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Industry and Association News
New Apprenticeship Funding Announced
The launch of the Apprenticeship Service stands to help overcome financial barriers employers face to hiring and training first-year apprentices, according to the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA).
The Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, announced a $247 million investment in employer supports across the country. CAF-FCA is the recipient of $45 million of that funding to administer grants to employers who hire new first-year apprentices in 39 Red Seal trades. It also helps first-year apprentices get the hands-on work experience they need for a career in the skilled trades.
The financial incentives available to small and medium-sized employers are $5,000 per apprentice per year for a max of two Level 1 apprentices per employer; or $10,000 per apprentice per year for a max of two Level 1 apprentices if the apprentice identifies as being from an under-represented group.
CAF-FCA will collaborate with partners at BuildForce Canada, SkillPlan, ApprenticeSearch.com, Aboriginal Apprenticeship Board and the Canadian Construction Association to provide a range of supports, in addition to the grants, to the expert trainers of Canada’s future skilled trades workforce.
This additional grant is available for apprentices in the Landscape Horticulturist trade.
For details on how the program works, scan the QR code.
Garden Trends Report 2023 Available
The 2023 Garden Trends Report is LIVE! This 22nd annual report is downloaded by tens of thousands of people each year upon it’s release. This year’s report incudes:
• The green industry’s color of the year • An anti-millennial trend • Grecian design that appeals to Gen Z • And much, much more!
Download the report today from our friends at Garden Media Group – Katie Dubow (previous speaker at GISC)
City of Edmonton Motion to Ban Cosmetic Pesticides Fails
August 22, 2022 – The City of Edmonton Community and Public Services Committee recently discussed a motion to proceed with next steps in banning all cosmetic pesticides on public and private land. Landscape Alberta created a working group of members to help direct and deliver a multidisciplinary advocacy campaign over the last 4-6 weeks. With the motion defeated earlier this week, the conversation has shifted to how the city can better maintain and protect green spaces throughout the city.
The campaign included sharing our opposition as industry professionals along with technical information on Integrated Pest Management, Health Canada and Alberta Environment regulations, and the host of alternative solutions to outright bans. With the support of several key Landscape Alberta members, we were also able to print 65,000 postcards and run full page advertisements in local papers to help inform the public about these proposed changes. This outreach was heard loud and clear by City Council and the motion failed with a tied vote. The Council members not on the committee spoke about losing social license on this issue when the City currently can’t maintain its own property. We of course welcome the ongoing discussion about how all municipalities can better fund ongoing care for green infrastructure.
Thank you to all the members that volunteered time and money on this campaign and to the general public that took time to speak up. The voice of the silent majority made all the difference in this effort. This is a great example of how working together through your association can have profound impacts that could not be achieved alone.
CNLA Sets Research Priorities
The CNLA Research Committee met recently to discuss and develop a research priority list for the Canadian nursery/landscape/retail sectors. The Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance (COHA) is initiating a call for proposals for the next Ornamental Research Cluster and setting priorities to guide that call is the first step.
Listed below (in order of priority) are the most important research needs of Canada’s nursery sector value chain, as identified by the committee:
• Survival of trees/plants after transplant in the landscape. • Understanding the impact of urban trees/plants/forests on climate. • Plastics use reduction in nursery/landscape. • New plant development for ornamental horticulture. • Improvements in water use management. • Pest and disease solutions. • Mechanization/automation in nursery/landscape.
Since COHA represents floriculture as well, priorities will be combined with those of the nursery sector to ensure the research projects selected to be part of the Ornamental cluster will address challenges in both sectors. Priorities must also align with those identified by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for the 2023-2028 Agri Science Clusters program. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have released their guidelines for the next cluster proposal process and have identified three broad themes where funding will be allocated.
Climate change and the environment: Focusing on greenhouse gas emission reductions and carbon sequestration, as well as other environmental areas including: soil health, water quality, air quality, biodiversity and plastics.
Increased profitability: Focusing on emerging technologies to address labour challenges, create more value-added products, and increase productivity.
Sector resilience: Research aimed at improving sector resilience in response to market and societal pressures, including mental health.
Expect more information and inquiries from CNLA in the next few months as it embarks on the arduous journey of preparing a proposal to AAFC for this fourth COHA Research cluster. COHA and its member associations are focused on submitting the proposal by Nov. 1, 2022 with an anticipated start of April 1, 2023 for projects.
Vineland names McGrath head of research and development
Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland) has appointed Darby McGrath as vice president, research and development. In her new role, McGrath will guide the direction of Vineland’s innovation portfolio to maximize real-world impact with a team of more than 50 scientists and technicians.
McGrath joined Vineland in 2013 as Research Scientist and was named Program Leader in 2018. She also leads Vineland’s Greening the Landscape Research Consortium. McGrath holds a Master’s degree and a PhD in Social and Ecological Sustainability from the University of Waterloo. She is an Adjunct Professor at Brock University and the University of Waterloo.
For almost a decade Darby’s strong collaborative approach and innovative spirit have helped Vineland become a leader in green infrastructure research through the establishment of successful relationships across the horticultural sector,” Vineland president and CEO Ian Potter said. “I look forward to her bringing that spirit and drive for excellence to this new role.”
Vineland is a uniquely Canadian, results-oriented organization dedicated to horticulture science and innovation. It delivers innovative products, solutions and services through an integrated and collaborative cross-country network to advance Canada’s research and commercialization agenda. Located in Canada’s Niagara Region, Vineland is an independent, not-for-profit organization, funded in part by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership — a five-year federal-provincial-territorial initiative. For more information, visit vinelandresearch.com.
For more information, contact Leslie Sison CAE, CNLA Industry Human Resources and Government Relations at leslie@cnla-acpp.ca.
Are you using battery powered equipment? We need to hear from you.
The National Association of Landscape Professionals has partnered with Auburn University to study gas versus battery-powered equipment use in the landscape industry. The goal of the study is to develop a framework for economic and environmental equipment purchasing decisions, while also gaining insight about the perceptions, benefits, and challenges associated with battery-powered equipment. As part of the study, researchers are collecting survey data from landscape companies which will remain anonymous. Please complete the survey linked below. This brief moment of your time is greatly appreciated!
TFW Regulatory Changes Effective September 26, 2022
Employment and Social Development Canada has revised the Regulations for Immigration and Refuge Protection including Temporary Foreign Workers (note that SAWP workers are excluded from medical care as that is covered by a different agreement). The changes are intended to provide enhanced protection for TFWs by:
• Ensuring all TFWs have a signed employment agreement outlining wages, occupation and working conditions on or before their first day of work. • TFWs have health care so if the worker is not already covered under provincial health insurance, employers are responsible to purchase private insurance that covers emergency medical care. • TFWs must receive a “Know Your Rights” document outlining their rights in Canada on or before their first day of work. • Employers and any agencies or recruiting contractors are not allowed to charge or recoup recruitment fees from workers. • Any reprisals to the worker arising from their reporting non-compliance by the employer are included in the definition of abuse.
LMIAs can be suspended if there is a suspicion of non-compliance or abuse and will be suspended until inspected or there is no longer a reason to suspect a serious risk to the health or safety of a worker. Employment agreement criteria and Worker Rights documents information can be found here.
LMIAs submitted to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) before September 26th will not need to have an employment agreement with the TFW on or before their first day of work but the other new regulations and rules will apply.
CNLA has provided a Question and Answer document, read it here.
Minister Wilkinson Updates Canadians on Successful 2 Billion Trees Planting Season
Planting two billion trees across the country will help Canada’s efforts to tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Trees capture and store carbon from the atmosphere, improve air and water quality, support biodiversity and create and support thousands of good jobs.
Launched in 2022, 2 Billion Trees (2BT) is part of the Government of Canada’s broader approach to nature-based climate solutions. It contributes to Canada’s efforts to mitigate climate change while achieving key biodiversity and conservation goals, as well as supporting human well-being.
In its first year, the program signed agreements to support planting 30 million trees. Each project was subject to a review by an independent expert panel to ensure it would help achieve the program’s objectives. Going forward, the Government of Canada is entering into longer-term agreements to secure planting over 10 years. By 2026, the program aims to plant 250–350 million trees annually, with each planting project undergoing the same expert panel review process as this year’s projects. Every year, the exact number of trees planted are reported by our partners after all of their planting activities are completed. This is necessary because conditions on the ground at planting sites may cause the number of trees planted to differ slightly from the amount of trees funded in any given year.
Today, Minister Wilkinson announced that NRCan’s program partners succeeded in planting 97 percent of the 30 million trees planned for the 2022 planting season: approximately 29 million trees from over 150 different species were planted at over 500 sites across Canada. These projects will restore nature, enhance biodiversity, create forest ecosystems on fire-damaged land, increase carbon capture, and create parks and greenspaces in and around our cities. Nearly one in every five projects was Indigenous-led. These trees will clean the air we breathe, the water we drink and help cool our urban centres.
An example of a successful project from the 2022 season is the Redd Fish Restoration Society’s (formerly the Central Westcoast Forest Society) project to plant 51,070 new saplings along the banks of the Hiłsyaqƛis and Atleo rivers in British Columbia. These saplings will accelerate the recovery of the two watersheds while also helping to restore critical spawning and rearing habitat for endangered wild Chinook and chum salmon. This project will improve water
quality, increase ecosystem complexity and resiliency and the region’s ability to mitigate the impacts of climate change, and provide employment opportunities for Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations.
Over the remaining nine years of the program, partner organizations will continue the tree-planting journey: from seeds to seedlings and saplings, to trees in the ground. Interest in future projects is high: the 2BT program received over 200 project applications in this second year, including multi-year projects outlining plans to plant approximately 425 million trees. These multi-year agreements will create predictable, stable, long-term demand for nurseries and others supporting the supply of seedlings, ensuring that the right tree is grown and planted in the right place.
Winners of the 19th annual National Awards of Landscape Excellence (NALE) were announced on August 10, 2022. Each year, the NALE celebrates outstanding work across the country, honouring top projects in landscape construction, design, and maintenance. In order to qualify for the NALE, applicants first enter their projects in their respective provincial association awards of excellence competitions. Then the provincial associations submit up to three entries per category to the national competition.
The judges, a volunteer panel of industry experts, did not have an easy job evaluating several dozens of projects ranging from exceptional to extraordinary. The national judges evaluated each entry based on standardized criteria first developed by the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) in 2004 to narrow the submissions down to this year’s best in each category. Following two summers as a virtual event, the CNLA was excited and eager for the national awards to return to being an in-person event. The 2022 winners are as follows:
1. “Paradigm Condominiums” by Seferian Design Group, Burlington,
Commercial Construction 2. “Perched on the Rocky Cape” by DaRocha Webster Landscapes,
Excellence for Residential Construction 3. “Urban Sanctuary” by Clintar Landscape Management Services of Halifax,
Nova Scotia, for the HortProtect National Award of Landscape Excellence for Landscape Design; 4. “Centropolis” by Strathmore Landscaping, Ottawa, Ontario, for the
Maintenance; 5. “Contemporary Beauty” by The Cultivated Garden, Toronto, Ontario, for the HortProtect National Award of Landscape Excellence for
Residential Maintenance; 6. Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Ltd., Schomberg, Ontario, for the CNLA
Grower of the Year Award; 7. Sheridan Nurseries, Etobicoke, Ontario, for the CNLA Garden Centre of the Year Award
Congratulations to all of the winners this year! The recognition is well deserved for all this outstanding work that significantly raises the level of professionalism in the landscape industry.
The ceremony also included the CNLA awards for Grower and Garden Centre of the Year, as well as the Green for Life Industry Awards, which recognize individuals, companies and communities which benefit the public through the development and maintenance of green spaces. The 2022 Green for Life award winners are:
• Humboldt Urban Garden Sanctuary (HUGS) for the Green for Life
Community Award HUGS is a vast new community green space that celebrated its grand opening this summer at the Humboldt District Hospital grounds, built by numerous agencies, companies and individuals including
Scotts Canada, Landscape Saskatchewan, Landscape Alberta, Green
Cities Foundation Canada and Communities in Bloom. • LO Covid-19 Taskforce Garden Makeover Project: Participation House for the Green for Life Community Award To recognize the dedication of healthcare professionals and frontline workers in the fight against coronavirus, the Landscape Ontario (LO) Covid-19 Task Force created a Garden
Makeover Appreciation contest. A standout among the 10 contest winners is Participation House in Markham,
Ontario, a leader in enhancing the quality of life of individuals with disabilities, whose outdoor space received more than $50,000 in donations from LO’s Toronto Chapter for landscaping improvements. • General Motors Canada for the
Green for Life Industry Award for a Corporation General Motors
Canada has been a significant feature of the CNLA’s Member
Services program, offering discounts on GM trucks to members across the country for more than 20 years. • Alex Raab for the Green for Life
Distinction Award Industry Award for an Individual Alex Raab, who opened his first White Rose store in 1957, was a pioneer of the ornamental horticulture industry in many ways, including mail-order delivery, large-scale composting, and inventing and trademarking several products like the Merrygro mini greenhouse. • Raymond Carrière for the Green for Life Distinction Award Industry
Award for an Individual Raymond
Carrière is the Founding President of Communities in Bloom. For more than 25 years, Raymond’s vision inspired thousands of volunteers and over 900 communities to register in the provincial, national and international programs. • Tony DiGiovanni for the Green for
Life Distinction Award Industry
Award for an Individual For more than 30 years as Executive
Director of Landscape Ontario,
Tony DiGiovanni has made a mark on the landscape industry in numerous ways, including improving communication between members, his tireless promotion of the industry, and the exponential growth of
LO membership.
Thank you to our sponsors who made these awards possible each year. We look forward to next year’s national awards, the 20th edition, to be presented in August of 2023.
