Landscape Ontario - May 2015 by Landscape Ontario

May 2015 www.horttrades.com

DIVERSITY, ANNIVERSARY AT FOX HOLLOW FARMS

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From quality control to skateboard decks, Paul Rapai has fun with success Page 6

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Celebrating success By Dave Braun LO president

hen was the last time you celebrated a success at your work? One thing we recognize regularly at our company is employee birthdays. Although gathering to share cake and coffee at 9 a.m. to honour the birthday man or woman may not qualify as a huge celebration, the times our office staff members have shared at these simple events have come to mean a lot to all of us. It’s a tiny way that our company can demonstrate how meaningful each person who works with us is to the whole. The last time I remember a formal work celebration around a company milestone was many years ago, when we built a new building. In other words, birthday party celebrations are significantly more frequent at our company. Clearly, one celebration every so many years could be improved upon.

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We’ve recently realized that we don’t celebrate often enough. Celebrations shouldn’t have to be about massive accomplishments, either. You don’t need to wait for your company’s 100th anniversary to celebrate — both Connon and Sheridan rightly celebrated their incredible longevity. There have been numerous studies that demonstrate the positive ripple effect when one person smiles at another person, so why shouldn’t this principle work, at work? Continuing to move forward without pausing to acknowledge the great work already done may be practical, but it’s not terribly exciting. Employees feel it when their bosses take notice and appreciate their job well done — it improves their performance. I know, because I’ve seen the evidence. As a company reward for reaching his team’s sales target, my friend was taken to Las Vegas and saw Steppenwolf drive out in an F1 car to perform his massive hit ‘Born to be Wild.’ The CEO promised that if they exceeded the next year’s goal, they would all be brought back to Vegas again. Even if you’re not a Steppenwolf fan,

Publisher Lee Ann Knudsen CLP lak@landscapeontario.com, 416-848-7557 Editorial director Sarah Willis sarahw@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5424 Editor Allan Dennis 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 Integrated solutions representative 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 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO STAFF Darryl Bond, Kim Burton, Myscha Burton, Tony DiGiovanni CHT, Rob Ellidge, Denis Flanagan CLD, Sally Harvey CLT CLP, Jane Leworthy, Heather MacRae, Allie McInnes, Kristen McIntyre CHT CEM, Kathy McLean, Linda Nodello, Kathleen Pugliese, Ian Service, Tom Somerville, Martha Walsh

can you imagine how motivating that must have been? You probably guessed it — they did return to Vegas the next year for a massive celebration that topped the year before. The nice part is, your celebrations don’t need to be nearly as extravagant as a Vegas trip. I asked our mechanic during the interview process what motivated him. He told me simply, “Barbecues.” To him, working at a place that held barbecues was important. Well, we now have the first of four company summer barbecues scheduled for June 4, right after the biggest rush of the season is over. There was some debate and discussion about whether or not it was worth the investment of time and resources it would take to host barbecues every spring and summer. As we soon realized, when you do the math, it’s an easy equation. Sure you may lose on temporary productivity when you host a party, but the gains will far outstrip the costs in no time. An unmotivated employee is much more costly than any party could ever be. Equally important, we hope that if we create an environment where we celebrate our successes, that we will attract and retain the kind of employees who will make our company better at every turn. So, can you afford to celebrate your success? You can’t afford not to. Dave Braun may be reached at dbraun@landscapeontario.com.

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FEATURES Aura Landscaping Fox Hollow OTTAWA DREAM GARDEN

ASSOCIATION NEWS LETTER TO THE EDITOR SCHOLARSHIP PROFILE EVENTS NEW MEMBERS Industry NEWS COLUMNS Ad Index Classifieds

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 2015, 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

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ness and life forever,” says Duff. “While I was at Blooms, I realized this would be a game changer.” He was right. Following Blooms, Duff’s business doubled almost overnight. The second year at Canada Blooms, Duff worked to catch the attention of anyone with a media badge or camera. “I literally grabbed anyone I thought would be able to get Aura Landscaping in the news.” He also made a connection with Bryan Baeumler’s group from HGTV. “They approached me to become a Baeumler-approved contractor” says Duff. From there the ball rolled faster down the hill. Duff has appeared on Cityline TV, Breakfast Television, CTV News, CP24, The Weather Network, CHCH and more. He has also been featured in a number of magazine and newspaper articles, including Canadian Gardening and Toronto Star. Along with being the subject of these media outlets, Duff now writes for HOSS magazine, a home renovation resource publication. The positive and extensive publicity has contributed to Aura Landscaping’s tremendous growth in business, allowing an expansion into Toronto, Oakville and Burlington. The above-average exposure has moved Aura Landscaping among the top sites in Google searches for landscapers.

Tiered marketing

Scott Duff understands the importance of public persona. From professional photographs to his mainstream media exposure, Duff knows that it is important to present a professional image to the public.

Scott Duff knows the art of attracting media In a short period of time, Scott Duff has come from a relative unknown to someone who has achieved one of the highest media profile within the landscape industry. Duff owns and operates Aura Landscaping in St. Catharines. Up until 2010,

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Duff was working seven days a week at both the job sites and his office. “It was me and one other person working from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.,” says Duff. The next year changed everything for Duff and his company. “Building a garden at Canada Blooms changed my busi-

Duff says that he uses a three-tier approach to his marketing. These include social media, mainstream media and traditional mail. He created extra revenue by selling sponsorship ads on Aura Landscaping’s website. Each logo links to a specific supplier and major corporation. The page brought in $5,000 in funds and over $30,000 in supplies and equipment. Another unique method used by Duff is through traditional Canada Post mail, but targeting recipients through Google’s Street View system. “I look at homes in communities using Google Street View, looking at those which appear to be the right fit for the work we do, or need an upgrade. I then mail out my postcards to that area in the community.” He estimates that from the $10,000 postcard program, he received $200,000 worth of work. The third tier is his free exposure in mainstream media. Duff aims for an appearance in newspapers, radio and TV at least once each month. Duff believes you need to work hard for what you want. “It won’t come to you without a fight. You have to be strong and courageous and know that you can

do anything you put your mind to.” Duff knows from first-hand experience that you must keep on believing in yourself. Growing up on a farm in Rockway, Duff attended West Park Secondary School. “After being voted least likely to succeed, and bullied on a regular basis, I was determined to go out and make it on my own,” says Duff. He jumped right into starting a landscape business. With no background in running a business, he struggled for two years before deciding to do it as a side business.

Learned about industry

“I was not deterred by the failure and from people discouraging me to try again,” says Duff. He spent the next 15 years working for other companies. “I proved my worth in sales and business, all the while pursuing my passion of landscaping on weekends and evenings. Over time, I learned about the landscape industry by going to suppliers and asking them to teach me. I told them I would be a customer for life.” He has kept that promise, now buying from those who taught him. “There are times when I pay a higher price to support those suppliers who were loyal to me before I started my business, but I don’t mind because of what they did for me is far more important than price.” Duff now looks back on his early days and smiles broadly when he talks about being nominated for the Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Award and winning the Top 40 Under Forty Business Achievement Award. “I never thought I would win such an award,” says Duff. “When I received the telephone call that I had won, I was like a little kid jumping for joy.”

Gives back to community

The young entrepreneur also gives back to his community. Organizations he supports include Habitat for Humanity, National Tree Days at local schools, and the Baeumler Family Foundation. Duff also became a member of Landscape Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe Chapter’s board of directors. “It’s a great way to give back to the industry,” he says. Duff says that working with Landscape Ontario has been a breath of fresh air. “The members of the board respect each other’s opinion. It’s obvious the ultimate goal is to improve our industry.” He adds that if not for Landscape Ontario, he wouldn’t be where he is today. He has proven that belief in self and your industry attracts positive results.

Top photo, Scott Duff displays the edition of HOSS magazine which contains his first column. Centre photo, Duff appears with Brian Baeumler of HGTV fame. Bottom photo Duff after receiving the Top 40 Under Forty Business Achievement Award.

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Robert Rapai stands with a tobacco sprayer that was re-configured to handle conifer trees.

Fox Hollow Farms celebrates 40 years with pride Fox Hollow Farms near Langton is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The 275 acre family operation has made it to this special year through hard work, innovation, passion and striving to grow highest quality trees. Fox Hollow began in 1975 when Robert Rapai and his wife Linda moved back to Norfolk County to grow tobacco and a few trees. Son Paul, who now runs Fox Hollow, began the transition to management in 2003. Robert is still invaluable to the business, filling in the missing pieces during busy times of the year, heading up spraying, and trying to figure out what

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retirement looks like for him. Forty years later Fox Hollow has become known for producing high quality conifer trees for both the Christmas tree market and landscaping. It was a slow transition over to trees once the tobacco market collapsed. “We also produce some deciduous trees, but we focus on what we do best, and that’s conifers,” says Paul. “The danger is spreading yourself too thin.” The farm grows mainly spruce, pine, fir, hemlock and cedar serving the Ontario market. A walk through the plantation quickly reveals that quality of trees grown at Fox

Hollow is more than just a slogan. Paul points to a tree saying it isn’t to standard, which to his guest looks perfectly fine. He sees other factors that make the tree a reject. It will be more suitable to sell the following year. “Having a competitive nature, I challenge myself to find the best way to produce the best product, so my customers are sold trees that will sell, and sell quickly. I can’t have my customers with trees that won’t sell,” says Paul. To achieve that quality, Paul Rapai begins with Ontario-sourced seeds first. “I recognize quality, so only seedlings that pass my standard are put into the ground,” says Rapai. The average tree could take 10 to 14 years before it hits the market. “If I can begin with a high quality tree and nurture it along, I hope to reduce production time by two or three years, while maintaining the quality of the tree.” Along with his passion and competitive nature, Rapai is also innovative. One example is the method he uses to both suppress weeds and nurture the soil. “I found that planting oats creates an excellent cover crop to suppress weeds,” says Rapai. He realized two other benefits for the crop. It helps to retain snow cover in the winter, and works its way into the soil providing organic matter for the trees. “Using oats decreases our need to spray for weeds,” says Rapai. He finds that planting the traditional rye required an extra spraying to get rid of plants along with other weeds. It also doesn’t supply as much organic matter that oats provide. Another innovation by Rapai is the sprayer he reconfigured from an original tobacco sprayer. The original spray was too low to handle conifer trees, so with a little ingenuity he made the machine into a sprayer that could handle trees up to nearly 12 feet tall. “I bought the original sprayer for $1,000 and put about $7,000 of material and maintenance into it,” says Rapai. “It was a lot better than paying $80,000 for a new sprayer.” Fox Hollow Farms is also a leading supplier of pre-cut and cut your own Christmas trees in the region and sells wholesale to garden centres. “Having both Christmas trees and landscaping trees allows us to extend our harvest throughout the year.” One of the more unique ways to maintain employment for staff during the slow winter months is a skateboard manufacturing company, Blacklock Longboards.

Paul Rapai and his crew taking a break from digging trees.

According to Rapai, “I chose a name that was close to my heart. For several years I’ve been maintaining a snowboard park for family and friends. We affectionately call the park and property Blacklock’s. The name comes from General Major Blacklock who was in command when the property was used as a fort during the war of 1812.” Rapai and his crew Richard Heppenheimer and Alex Mair manufacture the beautiful skateboard decks from wood milled from trees that have come down on the property surrounding Fox Hollow Farms. They also create cutting boards. He says, “I’ve always had an interest in woodworking, arts, and design and found an outlet in deck building.” “To celebrate our 40th anniversary, I wanted to give our customers a gift marking the occasion. We decided to make something by hand, something that people would hopefully appreciate and use, so we made cutting boards. When I handed them out at this years at Congress, it went over really well. My customers really appreciated receiving the

In order to provide year-round employment to key crew members, Paul Rapai began manufacturing natural wood skateboard decks, which have grown in popularity over the past few years.

boards,” says Rapai. He adds that his crew really became excited about the opportunity to use their woodworking skills. “My employees look forward to doing something different over the winter months.” Rapai describes himself simply as a farmer. He lives with all the risks involved

in farming and its host of problems it brings every year, from insects and fungus to unpredictable weather. “It’s a challenge, but very rewarding,” he says. For 40 years the family has met that challenge with pride, passion and innovation.

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was donated by Geosynthetic Systems, while the mulch for the gardens was given by Greely Sand and Gravel. Stone was donated by Cohen and Cohen Natural Stone. Aquascape provided the product for the mountain water feature, and Lanark Cedar designed and built the pavilion patio on site, over the three-and-a-half-day build. The hand-painted artistic backdrop was created and installed by Mural Unique on the last day of the build. Canada Blooms supplied large white planters, which included floral products designed and installed by Peter Knippel Nursery. The planters were used throughout the show floor to continue the floral theme. As well, copies of LO’s Garden Inspiration magazine, fresh off its debut at Canada A collaborative team effort by Ottawa Chapter created a colourful one-of-a-kind garden at the Ottawa Home and Garden Show. Blooms, were distributed at the show. Plant material comprised an integral part of the garden. Along with the thousands of tulips, which lined the hardscape walkway and surrounded the entrance, plant material was received from Canada Blooms, as well as Pioneer Flower Farms, When the Ottawa Chapter was approached design included a focal point. A water Connon NVK, Connon Nurseries CBV in the fall of 2014 to create a 2,800 square garden feature used natural stone in the Holdings, Highland Evergreen Supplies foot dream garden at the Ottawa Home and Mountain Garden, while a pavilion patio and Sheridan Nurseries. Garden show, planning began immediately. was installed in the Urban Garden. A floatEach designer kept true to the theme This project would be the first and larging bed was the focal point in the Northern and included plants that would be found est garden of its kind for the Ottawa ChapGarden, and a marsh area went into the in their zones. Each tree, shrub and plant ter using a collaborative team approach. Wetland Garden. included a label for the public’s information. The show took place at the EY Centre in A curved walkway was designed All in all, over 150 Ottawa Chapter Ottawa from Mar. 26 to 29. to allow the public to walk through the members participated in some aspect of Under the lead of Ottawa Chapter pubdream garden area, allowing a full view the design and build of this year’s Dream licity committee chairs Michael Fulcher and of each design. A hand-painted backdrop Garden. The Board of Directors thank the Sundaura Alford, a call went out to interwas created to provide support to confollowing Ottawa Chapter members for all ested Ottawa and Upper Canada area suptinue the theme for the Northern and Wet- of their support: Les Enterprises Marechal, pliers and designers to take part in creating lands gardens. Clintar Landscape Management, Hansen a one-of-a-kind garden that would celeLes Enterprises Marechal took the lead Lawn and Garden, Natural Impressions brate Canadian landscapes, along with the on the installation of the design. Twelve Landscaping, Nature’s Way Landscap70th anniversary of the donation of tulips truckloads of sand were transported to the ing, Cityscape Group of Companies, Peter from the Dutch government. It was decided EY Centre, and used to create the 2,800 Knippel Nursery, Geosynthetic Systems, that the theme of tulips was to be part of square foot base. Along with Les EntreLanark Cedar, Eco Landscaping, Algonthe garden, following the successful celeprises Marechal, the gardens were created quin College Horticultural Industries stubration of Ottawa’s GreenTrade Expo 2015, and installed by Clintar Landscape Mandents, Steve Neumann, Sundaura Alford, which used a similar theme. agement; Hansen Lawn and Garden; NatuAshley Cochrane, Welwyn Wong, Karla The garden was divided into four disral Impressions Landscaping; Nature’s Way Narraway, Mike Fulcher, and special voluntinct regions: Northern designed by Karla Landscaping (Upper Canada Chapter); teers Laura Dove and Jerome Hamilton. Narraway CLD, Mountain by Welwyn Wong Cityscape Group of Companies; Lanark Plans for the 2016 Ottawa Home and CLD, Urban by Sundaura Alford CLD, and Cedar; Eco Landscaping; Algonquin ColGarden show are currently being disWetlands by Ashley Cochrane BLA. lege Horticultural Industries students, under cussed, with the hope that there will be Each region was designed to highthe supervision of supervisor Steve Neumore gardens and more Landscape light the environment through the use mann; Natural Impressions Landscaping; A Ontario member involvement. of horticultural and landscape materials Cultivated Art and Permacon Ottawa. — Martha Walsh, and images to enhance the design. Each For the garden build, underlay fabric Ottawa Chapter Coordinator

Ottawa Dream Garden is truly an LO family affair

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ASSOCIATION NEWS Gear Up for Spring event continues amazing growth

A hands-on truck inspection brought everyone outside during the Gear Up for Spring Event.

Golden Horseshoe Chapter’s Gear up for Spring Trade Show and Presentation continued its expansion in attractions and attendance. In 2013, organizers were ecstatic over the success of the event when it reached capacity with over 120 in attendance. Last year’s event, more than doubled those numbers. This year’s event on Mar. 31 at the Ancaster Fairgrounds attracted over 400 attendees. “I am thrilled with the attendance. It was a great day for members to network,” said Golden Horseshoe Chapter Board’s second vice president Tim Rivard CLT, chair of the Gear Up for Spring event. All sectors were represented at the show, including, garden centres, grounds management, growers, landscape contractors, lawn care, interiorscape, irrigation, lighting and snow and ice. The Ministry of Transportation presentation, by Jason Droog, Hamilton-Niagara District Enforcement Manager, saw a capacity audience. This was followed by a hands-on truck inspection outside by the OPP Halton Police with CVSA inspectors Pat Martin and Scott Oldfield, dangerous goods inspector Steve Long, and Sgt. Dave McDougal, supervisor of traffic services.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System officials were also on hand to prepare attendees for the season ahead. The free two-hour session complied with the legal requirement for employees exposed to hazardous materials at the workplace. The trade show featured a wide range of products and services by exhibitors from across the Golden Horseshoe. Attendees enjoyed seeing the newest lines in vehicles, equipment, landscape materials, safety clothing, plant material and more. Essential business services were also on hand to help companies with insurance, website, financial and other office needs. The main event sponsor was Windmill Power Equipment of Dundas, while other sponsors included Nisco National Leasing, Martek Supply and South Oakville Dodge. Chapter coordinator Lee Rozon says, “The Golden Horseshoe Chapter board

members and their employees dedicated countless hours and were instrumental in once again working extremely hard as a team along with staff from Landscape Ontario to pull off this show, which quadrupled in size for the number of exhibitors.” Rozon offered a very “special thank you to Tanya Ribbink of Bos Landscaping for much appreciated assistance with the registration desk, along with Kathleen Pugliese who orchestrated a perfect flow of the large number of attendees smoothly.”

Thrive announces LO’s Snowposium joins event roster

Landscape Ontario’s newest event launch, Thrive’15, featuring Garden Expo, Industry Auction and the Golden Horseshoe Chicken Roast will now also include the Snowposium. Thrive takes place, Sept. 16 and 17 at the Ancaster Fairgrounds.

Each of the featured events brings something different to Thrive. Garden Expo is a B2B trade show for retailers, growers, designers and associated trades. Attendees can expect to see plenty of outstanding Ontario-grown plant material, retail-ready giftware, nursery grower supplies, garden art and everything in between! The trade show floor will be open both days of the event. The Industry Auction is a popular event for those who know its secret. Attendees can preview and then bid on some of the best plant material in the province. Everything from perennials and flowering shrubs to large evergreens and caliper trees will be on display; it’s a onestop shopping trip. Winning bidders load it up and take it with them at the end of the day, while still providing time for networking and a complimentary lunch, while saving buyers travel time. All members are welcome to bring their designers, crew members and valued staff for a day off-site with their peers. The Auction will run Sept. 17 with an opportunity to preview lots in the morning, followed by lunch and live bidding. The Growers Awards of Excellence winners will be included with the bidding.

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The Chicken Roast will cap off day one at Thrive, and provide yet another opportunity to connect with the green trades community. The evening will include family-friendly entertainment and great food. The association’s Snow and Ice Sector Group has been running its popular conference and expo, Snowposium, for several years. It has moved locations a few times and has been held at the Landscape Ontario property the past few years. The group is excited to announce the event will join Thrive’15 at the Ancaster Fairgrounds. The Snowposium will host morning conference sessions to help contractors make their operations more efficient and cost effective and improve their bottom line. Also included will be an outdoor trade show with vendors featuring snow and ice removal equipment, technology and affiliated products. It’s another exciting addition to Thrive’15. Details are still being firmed up — so stay tuned — attendees can also look forward to a Thrive kick-off breakfast and keynote event on Sept 16, hosted by Landscape Ontario’s Garden Centre Sector Group. Look for announcements in June.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS Thrive’s primary purpose is to connect delegates and provide face-to-face opportunities in a casual environment with new products and concepts, industry leaders and ideas that will inspire you to meet the challenges of today’s new business atmosphere. A detailed schedule will be announced in the coming weeks at LOthrive.com, and look for more information in the next issues of this magazine. Registration will be open June 1. Follow our Show and Events accounts on Twitter for up to the minute news: @LOexpo for Heather MacRae and @LOevents for Kristen McIntyre CHT, CEM.

Upper Canada Chapter transforms hospital entrance

Members of Upper Canada Chapter took the opportunity to give back to their community, when they took on a project to transform the front entrance of the

Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) in Cobourg. “Chapter members were honoured to be a part of such an important community project,” said Upper Canada Chapter Board secretary, Sian Pritchard of The Cutting Garden in Grafton. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to be able to give back to an institution that provides so much for this community.” Pritchard coordinated the project. The garden project involved the transformation of the front entrance at the hospital, including a new dry stone wall. Well-known for his work across the province, Master Craftsman Dean McLellan and his crew of students from the Saugeen Reserve #29, from the shores of Lake Huron, constructed the wall. Work began Apr. 13 on the project. There is also a garden area. The Rotary Club of Northumberland Sunrise provided the funding for the project. The club will also maintain the

landscape. Landscape Ontario’s Upper Canada Chapter provided significant expertise and labour at no cost to the hospital. “As a professional association, we work together to promote the green industry and bring people outside to connect with the outdoors. With this project, our goals are many; to provide a welcoming entrance, a calming space to walk by and a year-round oasis to view from inside the hospital,” says Pritchard. “The revitalization of the front garden is a perfect example of community partners working together to create a lasting legacy for the enjoyment of our patients and visitors,” said Rhonda Cunningham, Executive Director of NHH Foundation.

Karl Stensson wins Alumni Award of Excellence

Honorary lifetime member of Landscape Ontario Karl Stensson has been named a winner of The University of Guelph Alumni Association (UGAA) Alumni Awards of Excellence. A statement by the UGAA read, “As the president of an award-winning, century-old nursery and garden centre busi-

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Karl Stensson

ness, Karl Stensson is an innovative industry leader with more than 40 years of service to the horticultural sector. He is recognized as a committed volunteer, community supporter and a mentor.” Stensson has been at the forefront of the industry for more than 35 years, serving as both board member and president of Landscape Ontario and CNLA, and president of the Canadian Garden Council. As CEO and president of Sheridan Nurseries, Stensson leads one of the most successful garden centre and nursery businesses in the country. “When I heard that I was receiving the award I was shocked, as I know there are many more graduates out there who are more deserving. I was honoured and humbled to be considered the recipient,” said Stensson . “I find it interesting that part of the reason I won this award was for my volunteer service to public fundraising initiatives, as well as to Landscape Ontario and the CNLA. When I set out to volunteer in the late 1970s I was really looking for networking opportunities to grow my knowledge and gradually it became my passion to help improve the industry we are so lucky to be a part of. When I see the success of our Associations I can truly say I am extremely proud of being a small part of their success.” The Alumni Awards of Excellence winner has received numerous awards recognizing his important contributions to the horticulture industry. These include the Frank Ewald Jr. Award (for outstanding industry contributions from someone under 30 years of age), the Trillium Award (for outstanding support of the horticultural industry and Landscape Ontario), and the President’s Award from the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association. He holds the distinction of being the only person to receive every major award bestowed by the Canadian horticulture industry. Stensson graduated with his Bachelor

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of Landscape Architecture degree in 1973, and went to work for the City of Toronto as a parks planner. He followed this, serving two years as the Coordinator of Planning and Design for the City of North York. In 1976 he began working for the family business, Sheridan Nurseries, managing the wholesale sales division. In 1984, he took over management of all Sheridan Garden Centres, landscape supply yards, as well as the landscape design department. In 2009, Stensson was named President of Sheridan Nurseries becoming CEO and President in May 2015. As a philanthropist, volunteer and community partner, Stensson organized the Round Up at The Cash campaign at Sheridan Nurseries, with proceeds supporting the Children’s Wish Foundation. Sheridan Nurseries also supports the Kids’ Health Links Foundation, which connects hospitalized sick children to the outside world through safe Internet technology. He has spearheaded the Michael Campbell Fund, a fundraising initiative that raised more than $140,000 to provide extensive medical care for a 14-year-old boy from Jamaica. Stensson is described by his peers as a passionate, dedicated and approachable industry leader, who is also an exceptional communicator and gifted speaker. Stensson’s professional achievements have influenced the prosperity of an entire industry and his influence will carry on for generations. The award recognizes alumni whose contributions to the community, science, education, business, industry, and the arts are so significant that they bring honour to their alma mater and fellow alumni. This award is generally given for lifetime achievement or sustained commitment to excellence. The award presentation will take place at a gala this June in Guelph.

Windsor Chapter promotes LO members

Windsor Chapter was one of 260 exhibitors to have space at the Windsor Home and Garden Show. The three-day show, Mar. 27 -29, attracted nearly 10,000 people. The Chapter had lots of volunteers help staff the booth, which promoted Landscape Ontario members to the public. Members included Garry Moore, Aaron Dickau, Lex Kraft, Sarah Ackroyd, Sandy MacDonald, Jay Terryberry, John Lien and Jessica Aytoun. The Chapter acknowledges special thanks to executive board members Chris Power, Jay Rivait, Don Tellier, Dan Garlatti and Sal Costante for set-up, tear-down, organization, booth display and flyer supplies. There is also a special shout out to St. Clair College staff and students.

John Lien, left, and Jay Terryberry were among Windsor Chapter members who manned the information booth at the Windsor Home and Garden Show.

Missed volunteers

In the April issue of Landscape Ontario magazine, the following names were left off the list of volunteers at Canada Blooms: Gavin Dawson, Don Voorhees, Don McQueen, Paul Grotier and Paul Gaspar.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

LO is more than a truck discount Editor’s note: The following letter was addressed to Landscape Ontario executive director Tony DiGiovanni. The author has given his approval to have it re-printed as a Letter to the Editor I am a first-year member and wanted to drop you a line to share my experience thus far with Landscape Ontario. I have been in business for four seasons, after leaving a career in telecommunications. I worked for a small lawn maintenance company learning how to landscape, before starting my own business. After my second season, things really took off. We are attracting great clients who want more services. I am a newbie in the industry, and I won’t jeopardize my reputation by pretending to know (and sell) things of which I’m not an expert. So, I’ve needed to become an expert in order to grow the business. Landscape Ontario has been a HUGE help for me towards growing my company and getting up to speed on the things I’ve needed to learn. I’ve taken quite a few seminars and have learned a ton...but that’s not what’s really motivated me to send you this letter. I have been incredibly impressed with the team at the LO office, as well as the instructors teaching the seminars. I just received several emails (on a Sunday) from Belinda Gallagher, who spent God knows how long breaking up her course outline into several pieces, as the file I requested was too large to send from her home. Kathy McLean in the office obviously read my feedback forms as the last class I took had colour handouts as requested. Myscha Burton could have steered me to the website to learn about the benefits of LO membership, but instead welcomed me into her office and spent 30 minutes chatting with me and answering questions. Jeff McMann was someone I emailed for advice after a course last year, and I always got responses and solid direction. The same can be said of Sean James from Fern Ridge. Anyway Tony, to be perfectly honest, the biggest reason I joined LO was to save some money on a new truck and seminar fees. What I soon learned is that you folks have created an amazing association that will help me grow my company quickly and in the right directions. It’s an organization I am very proud to be a member of, and hope to bring my experience and knowledge to in any way that helps. Keep up the great work.

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SCHOLARSHIP PROFILE Jane Davey: Scholarship helps career change In 2004, Jane Davey was in the midst of changing careers and entering school to tackle an industry she says that at the time was very new to her. “I entered this industry after making a career change,” says Davey. “I did some volunteer work for six months to help me decide my next career path. With no income for that time and the sudden burden of tuition costs, the scholarship was helpful in reducing the

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expenses of the schooling, and it was also was a great introduction to Landscape Ontario.” Davey received a $1,000 scholarship from the Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation. “The scholarship I received back then helped tremendously with supporting me through the endeavour.” She reflects at the time how changing her career was difficult. “It was a tough decision at the time, but now I have

absolutely no regrets.” After leaving her previous industry, Davey attended Seneca College. “The education I received there helped me gain confidence very quickly in an industry that was very new to me.” After finding some work in grounds keeping, Davey began working for another landscape contractor, and later started her own business. Now, Davey has come full circle, as she recently became the Program Coordinator for the Environmental Landscape Program at Seneca. “I now share my enthusiasm and passion for the industry with my students,” she says. “I always remind them to apply for the scholarships offered by Landscape Ontario.” The Foundation believes in helping future horticultural workers get a strong start. Each year the Foundation makes a number of scholarships, bursaries and awards available to high school and post-secondary students. Students may find more information at horttrades.com/scholarship; application deadline is June 30. If you have contact information for a past scholarship recipient, please write adennis@landscapeontario.com.

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EVENTS

or to register, go to horttrades.com/ golden-horseshoe-chapter-golf-tournament-2015. August 16

Bookmark horttrades.com/comingevents for up-to-date event information. June 1 - 2

Grey to Green Conference

Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University, 55 Dundas St. W., Toronto The Grey to Green Conference is presented by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, and addresses the future of green infrastructure and designing for resilience. Some of the leading-edge issues and developments that will be discussed, include parks becoming focal points for community cohesion, managing stormwater, protecting biodiversity, tourism, generating tax revenue, food and more.

August 14

Golden Horseshoe Chapter Golf Tournament

Willow Valley Golf Course, Hamilton The annual golf tournament is back. Be sure to register before June 20, for the chance to win an early-bird prize. For more information,

Toronto Chapter Baseball Tournament

Richmond Green Put your company team together to take part in the annual Toronto Chapter Baseball Tournament. It’s a great day of sport, food and fun. For more information, go to horttrades.com/ toronto-chapter-2015-baseball-tournament.

June 20

Bees, butterflies and beyond

838369 4th Line East, Mulmur This public education event takes place on a Saturday, so all family members can take part and learn about native pollinators, why they are so important and what individuals can do to protect them. Educational talks, interactive demonstrations, food tastings and film screening will be held throughout the day. Find more details and registration information at notsohollowfarm.ca. July 19

Waterloo Chapter’s Family Day

425 Bingemans Centre Drive, Kitchener Join the Waterloo Chapter for its first Family Day. It will be a great way to spend time with family and thank your staff. It begins at 9 a.m., with lunch from 12 to 1:30 p.m., followed by face painting, prize giveaways, and a beach volleyball tournament. For more information, or to register, go to horttrades.com/waterloo-2015-family-day. July 22 - 24

Sno-motion 2015

Dover, Ohio Sno-Motion is an event for snow and ice management industry professionals, held every other year. Sno-motion is held in Amish Country in east-central Ohio, and provides an opportunity to learn from your peers, network and sharpen your knowledge in several key areas of a snow and ice management business. Sno-motion is hosted by Pro-Motion Consulting. For more information, go to horttrades.com/sno-motion-2015. July 23

Toronto Chapter Golf Tournament

Nobleton Lakes Golf Club The annual Toronto Chapter Golf Tournament is always a great social outing for members, along with an opportunity for some networking. For more information, go to horttrades.com/ toronto-chapter-2015-golf-tournament.

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NEW MEMBERS Durham Superior Landscape Construction & Design or Spase Poposki

Steve Poposki 554 Rainy Day Dr, Pickering, ON L1V 5Z9 Tel: 905-420-5326 Membership Type: Active

Georgian Lakelands JCO Tree Farms

Dustin Weir 802704 Grey Rd 40, Chatsworth, ON N0H 1G0 Tel: 416-450-6160 Membership Type: Active

S. Charlebois Haulage and Excavating Ltd Barry Janz 430 Concession 16 E, Tiny, ON L9M 0P1 Tel: 705-533-2596 Membership Type: Active

Simcoe Soils

Steven Street 5 Minets Point Rd, PO Box 352 Barrie, ON L4N 8J8 Tel: 705-726-7645 Membership Type: Associate

Springscapes Landscaping

Ryan Baker 201 Side St, Stayner, ON L0M 1S0 Tel: 705-888-7554 Membership Type: Active

Golden Horseshoe CSL Group

Jack Wieske 1326 Butter Rd W, Ancaster, ON L9G 3L1 Tel: 905-648-7949 Membership Type: Active

Raincentre Irrigation Ltd

Toronto B.A.C. Landscape Contractors

(a division of Turfmist Irrigation Systems Inc)

Keith Causton 19 - 1225 Gorham St Newmarket, ON L3Y 8Y4 Tel: 905-716-1097 Membership Type: Active

Russ Bridgman 241 Dundas St E, PO Box 939 Waterdown, ON L0R 2H0 Tel: 905-689-7161 Membership Type: Active

Bongor Landscape Group

Sweetwater Landscapes Inc

Elite Groundskeeping Inc

Deanna Rando 376 Seneca Ave, Burlington, ON L7R 3A2 Tel: 905-730-3410 Membership Type: Active

Zen Construction

Josh Putt 28 Stirling St, Caledonia, ON N3W 1J5 Tel: 289-284-1151 Membership Type: Active

London Britespan Building Systems Inc Amanda Monaghan 37651 Amberley Rd, RR 1, Lucknow, ON N0G 2H0 Tel: 519-528-2922 Membership Type: Associate

Ottawa Canadian Property Stars

Robb Stewart 2477 Kaladar Ave, Ottawa, ON K1V 8B9 Tel: 613-867-1765 Membership Type: Active

Earl E Covell General Contracting Ltd George Covell 144 McLaren Dr, Perth, ON K7H 3C7 Tel: 613-812-0707 Membership Type: Active

Les Entreprises Marechal

Francas Marechal 7 Chemin Romanuk, Cantley, QC J8V 3L5 Tel: 819-772-4443 Membership Type: Active

Daniel D’avella 13175 Weston Rd, King City, ON L7B 1K4 Tel: 905-669-5499 Membership Type: Interim Al Linauskas 6 - 19 Curity Ave, Toronto, ON M4B 1X4 Tel: 416-645-1199 Membership Type: Active

Green Horse

Miguel Elicagaray 95 Richardson Dr, Aurora, ON L4G 1Z4 Tel: 416-301-5548 Membership Type: Active

Land Master Contracting Ltd

Siamack Niknam Shirvan 27 McMaster Ave, Aurora, ON L4G 7M8 Tel: 647-921-4242 Membership Type: Interim

Landscape Elements

Paul Kiesewetter 4 - 450 Wyecroft Rd, Oakville, ON L6K 2G7 Tel: 905-337-7625 Membership Type: Associate

M. Frank’s Landscaping (648398 Ont Ltd)

Genny Battaglia 133 Woodbury Cres, Newmarket, ON L3X 2S5 Tel: 416-219-1165 Membership Type: Active

Spectral LV Lighting Systems

Tony Perugini 1047 Secretariate Rd, Newmarket, ON L3X 1M2 Tel: 905-751-8490 Membership Type: Associate

Tahoe Products Group Inc Tom Rosicki 2 - 5700 Timberlea Blvd Mississauga, ON L4W 5B9 Tel: 905-279-1100-x22 Membership Type: Associate

The Backyard Urban Farm Company Arlene Hazzan Green 44 Columbus Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 1S2 Tel: 647-290-2572 Membership Type: Active

Urban Alternatives Custom Landscapes Peter Arcangeli 3 - 13878 Woodbine Ave, PO Box 71596 Aurora, ON L4G 6S9 Tel: 905-713-9900 Membership Type: Active

Zyzu Transport Inc

Peter Kamycki 2171 Hillfield Crt, Mississauga, ON L5B 1Y2 Tel: 905-208-2137 Membership Type: Active

Waterloo Drimmie Property Maintenance Jeff Drimmie 322 North St, Elora, ON N0B 1S0 Tel: 519-846-5187 Membership Type: Active

Rivers’s Edge Garden Centre by Paul Berberich Landscaping Paul Berberich, 939 Bruce County Rd 4, RR 2 Walkerton, ON N0G 2V0 Tel: 519-364-7548 Membership Type: Active

Trevor Smyod Excavating Ltd

Trevor Smyod 23 Stoke Crt, Kitchener, ON N2N 1Z5 Tel: 519-654-8739 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

Veugen Integrated Tech

Walter Veugen 290 Thompson Rd, Cambridge, ON N1T 2E3 Tel: 519-590-3769 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

Windsor Deluca Sales and Service

Kirk Deluca 25 Renaud St, Amherstberg, ON N9V 4A9 Tel: 519-817-4700 Membership Type: Associate

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INDUSTRY NEWS LO member concerned over Lyme disease awareness LO member Sasha Hunter of Aquascape says most people are unaware of the symptoms of Lyme disease, and most doctors misdiagnose. “People are misdiagnosed with stroke, MS or other diseases that had the doctors treated them for Lyme disease, they would get better. If people and/or doctors were more aware and patients received proper treatment, this would not be getting as bad as it is,” says Hunter. She knows from first-hand experience about the effects of Lyme disease. “Having Lyme disease was the absolute worst eight to nine months of my life. My doctor told me ‘it will just go away.’ It doesn’t. If I would have accepted that as an answer, I would probably be suffering with Stage Three, chronic Lyme disease.” Statistics show that in the U.S. there are many more cases of Lyme disease than in Canada. About 300,000 cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, according to data from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), only 315 cases of Lyme disease were reported in 2012. Hunter says it’s not because it’s not

happening in Canada. “It’s because doctors aren’t diagnosing and treating it here. If you go to a doctor in Canada, they will say you don’t have it. Go across the border and be tested and you will be diagnosed. Canada has assumed the ostrich position toward Lyme for decades. It’s crazy! Lyme disease is treatable if caught early, but we need to be aware of what to watch for and doctors need to know how to treat and not have to worry about being sued if they treat.” Lyme disease has three stages and if it is left untreated and gets to Stage Three, people are confined to beds, wheelchairs, etc., suffering from chronic pain. “There’s no reason for this,” says Hunter. “It’s treatable.’ Lyme disease is a potentially debilitating illness that is a growing threat to Ontarians who spend time outdoors. The bite of a tick infected with Lyme bacteria can cause terrible fatigue, pain, memory loss, and scores of other symptoms. Without early and appropriate antibiotic treatment, the disease leads to multi-system breakdown, which often mimics other conditions such as fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, lupus and Parkinson’s disease. The number of infected ticks is rapidly

A circular ‘bullseye’ rash at the site of a tick bite is often the first sign of Lyme disease infection.

increasing in the province and Ontarians can be bitten by an infected tick anywhere outdoors. Those in the landscaping industry need to be aware of the problem. There are increasing populations of infected ticks in Ontario. The Public Health Agency of Canada has identified some of the risk areas as being the shore lands of Lakes Erie and Ontario and Kingston, east to Cornwall and north to Ottawa. Recently the Rouge Valley in Toronto was also identified. It is projected that by 2020, about 80 per cent of residents of Eastern Canada (including Ontario) will be living in areas known to have established populations of ticks. Right now, Ontario is not prepared to

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INDUSTRY NEWS deal with what the Public Health Agency of Canada has called “a likely epidemic of Lyme disease.” The Ontario Lyme Alliance (OLA) in Markham says there are several reasons why the way in which this disease is dealt with in Ontario needs to be changed and improved through a new provincial strategy: • Cases of the disease are often misdiagnosed or undetected in Ontario due to a lack of awareness and poor public and physician education. • Canadian blood testing for the disease has very limited reliability — a fact that has been recognized by Health Canada. • Ontarians who develop late-stage Lyme disease after not receiving early, appropriate, and sufficient antibiotic treatment are unable to receive treatment in Ontario because of outdated and restrictive treatment guidelines. Once they finally receive a diagnosis of Lyme disease (often by out-of-country physicians/labs), many patients resort to travelling to the

The OLA is asking for help with the next step. “According to the motion, this strategy must be developed before the deadline of November 27, 2015. Therefore, we need groups to write to the Minister of Health to ask that priority be given to the government’s commitment to create a provincial strategy on Lyme disease,” says OLA chair Bruce R. Shilton The address to send letters of support is The Hon. Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, 10th Floor, Hepburn Block, 80 Grosvenor Street, Toronto, ON M7A 2C4, ehoskins.mpp@ liberal.ola.org. The OLA would appreciate receiving a copy of any letter sent. Send an e-mail to info@ontariolymealliance.ca. More information about the OLA may be found at its website at ontariolymealliance.ca.

U.S. to receive the treatment they need at great personal expense. However, countless others cannot afford to do so as the disease has rendered them unable to work and thus they are left severely ill and dealing with financial hardships. The Ontario Lyme Alliance has been advocating for a provincial strategy to address these issues which would safeguard Ontarians from this terrible disease. The OLA has met with politicians and various government and medical organizations, such as Public Health Ontario and the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care, in order to instigate changes so that Lyme disease is better managed in Ontario. Michael Mantha, the MPP for AlgomaManitoulin, presented a motion to the Ontario Legislature last November that asks the Minister of Health to develop a provincial strategy for Lyme disease. The GO ERS’ LO MEMB TRADE motion was carried unanimously by all three parties.

Numbers released from foreign workers blitz

Results from the provincial vulnerable and temporary foreign workers blitz, that ran from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, 2014, have been released by the Ministry of Labour. The blitz involved 256 inspections. The ministry considers vulnerable workers to be those who work in sectors where

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they may be at greater risk of having their rights violated, and who may lack the ability or resources to understand their rights. Vulnerable workers may include temporary foreign workers, young workers, newcomers to Canada, and those whose first language is neither English nor French. Officers targeted nurseries and greenhouses, with a particular focus on public holidays, vacation pay, minimum wage, record-keeping and payment of wages. Vulnerable workers results with 206 inspections completed: • 35 employers were compliant and no violations were found. • 171 employers were found to be noncompliant. As a result, 535 compliance tools (Compliance Order, Notice of Contravention or Part 1 Ticket) were issued. • 99.9 per cent of the monies owing to employees assessed during the blitz were paid voluntarily by the employer. • Over $175,390 was recovered for 1,406 employees. The most common monetary violations were for public holiday pay, vacation pay and overtime pay • The most common non-monetary violations were for record-keeping, hours of work – excess daily/weekly, and vacation pay – written agreements Temporary foreign workers with 50 inspections completed: • 23 employers were compliant and no violations were found. • 27 employers were found to be noncompliant. As a result, 53 compliance tools (Compliance Order, Notice of Contravention or Part 1 Ticket) were issued. • 100 per cent of the monies owing to temporary foreign workers assessed during the blitz were paid voluntarily by the employer. • Over $34,725 was recovered for 127 temporary foreign workers. • The most common monetary violations were for deduction from wages, public holiday pay and vacation pay • The most common non-monetary violations were for posting requirement, record-keeping and vacation pay — written agreements

Canada Blooms earned great media exposure

According to Canada Blooms general manager Terry Caddo, the number of media hits for this year’s event was recorded on 518 media, resulting in more than 162 million media impressions. Caddo estimates the public relations value at $2.9 million. He explains that

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INDUSTRY NEWS public relations value is calculated based on the advertising rates of a media hit, multiplied by four. It’s an industry standard that weighs the public perception of earned media mentions versus paid media advertisements. Exposure of Canada Blooms on social media channels was equally extensive. The Festival was mentioned on various digital channels 6,283 times since the beginning of January, reaching a potential audience of more than 574.3 million social media users.

Bewers says lack of familiarity with the location is just one risk. “Other variables include heavy traffic and poor weather conditions. Ontario Traffic Manual Book 7 - Temporary Conditions and TCP in Construction is an essential starting point,” says Bewers. Although designed for traffic control in temporary construction zones affecting public roads, it contains useful tips and diagrams on setting up traffic control devices for anyone delivering materials to a project site. Building the following considerations into a jobsite plan will help to anticipate hazards and minimize risk. “Treat the plan as a living document, so that you can continue anticipating and avoiding hazards as circumstances change,” says Bewers. She offers this list of how to avoid problems in delivering goods and materials. 1. Figure out what vehicle(s) you need, taking into account unloading requirements and possible restrictions on the type or size of vehicle the site can

Top 10 tips for safe deliveries

If you’re working on a landscaping project for days or weeks, you may face different site-specific hazards each day. Janet Bewers, a business developer at Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS), says, “Keep your people safe and your customers happy by preparing a delivery or jobsite plan in advance.”

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safely handle. Use the smallest possible delivery vehicle. 2. Check with the delivery location on any timing restrictions regarding loading or unloading goods or equipment. 3. Identify the best routes to the site, taking into account one-way or narrow roads, low bridges, tight curves, overhead power lines, parking restrictions, etc. Also, reduce left-hand turns at intersections. 4. Decide where to park your vehicle(s) safely and without inconveniencing other drivers, residents, pedestrians, etc. Aim for locations where unloading can take place off the road and away from passers-by. 5. Assemble any procedures the driver and other employees must follow, such as • completing simple delivery safety checklists • identify the equipment required, lifting capacity, safe practices, etc. • wearing personal protective equipment (high visibility clothing, gloves, footwear, etc.) • observing fall prevention measures • safe reversing, with guidance from traffic signalling colleagues • reporting vehicle accidents, near-misses and other safety concerns.

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6. Sketch a site plan showing parking, route to take through the site, safe unloading or loading zone, etc., and share with the person responsible for managing the delivery. 7. Provide next steps for the driver(s) and site staff if they are dissatisfied with safety arrangements at the site (e.g., who to report concerns to). 8. Load the vehicle(s) so that safety gear is readily accessible, such as the right traffic pylons for the roadway and traffic speed, traffic control signs, safety vests, protective head gear, etc. 9. Ensure all workers involved in loading and unloading have been trained on safe practices, including traffic management if required. 10. Go over the delivery plan with affected employees before the end of the previous day, and make clear who’s in charge.

The Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture held its graduation ceremony on Mar. 28. In photo, from left, are Bryn Luckhardt, Emily VanderDeen, Heather Skrypnyk, Dean Ruhnke, Jenny Kuri, Colin Mayer, Holly Halsey, Hunter Beamish and Tracy Qiu. The three-year School of Horticulture Program combines academic and practical work experience at the Botanical Gardens within Ontario’s Niagara Parks. LO executive director Tony DiGiovanni spoke at the graduation ceremony.

A Growing Tradition

To help improve your team’s safety performance use WSPS resources online at http://gfl.me/x2vE. Also check out Landscape Ontario Workplace Safety Tailgate Talks for the Landscaping Industry at http://gfl. me/x2vF. Safe driving training opportunities may be found at http://gfl.me/x2vG.

New Niagara Parks graduating class

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EXECUTIVE DESK A couple of important issues that may affect you Tony DiGiovanni CHT LO executive director

appy Spring! I am writing this month’s article knowing full well that many of you will be too busy to read this. I will try to be brief.

Definition of Landscape Gardener

A number of members have called asking for clarity about the special rules for Landscape Gardeners within the Labour Standards Act (LSA). It is difficult to be clear, because Acts are written in a very general way and interpretations differ. I will start with some history. Historically, agriculture, horticulture and a number of other industries (including paving, doctors, lawyers, etc.) have special rules under the LSA. The ministry publishes a special rules tool at this link, labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/ tools/srt/. In the case of horticulture and landscape gardening, the special rules are based on the following industry profile: • Seasonality There is a short season to do the work and therefore hours are compressed. Typically a full-time complement is 2,000 hours per 12-month

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period. Many people in the agriculture and horticulture businesses, work 2,000 hours in a compressed time frame. This is true of owners and other family members, too. It is the nature of our business. • Weather Within the short season, the unpredictability of weather plays havoc on production. Rain days must be made up. It is very difficult to price jobs based on the unpredictable nature of the weather. • Biology Agriculture and horticulture deal with living organisms. A plant that needs to be watered does not realize it is 5

“ Landscape Gardener work includes all aspects of hard and soft landscaping, including segmental paving and irrigation.” p.m., or the weekend. Sometimes it is necessary to work extra hours to ensure that the biological needs of the plant are looked after. • Nature’s clock There are certain times of the year that certain practices must be done. Seeding, cutting, grafting,

for over

harvesting, etc., all have specific and optimum time periods that must be adhered to. Nature sets the clock — we don’t. These are the main reasons for the agricultural, horticulture and landscape gardener special rules. In the previous LSA, the special rules pertained to everyone employed in Landscape Gardening. In 2001, the wording in the LSA was amended to say that the special rules applied to everyone employed as “Landscape Gardeners.” This three-letter change from gardening to gardener has caused confusion. The industry, the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities, Service Canada and many other authorities define Landscape Gardener in a very broad way to include all aspects of creating and maintaining landscapes. The Ministry of Labour sometimes differs. Here is where the ministry and Landscape Ontario agree. Landscape Gardener work includes all aspects of hard and soft landscaping, including segmental paving and irrigation. However, according to the Ministry of Labour interpretation, manual employees engaged in the following activities fall outside the definition: • Persons employed by a landscaping company who do not perform landscaping work (administrative employees, landscape architects/ designers, and truck drivers) • Builders of retaining walls for purely, or substantially, structural purposes • Installers of lighting systems • Persons involved in weed spraying of roads and industrial sites

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I hope this offers some clarity. Please see, horttrades.com/defining-landscapegardener for more information.

Zoning issues

Another issue that comes up on a regular basis is the correct zoning for landscape businesses. The vast majority of members operate peacefully from residential and rural properties. However, every year a few members find themselves in difficulty because a complaint from a neighbour has placed their operations at risk. Most of the time remedies can found. Sometimes businesses are forced to relocate. Landscape Ontario believes that rural properties are ideal for running landscape businesses. The presentation we prepared for City of Hamilton, which is are considering a new zoning bylaw, may be found at http://gfl.me/x2vx. As a result of many excellent presentations from the public and Landscape Ontario members, the City voted to exempt landscape businesses, located in Ancaster and Flamborough, from the proposed new zoning bylaw. However, those located in other areas of Hamilton are at risk if there is a complaint. For specific details about the Hamilton issue, please see http://gfl.me/x2vd. Most municipalities will not actively pursue a landscape business unless there is a complaint. Please do whatever you can to be good neighbours to reduce the likelihood of complaints. Tony DiGiovanni may be reached at tony@landscapeontario.com.

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PUBLIC RELATIONS

Garden Inspiration magazine is packed full of valuable information. The magazine is written and produced by your LO publishing team, from left, Sarah Willis, editorial director, Kim Burton, art director, and Lee Ann Knudsen, publisher.

Over one-million gardeners inspired By Denis Flanagan CLD Director of Public Relations and Membership Services

his past fall and winter season has been incredibly busy for Landscape Ontario staff, members and volunteers. There were a record number of events and courses happening throughout the province, starting with Canada Blooms and followed by many regional home and garden shows within most of our chapters.

I estimate the industry has influenced over one million gardeners and potential gardeners of all ages. This sharing of information has included the distribution of our Garden Inspiration magazine. This publication is a gem, packed full of fabulous award-winning gardens, an exclusive look at new plant cultivars for 2015, heart-warming stories describing community projects by our Chapter members, and a comprehensive listing of all our active members by region. The magazine is written and produced by your LO publishing team, and truly is a great way for the public to be inspired and connected to our website and our members. We still have a good supply of the

magazines in Milton. If you have a garden centre, or your company is involved in a garden or community event this summer, please contact us for some copies. As well as promotions to the public, all of our chapters were extremely busy with many sold-out events province-wide. A review of the numbers show 40 chapter meetings this winter, with 1,500-plus in attendance, plus 30 special events with 2,500-plus in attendance. Our sector groups are also experiencing continued success with educational sessions. Once again, over 1,400 people attended the professional development seminars in Milton and elsewhere. So, the next time you are at a party or family gathering, and the topic of what we do for a living is brought up, and the usual response is, “Oh, so you are in landscaping. What do you do in the winter?” Please feel free to save this article on your mobile device and shine it in their face. The work will continue this summer with onsite member visits, organizing chapter golf tournaments, promoting member benefits and planning meetings for the fall. In addition, a new service will be launched. We are looking forward to Member Appreciation Days. This service will have LO staff spending the day at Associate members’ places of business (nurseries, supply yards, etc.). At each event we will set up a tent, where we will be branding LO, serving refreshments, listening to member feedback and chatting with non-members about the benefits of joining the association. We would like to host these events within every chapter. If you are celebrating an anniversary, hosting an open house, etc., or have a suggestion of a business location where you would like us to consider having the friendly Landscape Ontario staff set up shop for the day, please contact me at dflanagan@landscapeontario.com.

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MEMBERSHIP Membership appreciation tour 2015 By Myscha Burton Membership and Chapter Coordinator

ast month I wrote about the value of attending chapter meetings, and including your staff in these events. This prompted LO’s director of public relations Denis Flanagan and I to take a closer look at how many people are coming out to these events. We also looked at our current membership numbers. As of this writing, membership is at an unprecedented level. Landscape Ontario has the largest number of members in its history, 2,486. We are seeing a reflection of this growth at our events, as well. From July 2014 to April 2015, our nine chapters have hosted over 70 meetings, special events and community engagement projects. Over 1,500 people have attended chapter meetings, and over 2,000 came out to the various special events hosted by the chapters. Golden Horseshoe Chapter’s Gear Up for Spring Trade Show alone saw over 350 in attendance. This event was a tremendous success, and like all our events, we must offer a special thank you to the volunteers who made it happen, as well as the vendors, generous sponsors, and of course, everyone who attends. From these numbers, it is pretty clear that these events are unique opportunities for you to connect with industry colleagues and suppliers, in addition to experience fantastic speakers and education forums. Your chapter executive boards are in the process of planning your fall and winter meetings for 2015 and 2016. We will have these dates and topics available to you shortly, so that you and your staff can plan ahead. Details will be available on your chapter’s webpage. Here in Milton, we have a busy summer ahead. Once again, your membership services team will visit job sites. This gives us a chance to see your incredible work. It also provides us an opportunity to thank your clients for hiring an LO member and to spread the word to the general public

educating them about Landscape Ontario’s Green for Life message. You can view photographs of last year’s membership tour at horttrades.com. Go to About Us. Click on Members on Job Sites. If you have a particular job site that you’d like to show off, please let us know so that we can include you in the Membership Appreciation Tour 2015. While we are spreading the message of Landscape Ontario, Active and Associate members can do the same by including the Green for Life message in your company’s marketing. We have a variety of Landscape Ontario Green for Life promotional items available, including decals and bumper stickers, for our Active and Associate members, as well as press releases. These are great tools to distinguish your company as professional, in addition to your own branding. We also have Green for Life brochures available (with personalization space allocated) to share with your clients and potential customers on the benefit of hiring a member of Landscape Ontario and information about the Green for Life brand. You’ll be helping to share the message from Landscape Ontario and trumpet your company’s commitment to

professionalism and excellence. You can access these logos and promotional materials at horttrades.com/green-for-life. Your membership services team is also undertaking a new project this season, which was inspired by something we learned on our member visits last year. We found that there are a lot of potential members visiting our Associate members (suppliers to the industry). The purpose of these events is twofold; we want to connect with current LO members, and with potential members. During the spring and summer months, you don’t have time to make the trip to the Milton office, and there are no chapter meetings during those months, not allowing us to connect with our members. Visiting suppliers during their open houses or special events, and on the busy days of the week, will give us the opportunity to catch up with you, as well as connect with potential members. We will have plenty of LO paraphernalia and swag, and of course a bit of food. In addition to our onsite visits and appreciation days, our chapters are hard at work planning summer events, as well as fall chapter meetings. We have another full roster of golf, baseball and putting tournaments in the works, as well as an exciting new event with the Waterloo Chapter which will host its inaugural family fun day this July. More details on all of these events will be posted shortly in your weekly enews and your chapter’s webpage. Or, you may contact me directly at myscha@landscapeontario. com, or 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354.

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UNDERGROUND WORLD Dig Safe month is a great success By Terry Murphy CLP

he Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance (ORCGA) dedicates the month of April to marketing underground safety and damage prevention to the public by having key awareness sessions across Ontario. These annual awareness and information presentations are directed towards the general public, municipalities and any venue that can reach large numbers of the public, in addition to excavators, to promote safe digging. There were more than 50 promotions in various cities and at partner companies, such as Home Depot and Tim Hortons. One of the challenges underground damage prevention is the fact that a private citizen working on an outdoor project must call Ontario One Call for locates, exactly the same as a landscape contractor. The problem is that many homeowners still do not understand

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what a locate is, and which utilities are actually in the ground. And, they do not know what their obligations are under the law. The other important point is that locates obtained by calling Ontario One Call are only marked from the street or public right-of-way to where the utility enters the private residence or commercial property. Any back or side yard locates are the responsibility of the owner, and not covered by the initial request to Ontario One Call. The public needs to learn more about these obligations if trees or shrubs are planted, or post holes are dug. This is why the awareness campaign is so important. Why be bothered with the public? There are two key target groups in damage prevention. One is the excavating contractor and the other is the home owner. In Canada, while there are no concrete records kept, it is estimated that damages to underground utilities may annually cost $75-million. Who pays for this enormous cost? Anyone who purchases natural gas, electricity, water and sewer use, cable, etc., and other underground utilities pays for underground damage. The other point, and perhaps the most important one, is that when an underground utility hit occurs, there could be loss of life or injury. Natural gas piping, electrical wiring and other underground utilities will can cause create serious injury if disturbed. Landscape Ontario is very safety conscious and we are assisting the ORCGA with its Dig Safe promotion. This takes place year round. LO promoted Dig Safe Day at our annual Congress trade show. We had over 40 people outfitted in Dig Safe yellow T-shirts walking the floor and talking about the ORCGA and its mission on underground safety. These were exhibitors and ORCGA member firms and safety organizations all sharing the message. In March, at the Mohawk College apprenticeship campus in Stoney Creek, students were given a two-hour presentation on underground damage prevention. One of the functions I attended was Dig Safe Day at the City of Mississauga on Apr. 1. Lori O’Doherty, events coordinator for the ORCGA, and John Huber of Enbridge Gas gave Mayor Bonnie Crombie and the Mississauga Council members an introduction to the Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance. They outlined the work they do, the programs they have and that the membership consists of 500 and is growing. Some of the councillors indicated that they would post information on their Facebook and Twitter accounts about underground safety, expressing how pleased they were to learn more about ORCGA. This was one of the many successful events in April. Jim Douglas, president of ORCGA, stated, “We started the branding five years ago, and now it is well recognized and spreading across Ontario and Canada as a well-known damage prevention safety brand. We are pleased to have it as our slogan and ORCGA brand.” ORCGA staff members are also responsible promoting the concept and arranging the various Dig Safe meetings and presentations at municipalities and member firms during the month of April. If you are interested in promoting underground damage prevention safety at any time in your company, contact the ORCGA at office@ orcga.com for more information. It is a great way to kick off safety meetings when you talk to your employees throughout the 2015 season. Please contact me with any feedback on this article or any other underground issue at tvmurphy@ca.inter.net.

pROSPERITY Partners The rubber hits the road By Jacki Hart CLP Prosperity Partners Program Manager

his month marks the start of the 2015 system test for your business. Regardless of the sector in which you’ve chosen to hang your hat, we are all very, very busy. There are rarely enough hours in the days of the week to complete everything demanded of us, and to the best of our ability. May is the month where systems are tested, and resources are stretched thin. The obvious pool of resources we need at this time of year include cash flow, production capacity, catchy product displays, timely inventory, administrative support, technology to aid the flow of information (in every direction), our market share, our client base, our creativity and the talent of our people. The less obvious resource we really need is the one that most of us work hard at improving in our off season: systems. More than any other time of year, it is now that our systems are put through the rigours of every test. Consider for a moment this comment from Ron Carroll, author of Profit Acceleration System. “Each customer contact is a moment of truth, a time when the relationship can be won or lost. Customers do business with companies that consistently meet their expectations — that deliver explicitly on their promise. Effective systems ensure that nothing is left to change and that customers get what they wanted and expect every time.” Systems are typically designed to help manage all of the moving parts, people, plants and promises. The end goal is to provide consistent customer experiences, consistent delivery on promises, and consistent profit for the company. Many of you have worked on improving your systems by categorizing them by using Prosperity Partners Pillars. LO provides us with hundreds of learning opportunities every winter (chapter meeting presentations, Congress conferences, sym-

posia, winter workshops, etc.), all of which are organized using our pillar system. From government compliance and training, to budgeting and financial planning, marketing, managing people, improving technical knowledge and leadership skills, we all have access to great information. What we often don’t do, as a result of taking seminars and courses, is make sustainable change to our systems. Making change stick is difficult. And this month, when the rubber hits the road, testing your new policies, processes, people and profit projections, the success and sustainability of change is hard to measure. That is unless you’re prepared to create a metric to assess where you’ve achieved improvement, and what still needs work. How can you measure the success of your improved systems? It’s easier than you may think. I’ve said many times to participants in our Prosperity Partners seminars, “If you’re aiming at nothing, you’ll hit it with huge accuracy.” So, simply write on a flipchart page or handy sheet of paper, how you anticipate things will look and sound like when things are going smoothly. Refer to this list often. What if you’re not seeing those positive signs? Here’s some suggestions: Create an accessible place where you can quickly jot down and dump your observations over the next month or two (use a notepad or Word file on your smart phone or tablet, a journal, a large empty glass vase or jar). By having a quick and easy way to capture observations in the midst of this peak season, we’re all more likely to remember what isn’t working very well (and the problems seem to domi-

nate my thoughts less at night when I know I’ve earmarked them for improvement later). Personally, I like the glass jar approach. I can see a collection of thoughts growing by the number of notes I chuck in there every week on my way out the door. Next, book an appointment with yourself for a FULL-DAY in July or August. That’s the day you will commit to work with yourself, on your business, and review the ‘slips, trips and falls’ of your systems. I tape a note to the outside of my systems’ jar with this appointment time, so that every time I toss in a note, I am reminded to keep that date set aside for working on my business. The reason I recommend doing this mid-season is so that you can assess what’s really in need of fixing, and can prioritize some solutions to implement for the remainder of the season. Keep your appointment time, and spend the day away from distractions (NOT at the office) by treating yourself to a business lunch. Focus on prioritizing your biggest system failures, and work on solutions. Organizing your challenges into categories can help to set priorities. Our Prosperity Pillars are Financial Health, Sales Success, Customers for Life, Leadership, and Operations. Landscape Ontario offers many opportunities to improve systems. There are also resources available outside of LO to create systems for various (or all) aspects of your business. These include: horttrades.com/ safety-resources-2 , horttrades.com/HRToolkit, lstraining.com, jplbiz.ca, and golmn.com. Also, the Landscape Ontario Peer-toPeer Network is offering a Face-to-Face focus group session on Aug. 19 in Milton on Developing Internal Systems in Your Business. Go to http://gfl.me/x2uV for more information or to register. The Peer to Peer Network is a LinkedIn forum for LO member business owners. To join, go to http://gfl.me/x2vv.

Free prosperity tool: Daily truck and tractor inspection checklist One of the biggest challenges for members is maintaining trucks on the road that meet MTO requirements. This simple daily inspection checklist http://gfl.me/x2vy will help you set up best practices to keep your staff and equipment safe, and in compliance. Download this checklist and a wealth of other free Prosperity resources at horttrades.com/prosperitytemplates. The templates are organized by Prosperity Pillar, and can be customized to suit your business needs.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 29

Get INSPIRED Get CONNECTED

Landscape Ontario’s Green for Life brand is designed to promote your professional business Landscape Ontario’s Green for Life brand is designed to promote your professional business Keep in touch with

LANDSCAPE

ONTARIO Join our discussion forum

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@LOassocMag @LOMembership @TonyDiGiovanni1 @denisflanagan @green_for_life @LOevents @LOgnome

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30 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO MAY 2015

CLASSIFIEDS All classified ads must be pre-paid by credit card. 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. 10. 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) for Associaton members and $90.40 HST included for non-members. Website ads are posted for 31 days. View ads online at www.horttrades.com/classifieds

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

EQUIPMENT

LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE COMPANY FOR SALE Successful, respected and well-established company, serving the Dundas, Hamilton and Burlington area for 25 years. Locally owned and operated, Is looking for a professional and dedicated purchaser. Well-maintained equipment. Dependable staff, loyal customer base. Owner retiring. For serious inquires only, please reply in confidence by email to: knightspropertymaint@hotmail.com

Taylor Nursery in Milton is going out of business Liquidation auction of inventory, equipment, antiques and collectibles, May 16 & 17 at 9:00 a.m. preview day of sale 8:00 a.m. See www.taylornursery.ca for further information

ESTABLISHED MUSKOKA LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE COMPANY FOR SALE Successful, respected company, locally owned and operated, is looking for a professional and dedicated purchaser. Well-maintained fleet of trucks and equipment. Dependable staff, loyal customer base. Year-round operation. For serious inquiries only, please reply in confidence by email to: MuskokaOpportunity@gmail.com

AUCTION SALE of all inventory and equipment of Burns Water Gardens, just North of Cobourg. Largest water garden supplier east of Toronto. Owners retiring. Greenhouses, forklift, dump truck, windmills, shelving, trade show booth, water features, pumps, waterlilies, etc. Sunday, May 24 at 10 a.m. For more information see www.burnswatergardens.ca

ADVERTISERS 404 Stone Limited www.404stone.com 905-877-3404 Page 9 Allstone Quarry Products Inc. www.allstonequarry.com 905-939-8491 Page 17 Bot Aggregates Limited www.botaggregates.ca 877-898-2688 Page 12 Braun Nursery Limited www.braungroup.com 800-246-6984 Page 28 Connon Nurseries/CBV Holdings Inc. www.connon.ca 888-775-2687 Page 11,13 Dutchmaster Nurseries Ltd. www.dutchmasternurseries.com 905-683-8211 Page 32 Expressway Hino Waterloo www.expresswaytrucks.com 800-558-7364 Page 16 G & L Group (Earthco Soil Mixtures) www.lessmess.ca 416-789-4749 Page 27 Great Lakes Wood Products Inc. www.glwp.ca 877-266-0636 Page 20 Greenlife - Ottawa Wholesale Nursery www.greenlifenursery.ca 613-692-3047 Page 25 Gro-Bark (Ontario) Ltd. www.gro-bark.com 905-846-1515 Page 22 Halton Autolease Inc. www.haltonautolease.com 877-837-5674 Page 18 Highland Chevrolet/Highland National Leasing www.highlandgm.com 905-727-9444 Page 25 JC Rock Ltd. www.jcrock.ca 877-326-4006 Page 15 John Deere Dealers www.johndeere.ca Page 2 Kobes Nurseries Inc. www.kobesnurseries.com 905-263-8814 Page 19 Legends Landscape Supply Inc. www.landscapestore.ca 905-336-3369 Page 21 M Putzer Nursery www.putzernursery.com 905-878-7226 Page 14 Metal Pless Inc. www.metalpless.com 866-362-1688 Page 10 Millgrove Perennials Inc. www.millgroveperennials.ca 888-867-1925 Page 22 Newroads National Leasing www.newroadsleasing.com 416-587-1021 Page 23 Potters Road Nursery Inc. www.pottersroadnursery.com 519-688-0437 Page 11 Sipkens Nurseries Ltd. www.sipkensnurseries.com 866-843-0438 Page 24 South Oakville Chrysler Fiat www.southoakvillechrysler.com 905-845-6653 Page 21 Stam Nurseries www.stamnurseries.com 519-424-3350 Page 16 Uxbridge Nurseries Ltd. www.uxbridgenurseries.com 877-655-3379 Page 26 V. Kraus Nurseries Ltd. www.krausnurseries.com 905-689-4022 Page 23

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