients for labour. As you can imagine, the rates were all over the map. One response correctly pointed out that if you pay your staff low, your rates would be low as well. Bingo!

One way to fire up a conversation with the owner of a landscape company is to point out our charge out rates on average are much lower than other trades — even though we pull up to the curb with at least $100,000 worth equipment. Maybe the focus of our discussions should start with what our staff should rightly be paid.

To do this, we will need to first look at other trades. They too, face the same issue. They need more people to keep up with the demand for their services. They are our competition. They are not seasonal.

Thus is the challenge we face. Solutions will not happen overnight, we need to start the discussions and take up the challenge as a whole. As Tim Kearney once said, “We need to connect the dots.”

y comments last issue about the way our profession is perceived by those outside our community garnered a fair bit of feedback from some Landscape Ontario members. One particular comment I received, although very sarcastic, also had a lot of truth to it: • Work in the greenhouse environment where machines set your pace, and you get to do mind-numbing, back searing work in stifling heat, until a bell goes off to give you a 10 minute break.

• Work long and hard during the beautiful time of year and get laid-off as soon as the snow flies, the spring crop is finished in the greenhouse, or traffic slows in the garden centre.

• Get paid minimum wage to start, and when you hit your peak 20 -30 years down the road, make less than the average starting wage in manufacturing or trade employment.

The hard truth is that our profession works hard. Our work is seasonal and earnings are not on par with other similar professions.

As an industry, we are feeling the impact of these realities as we all scramble to find staff to meet the demand for our services.

Fortunately, with members from across the province recently engaged in our update of the association’s Strategic Plan, many discussions have already taken place on how to begin to fix our largest, most limiting issue: staffing.

Warren Patterson LO President

warrenpatterson@barriegardencentre.com

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LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

Women, landscaping

AND OPPORTUNITY

By Allan Dennis

Harvey is also a board member of the Ontario College and Trades.

She says that landscaping shines above many of the other trades, with a rate of 30 per cent females employed in the industry. “We are ahead of other industries in terms of apprenticeship,” says Harvey.

In the U.S, just 11 per cent of the industry is female. According to Tammy Evans, President of Canadian Women in Construction, “Women comprise 11 per cent of people employed in the construction industry. Of that 11 per cent, only four per cent are actually ‘on the tools’ and in the past ten years, this number has changed by less than one per cent.”

Like many other skilled trades, the landscaping industry has been a bastion of men.

That’s changing. Over the past number of years, more and more women are entering the arena previously dominated by men.

Rod McDonald, whose column has appeared in Landscape Trades for the past number of years, owned and operated a successful garden centre/landscape firm in Regina, Sask. He recalled his first experience hiring a woman. “In 1980, when I first hired Heather, the guys of my crew were a little taken aback that their supervisor was to be a woman. But they got over that hurdle, and surprisingly, it didn’t take them that long.”

There are many similar stories like this one over the past couple of decades. Now, women are a part of the trade. “When I speak at a conference, many of the faces are now female,” writes McDonald.

Part of the reason for more women coming to landscaping is the shortage of skilled workers. Many industries have realized it is time to get past the stereotypes and employ a more diverse workforce.

In sectors like construction, where the demand for skilled workers is highest, companies are actively recruiting women to fill open positions.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has reported that by the year 2020, Canada will be short one million trades workers.

London advocacy group

In response to more women coming into the industry, and as an encouragement for more females to examine landscaping as a career, a new organization, Women in Landscaping, was formed in 2018.

Carla Bailey, of TLC Landscaping in London, Ont., who also serves as a member of the Landscape Ontario London Chapter, is co-founder of Women in Landscaping.

“Many young females see the industry as not attractive for work and lifestyle,” says Bailey. “They think that they will be laid off for four months, with low pay and no benefits. We need to educate them that working in the landscape industry isn’t about low pay, layoffs, etc.” As well, Bailey says many girls are intimidated by large equipment, while boys tend to naturally get into it.

Bailey says not only are more women coming into the industry, they are staying. “It is especially true of those people who are welleducated. We encourage women to begin the process of networking with others in the industry. This is a must if you are going to survive in this industry.”

Women in Landscaping is led by four leaders in the profession: Carla Bailey; Pam Cook, Fanshawe College; Michelle Peeters, Ron

Ahead of other trades

Sally Harvey, Director of Education and Labour at Landscape Ontario, is one of the earliest females to work in landscaping as both an employee and business owner. “I have seen good progress over the years. With 54 per cent of the population, there is still work required to increase females in all trades,” Harvey comments.

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LANDSCAPE ONTARIO Koudys Landscape Architects; and Riley Irwin, Baseline Nurseries — all from different walks of life.

The organization recently hosted its spring shindig on March 22 at the Civic Gardens in London. Dianna Clarke, Manager of Parks Operations for the City of London, was this year’s keynote speaker. “The event also featured extraordinary women in the industry who shared what it means to be a woman in our industry yesterday and today,” says Bailey.

Women in Landscaping is very appreciative of sponsors for the spring event, and thanks Grand River Stone for being a champion of women in the industry.

At the inaugural event last year, over 30 professionals and educators heard keynote speaker, Sally Harvey, speak about her entrepreneurial path and extensive background within the profession. Following Harvey’s address, it was reported that “a lively roundtable and panel discussions produced engaging conversations about common concerns of women in the profession.”

Bailey recalls seven years ago when she worked with women having difficulties in landscaping. She says those difficulties are slowly disappearing.

“I want everyone to understand that we are not anti-men,” says Bailey. “We are working to encourage more women to enter the industry. We also encourage women now in the industry to act as mentors.”

Pam Cook, an instructor at Fanshawe College’s horticulture program, says, “Each industry member is different. There are great owners who understand and are willing to increase numbers of female staff members.”

She notes that women tend to be more conscious of safety issues compared to men.

Both Carla Bailey and Pam Cook said their advice to women is to be more assertive in both company and association meetings.

“Know your self-worth,” they say.

Language outdated

In her March 2018 monthly column in Landscape Ontario magazine, Myscha Stafford, LO Membership and Chapter Coordinator, wrote about the culture or work environment on job sites in regard to women.

The column contained words by Kristal MacMillan, Operations Manager at Christine’s Touch Gardening in Toronto. “I think the common language of our profession is outdated, sexist, and is a catalyst for behaviours. I think a lot of behaviours are implicit and done subconsciously. Awareness and change at the highest levels are essential to make an effective and lasting change in our profession and to get on track to a more level playing field.”

MacMillan highlighted some of the meth-

ods her company uses. “By language, I mean the use of the following terms: man-hour and foreman for example. In our company, we have always used the terms labour-hour and crew leader or supervisor. It is commonplace in our company to use non-gender specific terms and all of our systems are set up to reflect this so that it quickly becomes the common language for our entire team.”

Pay equity

Another issue is part of the greater wage disparity that exists between men and women in all levels of employment. Women working full-time earn 24 per cent less than their male counterparts.

The Canadian government’s policy is, “Pay equity is not the same thing as equal pay for equal work. The concept of equal pay for equal work means that people who perform the same job, or similar work, must be paid the same wage, regardless of their gender. For example, a female janitor and a male janitor in the same establishment should receive the same wages for performing the same work. Pay equity refers to the concept of equal pay for work of equal value. It adds a new dimension to the concept of equal pay for equal work by requiring that jobs within an establishment be compared on the basis of their value to the employer. In other words, pay equity does not limit comparisons to similar work but requires the comparison of very different jobs, such as a female clerical job with a male janitor, or female lab technician job with a male carpenter.”

The Ontario government has legislation called the Pay Equity Act to ensure that employers pay women and men equal pay for work of equal value. This means that men and women must receive equal pay for performing jobs that may be very different but are of equal or comparable value. The value of jobs is based on the levels of skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions involved in doing the work.

Attracting high school students

There are a number of groups working to attract females to the landscaping industry.

One such event occurs this May in Edmonton, Alta., with the Girls Exploring Trades and Technologies Conference. High school girls will talk with certified tradeswomen, apprentices and technology experts who have pursued rewarding careers. Through these women’s stories, experiences and knowledge, students will be motivated to pursue trades as a career.

Last year, nearly 300 young women from grade seven to 12 participated in the first-

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ever Women in Trades Experiential Learning Day at Kemptville College in Kemptville, Ont. The hands-on learning experience was hosted by Landscape Ontario, Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) and Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario. The goal of the pilot project was to better engage and provide positive experiences for youth exploring various career pathways.

The Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program offers horticulture to high school students. There are presently 24 schools providing the program in Ontario.

Record of leadership

A look at the 46-year history of Landscape Ontario shows two women have served as president of the association: Monica van Maris in 1987 and Joan Johnston in 2000.

In 2017, the inaugural Monica van Maris Green Professionals Woman of Influence Award was presented by Landscape Ontario and Toronto Botanical Garden to its namesake in recognition of her pioneering achievements as a green professional.

In her acceptance remarks, van Maris, a longstanding volunteer reflected on her role to encourage more women to participate in green industry leadership, “since they were already such essential contributors to their family businesses.”

A survey of Landscape Ontario chapter boards and sector groups reveals there is still much effort required to encourage women to take on more leadership roles. Most chapter boards have mostly men serving in leadership roles, while the 11 sector groups overall have even fewer women.

The exceptions to this are found in Georgian Lakelands and London Chapters, where women are in the majority. In sector groups, the pattern follows with the designers’ group having more women serve on its board than all other sector groups combined.

If the number of females receiving scholarships over the past few years is an indication, more and more women should be moving into positions of influence within the landscaping industry.

Over the past 10 years, the Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation has awarded over $330,000 in scholarships to students pursuing a career in the green profession.

Nearly half of those scholarships have been awarded to females.

Regardless of gender, the staggering statistic of a one million worker shortfall as early as next year, means more work is required to attract and retain workers from all walks of life to the landscape profession.

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

Families get a taste of spring at The 23rd edition of Canada Blooms, the Toronto flower and garden festival, was held March 8-17 at the Enercare Centre in Toronto, Ont. Co-located with the National Home Show, this year’s edition provided inspiration and ideas to the theme, “A Family Affair!”

Jonas Spring, owner of Ecoman in Toronto, was one of over a dozen Landscape Ontario members who built a feature garden at the 10-day festival.

Titled, “Cliff City,” Ecoman’s garden featured tall, concrete columns, with cutouts that housed various lesser-known and underused types of native plant material.

The garden garnered a lot of attention from visitors to the event.

Spring says one of the main reasons for participating in the event is access to a captive audience of visitors and industry members to bounce ideas off of. “If you can’t explain your idea, no matter how outside the box, and people don’t get it, then it’s not a good idea,” Spring explains.

“Cliff City” is basically an ecological reference. “Buildings are cliffs,” Spring explains. “Buildings are bones with no skin.

They keep the rain out and protect people, but in this day and age we need buildings to

produce oxygen, provide habitat, and interact with the environment in a more complex way, well beyond what humans need to just live inside of it.”

Spring says one of his goals at the event is to promote the ecological reference to others in the profession as a “practical tool to use local plants, native plants as part of their design.”

Over at the Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) display, Paul Zammit, Nancy Eaton Director of Horticulture, is a Canada Blooms

The concept of Ecoman’s “Cliff City” garden is that basically buildings are cliffs.

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veteran. Zammit says the thing he loves most about participating in Canada Blooms is watching how the gardens come together and meeting with the people who are there to enjoy them.

“A lot of people don’t know that Toronto has a botanical garden,” Zammit says, so a main reason for participating is to raise awareness of that fact and the many offerings the TBG has.

Zammit says the education centre on the other side of the TBG display is really what it’s all about. “Our real mandate is connecting people to nature education. That is a real focus.” TBG offers many classes for all levels of gardeners, plus many designed just for kids and Zammit hopes to offer more programs in the future that allow both kids and adults to participate together.

A new floral competition also attracted a lot of attention at Canada Blooms this year.

A mix of 12 amateur and professional florists were invited to compete for a $1,000 cash prize and the title of Canada Blooms Floral Artist of the Year. Participants were given a box of identical materials and a just a few short hours to build their creations in front of visitors.

Organizer, Jennifer Harvey, CFD, of the Canadian Academy of Floral Arts (CAFA) says putting up some real prize money resulted in some serious competition. Other major flower and garden show around the world include a similar type of competition, explains Harvey. “You have to fly all over the world to get this type of competition and I wanted to bring it to Toronto and build the reputation for Canada Blooms.” Congratulations to Bruno Duarte, 2019 Canada Blooms Floral Artist of the Year.

For a list of feature garden winners, see page 8.

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

Harry Gelderman (left) works with Mohawk College Apprentices during a pre-build at the college.

Students and pros promote career paths at Canada Blooms Mohawk College apprentices showcased their skills and talent by teaming up with Gelderman Landscape Services (GLS) to create a feature garden at Canada Blooms 2019.

Level one and two Horticultural Technician Red Seal Apprentices cut and installed paving stones, constructed a wood pergola, planted trees and shrubs and more to create the “Heirs of Horticulture” feature garden at the country’s largest garden and flower festival, which ran March 7-18 at the Enercare Centre in Toronto.

The group of some 30 apprenticeship students were led by program instructors, Terry Murphy, Harry Gelderman, Andrew McCarty and Spencer McCansen. Designed by GLS landscape designer, Chelsea Mills, the garden was created with support from Landscape Ontario and the Government of Ontario.

While the project gave students a chance to work as a team and learn new skills, its goal was also to inspire visitors to the festival and to highlight the many career paths the profession has to offer.

“It’s been a challenge for a long time for landscaping to be seen as a serious industry and a career by the public,” explains Harry Gelderman, Mohawk College instructor and GLS landscape design and sales manager. “The apprenticeship program and being a red seal trade can really make a difference to educate people that there are great career opportunities in landscaping.”

Gelderman added, “And the program is valuable to both the students who get involved, because it provides a pathway to advance their career, as well as to employers because we get more knowledgeable and skilled staff.”

Gelderman works with apprentices in the classroom as well as in the field with his business, and he sees firsthand the difference it makes.

Student garden Alex Batey Amanda Goddard Amanda Murray Brent Wursten Bryan Jamieson Carey Huffman Carter McGregor

“I really believe it’s important to promote the educational opportunities in our profession,” Gelderman said. “Yes, we can teach you in the field, but it’s not enough. You do need the technical training as well as the classroom learning to understand what you are doing and why you are doing it a certain way.”

During Canada Blooms, visitors received handouts that outlined the benefits of apprenticeship.

“Apprenticeship programs are postsecondary programs that support the development of individuals who want to pursue a career in a trade profession, including the Horticultural Technician program,” the handouts stated. “The Horticultural Technician Red Seal program provides apprentices with a mix of on-the-job training and mentorship, combined with in-school experiential learning at local colleges. From the design through to construction, students worked first hand with instructors, (some of whom are employer sponsors), to take the landscape plan and build it for all to enjoy at Blooms. The skills and knowledge passed onto these students by their instructors and employers, will enable the creation of many gardens and landscapes that will remain as legacies for communities far in to the future.”

The Heirs of Horticulture was supported by: Permacon, Niagara Pallet, Turf Care, Illumicare, Sheridan Nurseries, and Select Stone.

BUILDERS Jacob Mark Jacob McKendry Jayden Petter Jesse Hancock John Michael Annibale Neil Roth Nicole Ponte

Collin O’Sullivan Dan Wanders Danielle Orlando David Rustenburg Derek Goodwin Ethan Brandt Jacob Hansen

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Paul Yoshioka Ronna-Lee Orlando Stephen Moore Sydney Caerels Thomas VanAmerongen Tristan Collins Tyler Maciulis

Canada BloomsLANDSCAPE 2019 ONTARIO

FEATURE GARDEN BUILDER AWARDS

DPR Landscapes Do up the Doorstep: Hanging Out with the Family • Outstanding Use of Pre-Cast Pavers, presented by Humber College.

Landscape by Evergreen Tranquility for the Family • Outstanding Use of Trees, presented by Gro-Bark.

• Best Use of Landscape Lighting, presented

by Landscape Ontario Lighting Sector Group.

• Outstanding Use of Annuals and/or Perennials, presented by Proven Winners .

Aquaspa Pools & Landscape Design, and Royal Stone Landscaping and Design.

Members of the landscape and horticulture profession gathered at the Enercare Centre in downtown Toronto for Canada Blooms Industry Awards Night on March 14.

The evening event, sponsored by HUB International and Aviva, provides a timely prespring venue for landscape pros to network and socialize, while also recognizing the creativity, imagination and skills of companies who built feature gardens at the 10-day festival.

At the event, Tony DiGiovanni, Landscape Ontario Executive Director, welcomed those gathered around the Unilock Celebrity Stage, followed by some words by Canada Blooms General Manager, Terry Caddo. Winners were then announced for each of the various categories, and invited to the stage to receive their award. Thanks to LO president, Warren Patterson, and Canada Blooms co-chairs, Janet Ennamorato and Judy Zinni for helping to present the awards.

Congratulations to the following companies: Mountainhill Landscape Hortus Familia Canadensis The Canadian Family Garden • The Dig Safe Builders Award, presented by Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance.

• The Most Accessible Garden Award.

Greer Design Group Boreal-US • The Unilock Award for Outstanding Garden Small Size.

J. Garfield Thompson Landscape A Japanese Touch • The S. G. Ulbright Award for Outstanding Garden Medium Size, • The Landscape Ontario Award for Best Overall Quality of Workmanship, presented by HUB International.

• The Ontario Association of Landscape Architects Award.

• The Tony DiGiovanni Canada Blooms Judge’s Choice Award for Best Overall Garden.

City of Toronto, Plants it’s a Family Affair • Outstanding Use of Interior Plants, presented by Ontario Flower Growers Cooperative.

• The PremierTech Award for Best Overall Use of Plant Material, presented by PremierTech.

Ecoman Cliff City • Most Imaginative Garden Design, presented by Mark’s Choice.

• Outstanding Use of Natural Stone, presented by Beaver Valley Stone.

Landscape Ontario, Wentworth Landscapes and Come Alive Outside Green Streets Play Zone • Outstanding Interpretation of Show Theme, presented by Isuzu Commercial Truck of Canada.

• The Garden Club of Toronto Award for Best Overall Use of Colour.

Aquaspa Pools & Landscape Design, and Royal Stone Landscaping and Design The Royal Stone Group Family • Outstanding Outdoor Entertainment Area.

Green Art Landscape Design Garden Re-Mix • Outstanding Use of Artistic Elements in a Garden, presented by Kooy Bros.

• The Do Up The Backstep Award, Presented by Oaks Landscape Products.

Genoscape and Landscape Ontario Fusion Garden • Outstanding Educational Garden (for students).

• The Leslie L. Solty Memorial Award for Best Overall Creativity in Garden Design.

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BB Pools and Landscaping Enjoy Every Minute of Life • The Gordon A. MacEachern Award for Outstanding Garden, Large Size.

• Outstanding Use of Structures Award.

• Outstanding Use of Living Space, presented by University of Guelph.

• The W.E. Bridgeman Award for Best Overall Use of Hard Landscape Elements.

Jackson Pond Gathering by the Pond • The Perry Molema Award for Outstanding Use of Water, presented by Aquascape.

Flattery Design Mayfair House • Outstanding Use of Walkways.

Expertrees Spa Garden • Best Use of Bulbs Award, presented by Pioneer Flower Farm.

Gelderman Landscape Services, Landscape Ontario, Mohawk College Apprenticeship students Heirs of Horticulture • Outstanding Use of Innovative Elements in a Garden, presented by Van Belle Nursery.

Aka Designs and MBL Landscaping The Domino Effect • The Do Up The Doorstep Award, presented

by Oaks Landscape Products.

Aka Designs and MBL Landscaping Colour of Love • The Best Balcony Garden.

AVK Nursery • Supplier of the Year, Soft Landscape Products.

Aquaspapools • Supplier of the Year, Hard Landscape Products.

A VIDEO TOUR OF EACH FEATURE GARDEN IS BEING RELEASED WEEKLY ON THE LANDSCAPE ONTARIO YOUTUBE CHANNEL AT

youtube.com/ landscapeontario

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

Volunteers help to make Canada Blooms 2019

A SUCCESS

For over two decades, Landscape Ontario members and students have volunteered their time and expertise to help run Canada Blooms. The 10-day festival that celebrates gardening, landscaping and floriculture would not enjoy the success it has today if not for the countless hours of hundreds of volunteers behind the scenes. Thank you to the following individuals and companies who helped to assist with Landscape Ontario’s feature gardens at Canada Blooms.

Fusion Garden volunteers

Adele Pierre, Adele Pierre Landscape Architect Ron Sikkema, BP Enterprises Janet Ennamorato, Creative Garden Designs Margaret Abernethy, Cypress Hill Design & Build Richard Portelance, Cypress Hill Design & Build Connie Cadotte, Garden Retreats Siamak Bay, GreenBay Northern Colin Nasmith, Genoscape Sharon Carlson, International Landscaping Rob Crysdale, Landcare Mihaela Dumitrica, Landcare Skai Leja, Skai Leja Landscape Design

J. Garfield Thompson Landscape

Student volunteers from the Seneca College Environmental Landscape Management Program: Monique Bezuyen Kit Byrne Connor Ralph Danielle Swaine Zhan Wang Jaqueline White

Green Art Landscape Design

Green Streets Play Zone

Destiny Lacasse, Niagara Parks School of Horticulture Paul Wiench, Humber College Daniel Domingues, Aquaman Irrigation Morgan and Matt Robertson, Verdant Landscaping Adrianna Prymicz, Humber College Peter and Emily Bride, Lan Design Tristan Collins, Apprentice at Gelderlands Matt Ramsay, The Perennial Gardener Caressa Lahaie, Humber College Partners: Unilock, Turf Care, Maglin Site Furniture, Wentworth Landscapes, Landscape Ontario, Picton Home Hardware, Niagara Parks School of Horticulture, City of Toronto Parks Forestry and Recreation, City of Barrie, First Adventure Child Development Centres, Greenhorizons Sod Farms, Vissers Nursery & Sod Farm, The Backyard Urban Farm Co (BUFCO), Fanshawe College, Pro-Mix, Seed Survivor

by Nutrien.

BB Pools and Landscaping

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LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

ASSOCIATION NEWS Arborist group recognizes Tony DiGiovanni with award

Tony DiGiovanni, Landscape Ontario Executive Director, was presented with the Honourary Life Associate Award (formerly Life Member Award) from the International Society of Arboriculture Ontario (ISAO) on Feb. 21, 2019.

DiGiovanni received the award at the ISAO’s 70th annual Educational Conference and Tradeshow, held Feb. 20-22 in Windsor, Ont. The award is given to individuals in recognition of many years of hard work and dedication to promote and advance the ideas of arboriculture and urban forestry within Ontario.

At the event, ISAO’s Arthur Beauregard (pictured at right with DiGiovanni above), Chair Governance and Policy and Procedure Committee, provided a breakdown of Landscape Ontario initiatives led by DiGiovanni, including trade shows, seminars and magazine.

In addition to his role at Landscape Ontario, DiGiovanni was also recognized for his role as Executive Director of the Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation — a charitable entity which has distributed over $250,000 in scholarships and millions of dollar worth of research support since its inception. DiGiovanni’s involvement and leadership in Canada Blooms, the Integrated Pest Management Council and Highway of Heroes Living Tribute campaign were also cited.

“I have known Tony for decades and

worked with him often,” Beauregard told the crowd leading up to the award presentation. “Over the years, I have observed that Tony’s defining skill and contribution is his ability to bring people together in common cause for community, business and environmental benefit. He walks the walk, setting a superb example of congeniality, understanding and teamwork.”

Beauregard gave a concrete example: “At a time when the ISAO was going through challenging times in the mid2000’s, Tony made available resources through Landscape Ontario to ease the way. The ISAO’s partnership with LO continues to this day. Because of this partnership the members of ISAO enjoy a very advantageous membership benefits program; the value of expert staff shared by LO with ISAO; special access to Canada’s largest horticultural trade show — among many other benefits.

“Tony has a passion for growing a prosperous, professional, ethical, recognized and valued horticultural industry. He has extended his passion to ISAO as well as a great number of other groups and organizations.

“The ISAO continues to benefit from a good working relationship with undoubtedly the most effective, if most humble, leader of horticulture and all things environmental in Ontario, if not Canada.”

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Seminars generate off-site energy “Why are we even doing this?” Landscape Ontario Seminar Coordinator, Kathy McLean had grave doubts about running a 2018/2019 education program while the association’s home office was being gutted and renovated. Dedicated to providing training opportunities, LO’s education team forged ahead anyway, to offer an ambitious program of winter seminars.

McLean has been pleased with the season’s success. Most seminars took place at Milton hotels, and practical sessions were held in greenhouse space at home office.

“Registration was very good; our students want the sessions, and look for them,” said McLean. “The hotels came to understand our groove and have worked out well.

Everybody has taken it in stride.” She said bad weather in February posed challenges, but she was forced to cancel only two or three seminars out of about 100.

As is typical with LO’s education efforts, the offerings generated great feedback from participants. One 10-year veteran of the profession did not expect to hear much new material, and was gratified to learn much more than expected. Of the classroom-style sessions offered at hotels, one topic generating a lot of interest was perennials. There was also keen interest from professionals in a day-and-a-half course on growing vegetables, taught

by Jodi Healy of Mohawk College. Jeff McMann’s grounds management series drew close to 40 people. According to McLean, networking remains one of the most valuable advantages provided by professional development.

Some people did get lost, according to McLean, adding they often have trouble finding LO’s Fifth Line site during normal times. She went to the extra effort of emailing course locations to participants ahead of this year’s sessions, and urges participants to always check the website for course locations. All green professionals are invited to look for next year’s offerings in the Professional Development Guide coming in October.

McLean looks forward to moving back to a renovated home office. “Maybe we can broaden the scope of education, and maybe offer more during the fall or summer.”

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

Snow didn’t stop the Grounds Management Lecture event Lionhead Golf and Conference Centre in Brampton, Ont., was home to the Landscape Ontario Grounds Management Lecture Event on Feb. 27. Produced by LO’s Grounds Management Sector Group, the annual event provided participants with valuable information on a wide range of important topics led by green professionals, plus several networking opportunities via refreshment and lunch breaks.

The day began with Brent Giles, Clintar Commercial Outdoor Services, offering an overview of handheld battery powered equipment. Next, Jennifer Llewellyn, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), provided an engaging presentation on current plant health issues, plus how to diagnose them and how to manage and prevent them for healthier landscapes. One attendee commented, “I learned about oak wilt and some other plant pests I was not aware of,” and listed the session as ‘the most memorable/valuable thing I saw/heard/ experienced today.’

Vince Borgdorff, president of WPE Landscape Equipment, rounded off the morning with an information session on the ease, cost, and risk of not performing regular equipment maintenance. After lunch, Constable Vito Pedano, Peel Regional Police, provided an important session on commercial vehicle safety and crime prevention. One attendee shared, “I really appreciated all the lectures. I was especially looking forward to the Peel Police part. So much more we need to know!”

Rodger Tschanz, Trial Garden Manager at the University of Guelph, reported on highlights from Ontario’s 2018 trial garden season. The educational programming concluded with John Gaydos, Proven Winners, who shared new plants that will meet client’s expectations and provide beauty and enjoyment with a minimum amount of maintenance.

A first-time attendee stated, “For my first lecture I thought it was really good. I want to learn more now!”

Thank-you to the event partners, WPE Landscape Equipment, Eloquip Target Specialty Products, Duke Distribution and Bobcat of Toronto.

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LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

Eden Tree Design presented with coveted award Congratulations to Landscape Ontario member, Eden Tree Design of Toronto, Ont., corecipient of the 2019 Casey van Maris Award.

The award is given to the project with the highest marks for execution of unique and innovative design in landscaping among all entries in the annual Landscape Ontario Awards of Excellence program.

Pictured (l-r) are Tony DiGiovanni, LO Executive Director; Eden’s Josip Krsnik, Landscape Architect; and owner, Scott McCuaig.

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LANDSCAPE ONTARIO Exposition managers recognize MacRae

Heather MacRae, Landscape Ontario Trade Show Manager, was recognized by the Canadian Association of Exposition Managers (CAEM), as the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year for 2019.

The award was presented at the organization’s 2019 Awards of Excellence, held Feb. 28 at the Four Points by Sheraton Toronto Airport.

MacRae was nominated for the award based on her outstanding voluntary contribution to CAEM. All nominees put forth for the award were reviewed by the organization’s Nominating Committee and then selected by the Board of Directors.

In her acceptance speech, MacRae acknowledged the many volunteers within the association and described her volunteering experience as the “greatest free education possible.”

MacRae also thanked her family and the team at Landscape Ontario for their support.

In memoriam — Hendrika van Wissen Hendrika (Riekie) van Wissen passed away on Mar. 6, due to complications related to Parkinson’s. She was 81.

Beloved wife of over 50 years of the late John van Wissen, who passed away in 2012, Hendrika is survived by her children: John (Sylvie), Margi, and Grace (Steve). Oma is fondly remembered by her grandchildren: Josée, Erik, Jake, Ellyssa, Matthew and Victoria.

Hendrika was a woman of many gifts and talents. She was a gymnast, long-time gymnastics coach and judge, librarian’s assistant. The van Wissens operated John van Wissen Nurseries and Garden Centre in Brampton, Ont. Stoic until the end, van Wissen exemplified strength, faith and perseverance by first nursing her husband through his long illness while battling her own Parkinson’s for 25 years.

Donations to your local Parkinson’s Society would be appreciated by the family.

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LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

Ski and Spa Day participants enjoyed great conditions on Feb. 7.

Georgian Lakelands Chapter Ski and Spa Day well supported Landscape Ontario’s Georgian Lakelands Chapter held its annual Ski and Spa Day at Craigleith Ski Club and Scandinave Spa in The Blue Mountains, Ont., on Feb. 7.

Over 30 landscape pros attended the fun and relaxing day that has become a signature event organized by chapter members for over two decades.

The day provides attendees with the option to ski, relax at the spa, or split the day doing both.

A number of sponsors help support the event, providing everything from transportation to food to prizes for the various contests held throughout the day.

At the end of the day, participants and organizers gathered for the Après Ski party, where various prizes were handed out and participating sponsors were recognized.

The Georgian Lakelands Chapter would like to thank sponsors for their support: Draglam Salt, Event Sponsor; Intrigue Media Solutions, Breakfast Sponsor; Kawartha Custom Cut Stone, Lunch Sponsor; Synlawn, Lunch Sponsor; Pro-Power Canada, Après Ski Host; Bobcat of Barrie, Race Sponsor; and Mike Jackson GM, Transportation Sponsor.

Congratulations to the following prize winners: Leah Beadle of M&S Architecture won a silver necklace door prize, donated by The Diamond Studio in Thornbury. Jackson Martin of Gro-Bark won a planter and a rabbit’s foot fern door prize, donated by Lechuza in Mississauga.

Thanks also to the following companies that contributed to the prize table: Connon

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NVK donated two Sneeboer hand tools and a toiletries bag, Techniseal donated a Structure Bond Prize Pack, Ladybird Garden Designs donated a one-of-a-kind maple syrup made in Beaver Valley, and Garden Holistics provided coffee cup sleeves.

In memoriam — Paul Windover With family by his side, Paul Frederick Windover passed away March 22.

He was 78.

Paul was the second generation operator of Windover Nurseries in Petrolia, Ont., a member of Landscape Ontario’s London Chapter since 1973. Paul was also a charter member of Ontario Nursery Trades Association (ONTA), where he was named Junior Nurserymen of the year in 1973.

Paul will be missed by his wife of 57 years, Jean (nee Oriet). He will be lovingly missed by children: Ira (Elsie) Windover and Carrie Farmer, grandchildren Lindsay and Brian Pitts, Greg Farmer, Clive Windover, Brandy and Dan Martin. Paul was predeceased by his parents, Joseph (1992) and Ruth (1985), his brother, Lloyd (2010) and his wife, Ruth Ann (2016). He is survived by Lloyd and Ruth Ann’s sons, Jamie, Darcy, Michael, and Corey. He will also be missed by his wife’s siblings, Betty Alderman and Doug Henderson, Fred and Donna Oriet, and Pat and Rob Cumming and their families.

A funeral service was held at St. Paul’s United Church, followed by interment at Hillsdale Cemetery in Petrolia.

As expressions of sympathy, memorial donations may be made to C.E.E. Hospital Foundation at ceefh.ca. Memories and condolences may be shared online at needhamjay.com.

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

EVENTS Full details and registration information for all events can be found online at HortTrades.com/events or at specific chapter or sector pages.

April 30-May 1

Partners in Prevention 2019: Health and Safety Conference and Trade Show International Centre, Mississauga This two-day event by Workplace Safety and Prevention Services includes keynote speakers, a trade show, interactive displays and a full conference program that covers every aspect of workplace safety and wellbeing. Visit WSPS.ca/pip.

May 28

Blossom Party Toronto Botanical Garden, 777 Lawrence Ave. E., Toronto Buy tickets online for this annual event that includes food, cocktails, and live entertainment held in a garden oasis.

Visit TorontoBotanicalGarden.ca.

June 1-2

Cuddy Open Garden and Plant Sale A.M. (Mac) Cuddy Gardens, 28443 Centre Road, Strathroy Stroll the gardens at your leisure, take one of the animated, free garden tours and shop the ever-popular plant sale.

June 7

OPA Foundation Dave Gower Memorial Event

with our Premium Wood Mulches!

Humber Valley Golf Course, Etobicoke LO members are invited to attend and help the OPA Foundation to raise money for scholarships. Details will be posted online at OntarioParksAssociation.ca.

June 8-9

Through The Garden Gate Details are now online for the Toronto Botanical Garden’s annual self-guided garden tour of Toronto’s largest private gardens. Visit TorontoBotanicalGarden.ca for details and tickets.

June 15-23

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Garden Days This nine-day celebration of Canadians love for gardening kicks off with National Gardening Day on June 15. Host an event or attend one in your community. Visit GardenDays.ca.

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LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

SCHOLARSHIP PROFILE

Fueling a passion to help others

Destiny Lacasse

“I love that when I work in a garden, you do get into your own relaxation of working with the plants, hearing nature, being out in the sun, it increases your mood and your positivity.”

For the past few years, Destiny Lacasse has been working toward a career in horticulture therapy.

As a second year student at the Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture, Lacasse received a $2,000 Cullen Family Scholarship earlier this year as part of the Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation’s annual scholarship program.

Now a third-year, Lacasse says the program at Niagara Parks is in many ways a unique and truly priceless opportunity.

One unique aspect of the program is timing. Lacasse explains the school year mimics that of the landscaping season: “Our year starts from March to March, or as I like to say, spring to spring,” explains Lacasse. “It works perfect because as a first year you start with the practical component, so from March to September we are outside maintaining the botanical gardens, and then as the fall hits, we are outside less and less and we transition into our academic studies until March.”

While in high school, Lacasse got wind of a two-year horticulture program offered by the Niagara Catholic District School Board as part of the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program. With a recent interest in gardening and horticulture, Lacasse enrolled in the course. “The course was actually offered on the grounds of the Niagara Parks School of Horticulture property,” Lacasse explains. “What a fantastic opportunity for a high school student. I got to work in the gardens and when we did plant ID it was all real samples and I wasn’t stuck in a high school.”

Lacasse credits Darren Schmahl, a Niagara Parks Alumni and one of her instructors, with fuelling her passion for horticulture. “He could really see my personality and my passion and talked me into looking more into the school.”

Co-op placements at Vermeer’s Greenhouses in Welland and at Niagara Parks have helped to provided Lacasse with a variety of work experience. “I planted on the Floral Clock for only one day. That was a cool experience, but I can say I made it.”

“At home, mid-way through high school I discovered I loved sowing seeds and watching the plants grow and then putting

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those plants into the garden around the house. The fact I could take something that looked really horrible and turn it into a really great garden.”

“I love that when I work in a garden, you do get into your own relaxation of working with the plants, hearing nature, being out in the sun, it increases your mood and your positivity.”

Because students spend 36 months together, Lacasse says a big learning experience is also how to build relationships and work together with people with different personalities and how to be professional. “It’s great because we learn and feed off each other’s strengths and weaknesses and as a team we learn how to pull the strength of the team.”

Having just started her third year at the school, Lacasse says her role now shifts to that of a supervisor, responsible for running a crew of up to six students.

“There’s constantly learning opportunities. I have to do paperwork, keep track of tasks, explain everything and make sure everyone is wearing PPE.” Having the experience of change constantly is one of Lacasse’s favourite things about the school.

Spending 40 hours per week in school, plus homework and other initiatives, Lacasse says another big thing she has learned is time management and scheduling. Lacasse is part of a contingent from the school headed for a landscape competition being held in Fort Collins, Colo., facilitated through the National Association of Landscape Professionals in the United States. Niagara Parks is the only accredited school in Canada for the competition that includes about 70 schools from the U.S. Later this year, she is looking forward to a study tour to Hawaii that will include horticulture and agriculture tours.

After graduation, Lacasse would love to work in horticulture therapy. “As long as I’m able to help and show people the incredible benefits of plants, I would like that — perhaps pursuing a horticultural therapy business in Niagara to help seniors, youth, people with a disability or anyone in need.”

For more information on the various scholarships offered under the Foundation, or to apply, visit OHTF.ca.

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

NEW MEMBERS DURHAM Deep Green Lawn Care & Landscaping Justin Kylau 1100 Sturgeon Rd, Lindsay, ON K9V 4R5 Tel: 705-340-2195 Membership Type: Active Ironwood Tree and Landscape Inc Ryan Loughlin 155 Loughlin, Grafton, ON K0K 2G0 Tel: 905-269-5523 Membership Type: Active

GEORGIAN LAKELANDS Blake Farrow Project Management Blake Farrow 39 Stewart Rd, Collingwood, ON L9Y 4M7 Tel: 705-293-8488 Membership Type: Active Bowman Landscaping & Excavation Nicholas Bowman 106 Shebeshekong Rd, Nobel, ON P0G 1G0 Tel: 705-774-6767 Membership Type: Active EcoCultures Chris Sweatman 66107 4 Side Rd, Meaford, ON N4L 1W7 Tel: 226-974-1010 Membership Type: Active Pedersen Construction Inc Alec Pedersen 177246 Bedard Rd, Box 2409 New Liskeard, ON P0J 1P0 Tel: 705-647-6223 Membership Type: Active Corey Kloepfer Gilford, ON Membership Type: Horticultural

GOLDEN HORSESHOE Creekside Landscaping & Construction Trevor Sedore 3 Orlanda Rd, Stoney Creek, ON L8G 2J9 Tel: 289-259-7211 Membership Type: Active Fora Outdoor Living Inc Marty Verhey 591 Fiddlers Green Rd, Ancaster, ON L9G 3L1 Tel: 289-244-1473 Membership Type: Active Homegrown Ecoscapes Ben West 4 Olmstead St, Hamilton, ON L8S 1N2 Tel: 905-961-0067 Membership Type: Active Niagara North Inc Benjamin Damm 1185 Maple St , PO Box 196 Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0 Tel: 905-988-3474 Membership Type: Interim

Eden Landscaping Phil Fluit 1371 Windham Rd #2, Scotland, ON N0E 1R0 Tel: 519-771-5855 Membership Type: Active

Figure 4 Landscapes David Hlady 333 Burnhamthorpe Rd, Etobicoke, ON M9B 2A2 Tel: 416-803-7650 Membership Type: Active

Knoop Enterprises Inc Bert Knoop 84118 Sauers Lane, Lucknow, ON N0G 2H0 Tel: 519-955-4582 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

Idea Landscapes Ilan Dobsky 228 Chelwood Dr, Thornhill, ON L4J 7C2 Tel: 416-528-2852 Membership Type: Active

MKD Concrete Ltd Chris Knoop 638 Concession 5 RR 2, Kincardine, ON N2Z 2X4 Tel: 519-525-2361 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

Lawn Bros Mike Baird 1610 Heritage Way, Oakville, ON L6M 2Z5 Tel: 905-467-1507 Membership Type: Active

OTTAWA

Mr Green Lawn Sprinklers Inc Derik Ferreira 27 Benadir Ave, Caledon, ON L7C 3N3 Tel: 416-782-8857 Membership Type: Active

Cardinal Distribution Inc Amanda Nadon-Langlois 7 rue du Cheminot, Angiers, QC J0Z 1A0 Tel: 705-303-4420 Membership Type: Associate

Nature’s Choice Landscape & Design Ltd Paul Chiste 8630 19th Sideroad, Schomberg, ON L0G 1T0 Tel: 905-859-2798 Membership Type: Active

Laughlin Pool Services Steven Laughlin 3827 Diamondview Rd, Kinburn, ON K0A 2H0 Tel: 613-832-3893 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

Nice Guys Groundscare Inc Moussa Tahill 32 Renown Rd, Toronto, ON M9A 1C2 Tel: 647-333-6423 Membership Type: Active

Ottawa Interlock Repair Jonathan Gilman 26 Horner Dr, Nepean, ON K2H 5E7 Tel: 613-809-6355 Membership Type: Active

Nortex Roofing Limited Mark Dovale 40 Bethridge Rd, Etobicoke, ON M9W 1N1 Tel: 416-236-6090 Membership Type: Associate

The Ideal Company CA Inc Shannon Patrick 94 Riverstone Dr, Ottawa, ON K2J 5E3 Tel: 613-898-6977 Membership Type: Interim

Picasso Landscape & Construction Inc Mauro Vono 36-14 Essex Ave, Thornhill, ON L3T 3Z1 Tel: 416-845-0050 Membership Type: Active

UrbanTerra Landscape & Design Steve Papousek 306 Dodson PO Box 867, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0 Tel: 613-791-1449 Membership Type: Interim

Picture Perfect Grounds Care Ltd Jason Andrade 88 Sassafras Circle, Vaughan, ON L4J 8M9 Tel: 416-994-5296 Membership Type: Active

TORONTO A Plus Eco-Sense Construction Inc Sana Nweisser 5771 Sidmouth St, Mississauga, ON L5V 2H2 Tel: 437-997-3971 Membership Type: Interim

Precision Landscaping Steve Drozdov 2460 Lloydtown-Aurora Rd, King City, ON L7B 1A3

Tel: 416-704-3637 Membership Type: Active

Access Paving & Interlocking Inc Reno Golizia 36 Green Manor Cres, Woodbridge, ON L4L 9R2 Tel: 416-777-1211 Membership Type: Active

LONDON

CWC Property Maintenance Ltd Byron Millward PO Box 61083, Oakville, ON L6J 6X0 Tel: 905-849-9707 Membership Type: Active

Conservatree Rob Wydeven 22269 Adelaide St N, Ilderton, ON N0M 2A0 Tel: 519-670-0882 Membership Type: Active

Canadian Landscape Services Inc Paul Cooke 10 Industrial St, East York, ON M4G 1Z1 Tel: 647-625-8595 Membership Type: Interim

Dave Sabo Port Colborne, ON Membership Type: Horticultural

Matt de Ree Landscapes Ltd Matt de Ree 24 Traymore Cres, Toronto, ON M6S 4K5 Tel: 416-948-2966 Membership Type: Interim

Michael Lunau London, ON Membership Type: Horticultural

Sidewalks Plus Inc Michelle Garib 250 Walker Rd W, Caledon East, ON L7C 0G9 Tel: 416-407-9892 Membership Type: Chapter Associate Song Landscaping Ltd Haijun Song 16110 Woodbine Ave, Stouffville, ON L4A 2W3 Tel: 647-812-2086 Membership Type: Active

UPPER CANADA Bonwest Limited Shawn Brummell 322 Boundary Rd, Roslin, ON K0K 2Y0 Tel: 613-848-6469 Membership Type: Active

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WATERLOO 1932736 Ontario Ltd. O/A Gibson Masonry Scott Gibson 855 Richmond Ave N, Listowel, ON N4W 2Z9 Tel: 519-292-6749 Membership Type: Active Big Green Property Services Ltd Tony Giammichele 14 Pauline Place, Guelph, ON N1H 7P3 Tel: 519-827-0857 Membership Type: Active Conestoga Contracting Group Chaise Ireland 95 South Field Dr, Elmira, ON N3B 2Z2 Tel: 519-568-1403 Membership Type: Active Gerber Landscaping Ltd John Gerber 5868 Wellington Rd 7, Guelph, ON N1H 6J2 Tel: 519-767-8532 Membership Type: Active Greenbrier Landscaping Inc Nelson Medeiros 773 Drumbo Rd RR 3, Ayr, ON N0B 1E0 Tel: 519-632-1175 Membership Type: Active Ground Effect Landscape and Design Inc Matt Walpole 5953 Wellington Rd 29 Rockwood, ON N0B 2K0 Tel: 519-546-3443 Membership Type: Active Royal Masonry Ltd (Conrad Blackwell) Conrad Blackwell 6 Brown Thrasher Crt, Elmira, ON N3B 1A1 Tel: 519-503-7010 Membership Type: Active Schmidt’s Services and/or Justin Schmidt Justin Schmidt 454 Manley Cres, Sauble Beach, ON N0H 2G0 Tel: 519-373-4450 Membership Type: Chapter Associate Stayde Inc Kurtis Watts 300-22 King St, Waterloo, ON N2J 1N8 Tel: 519-342-5287 Membership Type: Active

WINDSOR Alta Nota Construction (2312205 ON Ltd) Mariusz Buchcic 441 Orchard Park Dr, Windsor, ON N8N 4Y2 Tel: 519-818-1633 Membership Type: Active Authentic Property Maintenance inc.

Terry Hedrick 237 Irwin Ave, Essex, ON N8M 2T5 Tel: 519-919-2677 Membership Type: Active Bigwood Tree Services Scott Mathieson 2803 Tulloch Line, Wallaeburg, ON N8A 4L2 Tel: 519-312-0855 Membership Type: Active Tomboy Mow & Snow Inc Jen Routliffe 2679 Howard Ave, Windsor, ON N8X 3X2 Tel: 519-817-8386 Membership Type: Active

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

PROFESSIONAL NEWS Jamie Aalbers appointed new Growers’ Manager

Growers’ Canada chair, Anita Heuver is pleased to announce that Jamie Aalbers has accepted the position of Growers’ Manager — a role he will

assume on a full-time basis starting May 1. Aalbers will begin his new role following the retirement of current Growers’ Manager, Rita Weerdenburg at the end of April.

Aalbers has an extensive background in the ornamental horticulture sector, primarily in the greenhouse floriculture industry, as a grower, mini-rose breeder, research director, trials manager and consultant. For the past 14 years, he has worked for both Flowers Canada and Landscape Ontario, managing a portfolio that included research, business risk management and government relations. Jamie’s work experience also includes the management of

greenhouse trials and SR&ED claims for a Niagara-based floriculture greenhouse.

Noted Heuver, “We extend our thanks to the hiring sub-committee members John Byland, Owen Vanstone, John Bakker and Joe Sturgeon, for their assistance in the hiring process.

Jamie and Rita have worked together on numerous industry projects over the years and we are confident that the transition will be a smooth one.”

Throughout her 15 years with Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA), Weerdenburg was always willing to help out in any way she could to those that asked and is a fountain of knowledge and expertise. Rita will be missed, and CNLA wishes her all the best in her retirement and future endeavours.

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LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

Contractor locate requests have gone digital Effective March 28 2019, contractors who submit locate request to Ontario One Call that contain more than one civic number, or have no civic number associated, will not be processed by phone. Any request without a single civic must be made using the online web portal.

Contractors can begin using the web portal now at on1call.com/ webportalnewuser.

Support is available to contractors and excavators throughout this transition.

Contractors are urged to familiarize themselves with web portal before the busy season begins and to take advantage of a number of scheduled training sessions and resources that are available online. For links to events and training videos on how to use the web portal, visit gfl.me/h4US. Late in 2017, Ontario One Call announced plans to migrate professional contractors entirely to the web platform for spring of 2018. However, with the decision to add further improvements, and to allow for a transition period for users, this change

has been phased in over time.

Phase one migrated multiple requests to the web in April 2018, meaning excavators who wished to submit more than one ticket simultaneously were required to use the web portal.

The second phase of this change, which took effect March 28 means Ontario One Call will only accept requests by phone for excavations occurring at one single property that has a valid civic associated to it. Homeowner requests and legitimate emergency requests will also continue to be available for processing by calling 1-800400-2255 for all property types.

Contact solutions@on1call.com to better understand how to process locate requests through Ontario One Call’s web portal.

Keeping workers safe from falls Ontario’s second annual Falls Awareness Week (FAW) will take place May 6-10, 2019.

The goal is to raise awareness to the falls hazards that exist in every job, through

workplace discussion and participation.

At some point in the week, workplaces are encouraged to stop work for 15-20 minutes to have a safety talk about fall hazards specific to their work environment.

According to the Ministry of Labour website, “Falls from height contribute to a significant proportion of injuries and fatalities experienced in Ontario workplaces. Between 2009 and 2016 there were 92 fatal falls from heights. Where the height of the fall was available, 64 per cent of the fall fatalities were due to falls from heights of six metres or less, which correspond to heights of one to two storeys. Data also shows that a fall from a ladder of three metres or less (the standard one-storey floor height) is common and can result in death depending on what part of the body is affected. Falls from ladders are also a big factor in serious injuries. Of the 92 fatal falls, ‘unsafe ladder use’ was a contributing factor in 16 of the 92 fatalities (17 per cent). The majority (56 per cent) of the fatalities which occurred due to unsafe ladder use took place on construction sites.”

Since April 1, 2015, when the province’s new Working at Heights Training Standard

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LANDSCAPE ONTARIO came into effect, more than 550,000 Ontario workers across all sectors (the vast majority from construction), have completed the working-at-heights training program.

MOL blitz on slips, trips and falls Injuries from slips, trips and falls are on the Ministry of Labour’s radar with an inspection initiative planned for April 15 - July 12, 2019.

The campaign is part of a province-wide slips, trips and falls initiative for all sectors that began March 18.

Businesses are encouraged to take a proactive approach, and be prepared for what inspectors are looking for. This includes:

• Having a well-documented health and safety program in place.

• Ensuring employees are aware of hazards (through regular safety talks and posted warnings).

• Documentation that employees have been trained in a working at heights program.

Feedback needed on temporary stairs at construction sites The Ontario Ministry of Labour (MOL) is seeking input until April 25, 2019 to help

clarify existing requirements for temporary stairs set out in the Construction Projects regulation (O. Reg. 213/91) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).

The proposal would amend current temporary stairs provisions by:

• Clarifying where temporary stairs should start and end (i.e. requiring temporary stairs in underground levels).

• Identifying specific situations where the installation of temporary stairs may not be possible.

Garden Days coming this June Garden Days, Canada’s coast to coast to coast celebration of gardening will run June 15-23, 2019. The nine-days of events will kick off June 15, National Gardening Day. Garden Days is an opportunity for everyone to enjoy their own garden, visit, or take part in their favourite garden experience, get inspired at their local garden centre or travel to a nearby destination to enjoy their favourite garden.

Canadians are encouraged to

• Revising width dimensions to accommodate for movement of large equipment.

The ministry is seeking feedback on these proposed changes and the assessment of the impact of the changes outlined in a regulatory impact analysis.

To give your feedback, follow the link online at gfl.me/h4UJ.

organize and register event via the Garden Days website at GardenDays. ca, or use the site to find a local event to participate in.

Examples of past events include community tree plantings, planting ceremonies, seed exchanges, plant sales and community clean ups.

For more information, visit GardenDays.ca.

Stam Nurseries Inc. 593836 Hwy 59, Burgessville ON N0J 1C0

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LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

EXECUTIVE DESK

Spring and renewal

L

andscape Ontario staff choose one word to act as a theme for the year.

This year’s word is “renewal.” Spring is also about renewal. By the time you read this, the long-awaited (and much-needed) spring season will have arrived. You will be in the midst of a maddening schedule.

Hopefully, your company will be fullystaffed. The biggest challenge facing our members is finding employees. In a recent survey of members, 80 per cent said they could take on more work if they had the staff. This challenge is by far the largest issue facing our profession. Landscape Ontario’s new Strategic Plan is placing a renewed emphasis on this issue. We are focused on trying to find solutions to this perennial, wide-spread and complex issue.

Spring is also the season for home and garden shows. Our members shine at these events. Canada Blooms is the largest garden show in Canada, and the second largest in North America. Our members are involved in many local shows across the province, from Windsor to Ottawa.

The outstanding garden displays built for these festivals seem to contradict what I often hear about our profession having a poor image. Visitors cannot help but realize the awesome creativity and professional mastery involved in building a garden.

Garden builders at these events elevate our profession and inspire the public, allowing them to see the beauty and benefit we contribute to enhancing the quality of life.

This year, Landscape Ontario printed 70,000 copies of Garden Inspiration magazine to distribute at the many home and garden shows across the province. The magazine helps to promote the benefits of plants, gardens and green spaces, and promotes the hiring of our professional members. I would like to thank all members who helps to build incredible gardens at various shows across Ontario. You inspire

the public. You make us look good.

At Canada Blooms, I attended a book launch hosted by Mark and Ben Cullen.

Their book is called Escape to Reality: How the World is Changing Gardening and Gardening is Changing the World. Theirs is not your typical gardening book. Although it offers great information and tips on how to maintain a beautiful and healthy garden, it goes well beyond. It places gardeners at the centre of a movement to change the world for the better. It encourages us to understand that we are part of a large, interdependent ecosystem and our job is to work with nature in order to enhance the environment.

Traditional gardeners are in a constant war with insects. Mark suggests we create insect hotels. Traditional gardeners focus on clean gardens, straight edges and manicured lawns. Mark suggests that rot and decay are a gardeners friend. The book also focuses on the importance of food gardens and dedicates a number of chapters to ideas, programs and examples of how urban life can be vastly improved by energizing and mobilizing the community to create local food gardens where the produce is shared by all. Imagine a city where everyone is taught how to grow, preserve and share food right in their neighbourhood. I am personally intrigued by this idea. In my experience, this is the way it used to be. As Italian immigrants, my parents and their friends created vegetable plots in every available space. My grandfather even got into trouble because he expanded his extensive vegetable garden into the vacant field beside my parents’ home. Food was always plentiful in our house because most of it was grown in our front and backyards. I remember being embarrassed because my mother would wander downtown Toronto streets picking dandelions. They were delicious. When we

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were sick, she would frequent the laneways looking for chamomile plants growing in the cracks of the pavement.

I love the idea of gardening as an environmental and social movement. This is what Mark and Ben’s book is really about — renewal of the garden profession.

Proceeds from the book are used to support an amazing Highway of Heroes Living Tribute campaign. The goal is to plant two million trees on, and adjacent to, the stretch of Highway 401 from Trenton to Toronto, officially named the Highway of Heroes. This movement recognizes the sacrifice of the 117,000 individuals who gave their lives for our country and the 1.8 million who volunteered during times of war. Recently, the federal government announced $2.9 million in support for the project. Last year, the provincial government contributed $1 million. In addition, $3.5 million has been raised from private sources.

The project is gaining momentum.

And speaking of renewal: At the last LO provincial board meeting, a presentation was made by a committee to revisit our membership categories and dues structure.

The goal of the committee was to devise a new membership scheme that would align with our values of professionalism, stewardship, community and leadership.

The new scheme would also encourage inclusivity and reward continuous improvement. The best part of the presentation is that it was authored by an enthusiastic and energetic group of board members well under the age of 40. In fact, many of our board members are under 40.

Renewal is in the air. Have a great spring.

Tony DiGiovanni LO Executive Director

tony@landscapeontario.com

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Busy as a March hare and mad as a hatter

I

just knew my British ancestry would catch up with me one day! According to Wikipedia...”Mad as a hatter” is a colloquial English phrase used in conversation to suggest (lightheartedly) that a person is suffering from insanity.

It is believed to emanate from Denton, Tameside, in the North of England, where men in the area predominantly worked in the millinery business which used mercury in the hat making process. Mercury poisoning causes symptoms similar to madness.

Landscape Ontario’s membership services team have certainly been hopping around like hares the last few weeks on behalf of our members, so I thought it would be useful to give you an update.

On Feb. 28 we held our annual allchapter strategy meeting which produced some great ideas to follow up on throughout 2019. Often, the best things that happen at these meetings is that people leave their individual chapter and company hats at the door and contribute ideas that will improve the association as a whole. A big thank you to all of the

dedicated chapter and sector group volunteers from across the province who participated.

March came in like a lion, with member participation at several home and garden shows. Events in Ottawa, Kitchener, Mississauga, London, and Sarnia gave us the opportunity to promote LO’s professional members and distribute our annual Garden Inspiration magazine. Approximately 20,000 copies are handed out province-wide each year, with an additional 50,000 copies distributed at Canada Blooms. These promotional opportunities attract media attention from local outlets and also some big names like CityTV, Global News and CBC. We use the media interest and Garden Inspiration to highlight the stunning projects of LO members from our annual Awards of Excellence program.

This fantastic, member-only program showcases the exceptional work of our members, as do the feature gardens built by members at Canada Blooms. This year, your membership team took on the responsibility of the feature garden builder

awards at Canada Blooms. This intense, but rewarding experience allowed us to see the work of our members through the eyes of the judges. It gave us a different perspective and an opportunity to share some honest feedback and tips with members on how to tweak their creativity for future shows.

Speaking of feedback, one of the most enlightening meetings I have ever attended was the LO Peer to Peer workshop at Durham Chapter meeting on March 5.

The discussion was focused on hiring and retaining young people. I hesitate to use the word ‘Millennial’ because I think that generation really does not like that label. Anyway, the conversation was very lively and well-facilitated by Jacki Hart.

The discussions really showed the need for owners and managers to change their approach and learn to think and act differently in order to succeed at attracting and keeping employees from the newer generations.

Working with some of the younger, under-30 staff in the LO office, I can attest to this from first-hand experience. Youth in the workforce today really do have different needs, work habits and goals than those of my generation. Once you understand and celebrate that difference, you end up with an incredibly loyal, hardworking and creative team.

Throughout the year, your membership team will continue to work like mad to promote professionalism, increase membership and support you to the best of our ability. If you have any comments, ideas, or suggestions, please contact us.

Denis Flanagan CLD LO Manager of Membership and Public Relations

dflanagan@landscapeontario.com

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MEMBERSHIP

Set your goals for 2019

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have always been the type of person that likes to plan for things very far in advance — maybe a bit too far sometimes. Think about where you were five years ago. Did you imagine yourself where you are today? I find myself trying to wrap my head around the idea that you can only do so much planning for the future. Life is far too unpredictable. If you’re like me, this concept is frustrating. To combat this, I am trying to make plans that are attainable in the shorter term, where I can realize the results in the not so distant future. In a way, this process is very similar to setting goals.

As the new season begins, what are the goals for your company? Are you focused on increasing sales, or taking on larger projects? Perhaps you want to downsize and finally begin the process of starting a viable succession plan. Maybe your goals for 2019 are more focused on your personal life and this is finally the year to feel less consumed by work, maybe take on a new hobby, or even learn how to make a mean curry.

As you set your goals for 2019, make sure they are SMART ones (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant/Realistic, Timely).

Specific: Define what you want to achieve. This is the who, what, where, when, why and how of your goal. Don’t allow yourself to be vague. Clearly outline what your specific goal is.

Measurable: Having a measurable goal means you will easily know once you have achieved your goal. What does this achievement look like? Quantify and qualify what achieving this goal will look like.

Attainable: After outlining what your goal is, can it really be done? Let’s say your goal is to quit your job and go back to school full-time to get that MBA you’ve always wanted; but the reality is you have a mortgage and lots of other bills to pay. Your goal is not attainable in the way you’ve imagined, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a compromise. Maybe for now, you keep your job

and take online or part-time courses in order to eventually achieve your goal.

Relevant/Realistic: Ask yourself why you want to reach this particular goal. What is the motivated behind it? What do you hope to get out of achieving it? What skills and tools do you need to achieve it? Does your goal align with your overall business plan?

Timely: One way to reach a goal is to set a firm deadline. If you do not put a time frame on reaching your goal, there may not be much motivation to get it done. Make sure your timeline is realistic. Don’t set yourself up for failure by leaving too little time, which may cause you to rush, but don’t leave yourself too much time that you then have the luxury of procrastinating.

Setting target deadlines for achieving the steps toward your goal will help keep you motivated and accountable.

Although it’s not included in the acronym, I am adding another “R” on the end, (to make it SMARTR), for Reward. When you have achieved your goal, take time to celebrate your accomplishment and treat yourself. With all that hard work, you’ve earned it!

One of the goals of Landscape Ontario’s membership department this season is to get out and visit with members on job sites or places of business in each of our nine chapters. That’s right. From Ottawa to Windsor, we’re coming to see you. So if you have a unique or interesting project lined up this year (or one you are extra proud of), please let us know before our itinerary fills up. We love getting out to visit LO members at work. We always get great feedback, lots of new ideas, and a chance to thank your clients for choosing to hire a professional member of Landscape Ontario.

As the busy season begins, I leave you with this quote from Sir Richard Branson: “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”

I wish you and your staff all the best this seasonal, and good luck reaching your goals.

Myscha Stafford LO Membership and Chapter Coordinator

myscha@landscapeontario.com

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UNDERGROUND WORLD

Educating homeowners at Canada Blooms

O

ver the past year, homeowners were responsible for 648 utility strikes in the province of Ontario. This represents 12.6 per cent of all utility hits in the province.

Compare that to landscape contractors (338 hits or 6.6 per cent) and fence contractors (428 hits or 8.3 per cent). To put these numbers into perspective, these three groups are responsible for 27.5 per cent of the 5,149 utility strikes over the course of the year.

Once again this year, the Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance (ORCGA) was able to participate in Canada Blooms, March 8-17 at the Enercare Centre in downtown Toronto.

Co-located with the National Home Show, the event allows us to reach all three of the aforementioned groups with messaging to help them to Dig Safe.

Last year, I spent two Saturdays volunteering in the Dig Safe feature garden at Canada Blooms. By my count, about 200 people per day stopped to make inquiries. Most homeowners wanted to know why we were there. This means over that over the course of the 10-day show, we were about to speak with about 2,000 interested people. Our message was clear: homeowners need to call Ontario One Call to obtain locates before planting a tree or shrub or installing a fence.

If they don’t, they risk striking a live utility line and causing injury, property damage or even death. The surprising fact to me was that many still don’t know that the law in Ontario requires all people who disturb the soil to first call for locates before they dig.

Many homeowners at the show were also not aware that locates are provided by calling Ontario One Call. This service identifies the main utility from the street into the residence. It does not cover back or side areas of the property. These areas must have their utility lines located by private locate providers. Anytime a utility line is hit, the home-

owner is responsible, unless they have hired a qualified contractor and they have indicated that their services include obtaining all locates. Many homeowners also don’t know the Ontario One Call locate service is free of charge.

Advice to homeowners Our message to homeowners at Canada Blooms and other events is simple:

• If digging for any reason, first call Ontario One Call for locates at 1-800-400-2255.

This is law in Ontario.

• Do not dig until the locates are painted on the ground (typically within five days of the call).

• Respect the tolerance zone by hand digging (one metre on either side of the locate line).

• Hand dig safely.

A repeat exhibitor at Canada Blooms

The ORCGA has participated in Canada Blooms for the last four years as the event has proven to be an excellent investment in both time and money. This year’s exhibit was been designed by Landscape Ontario member, Sean James of Sean James Consulting & Design. Sean also coordinated the build.

This year, the main feature was a four-panel story board that illustrated the various underground utilities that enter a house (gas, electric, telephone, cable, water and sewer, etc.).

The story boards indicated that when you call for locates, each utility is then marked by a different colour of paint on the surface so that everyone knows what the utility is and its location. Our garden also displayed the number to call for locates (1-800-400-2255) and that homeowners are responsible for calling Ontario One Call for locates before digging.

Apprenticeship feature garden

This year, Canada Blooms included a feature garden devoted to the Apprenticeship Program. Designed by Chelsea Mills, Landscape Designer at Gelderman Landscape Services in Waterdown, Ont., the garden was a collaboration between Gelderman, Mohawk College and Landscape Ontario.

Under the direction of instructors, Harry Gelderman (Gelderman Landscape Services), and Andrew McCarty (Partridge Fine Landscapes), the first and second year landscape students did a pre-build of the garden at the Mohawk Campus in Stoney Creek prior to the show. The display was then taken apart, shipped to Canada Blooms and reassembled at the show by the students.

The garden informed visitors about the Apprenticeship Program offered by several Ontario colleges and the many career paths available in the profession. I would like to congratulate all those involved in making this unique garden a reality. The students at Mohawk College did an excellent job of building and assembling this first-class exhibit.

Conclusion

Once again, the ORCGA made the most of an opportunity to reach its intended audience with our dig safe and call before you dig messaging in an effort to reduce the number of utility hits in the province. With the busy spring digging season just around the corner, the show is a great way to kick off our campaign that is then followed by Dig Safe Month and events aimed at furthering the message. Hopefully, we can reduce the number of homeowner underground utility hits again this year.

Terry Murphy CLM

tvmurphy@ca.inter.net

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PROSPERITY PARTNERS

Company culture part 1:

Communicating and engaging your team

L

ast winter, Landscape Ontario Peer to Peer Network members had two, fullday networking workshops that focused on company culture. One focused on establishing a culture of engagement, the other on developing a culture of safety and wellness.

As we now head into the season where you onboard your team — blending new employees with returning ones — I think it’s a great idea to pause and think about their experience of working together.

What are your company’s core values?

What is non-negotiable? How do you treat each other? What is not acceptable? How does everyone know what’s right and wrong in your business? For example, if one of your core values is personal growth — what exactly does that mean? Are staff supposed to selfidentify what they need/want to learn (either personal skills or technical skills)? Who supports their goals? What is expected of them and you? How will progress be measured and communicated? What if the goals change?

What will it look like every day if personal growth is a part of daily culture?

I’ve worked with many companies and teams to identify and define their culture and core values. For companies who simply include them in the printed employee handbook or post them on a wall, there’s really little or no impact. But for those who enliven and communicate the core values as a part of daily focus and language, it can make a huge transformation.

When core values can be used every day to guide decisions, discussions and behaviour, there is really no looking back. These companies attract right-fit people, clients, suppliers and projects/contracts. Their policies align with their core values, processes, performance evaluations, brand messaging, and social media posts.

Recently, I spent a day with a management team of 10 people. We were working on stepping up their personal leadership abilities and

solving perennial challenges. We conducted a group exercise where two groups individually listed all of the company processes and policies they felt were consistently broken or not working. A year previously, the company core values had been clearly defined and communicated. When we looked at the lists produced by the two groups, I could tell the core values had been ignored. I challenged them to rhyme off the values to me, which they did with ease. Then I asked them to help me to understand how their lists could exist if the core values were being followed?

After an interesting silence, one by one, they piped up and started talking about which core values weren’t being followed, and what the different outcome would be if they had kept those values at the forefront each hour of each day. The energy in

the room became so dynamic and exciting!

They could see very quickly how the solution to most of their challenges was right in front of them. All they had to do was agree to fully-engage in the culture that was already established. It was a very cool revelation for them all, and I’m looking forward to hearing back from them with examples of how their engagement and shift in mindset is making a difference this spring. I’m confident their ‘aha’ moment during our session will carry them through to hold themselves and each other accountable to consistent behaviour, alignment with policies and consistent engagement in procedures across the board.

So, if your company struggles at times with achieving consistent attitudes, actions and accountability, have faith. In my experience, most of the reason for inconsistent results is rooted in a lack of understanding and clarity on what’s expected and what’s wrong-fit. If you’re not sure about how effective a clearly defined company culture can be, then join LO’s Peer to Peer Network by emailing signup.Peer2Peer@ landscapeontario.com. Ask your peers who have worked hard on their company culture how it’s working for them and how you can get started. Ours is a journey of continued mutual improvement as your company and team continue to grow and raise the bar.

Jacki Hart CLM Prosperity Partners Program Manager

info.peertopeer@landscapeontario.com

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CANADIAN SOLDIERS LIVE FOREVER Join us in planting 2 million trees along the 401 Highway of Heroes, a tribute to the men and women who fought for Canada in our wars, and a living memorial to the 117,000 who died for freedom.

You can participate in honouring our military, protecting the environment and beautifying North America’s most travelled highway. Visit hohtribute.ca or call 905-875-0021 to get involved.

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