23 minute read
Mediterranean Salad by Oh So Mona
Mediterranean
SALAD
For this recipe you will need:
TOPPING 1 pita grapeseed oil (enough for frying)
SALAD 3 cups baby arugula ¼ cup freshly chopped mint ½ cup sliced cucumber 5 thinly sliced radishes ¼ cup crumbled feta ½ peeled pomegranate seeds
DRESSING 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp white vinegar ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp sumac 2 tsp pomegranate molasses syrup 1 tsp salt 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp honey
Directions
• Start by cutting your pita into strips and fry them until golden brown for about one minute. Once finished, set aside on a paper towel to cool.
• To assemble your salad, start by layering the baby arugula, chopped mint, cucumbers, and radishes.
• Next, top the salad with crumbled feta, peeled pomegranate seeds, and lastly your fried pita strips.
• Drizzle the dressing once you are ready to serve and enjoy!
Mona Elkadri is a lifestyle blogger with a fondness for everyday living and entertaining, from sweet recipes to home décor and DIY, and everything in between. Ohsomona.com
IF YOU WANT TO GO FURTHER
LiUNA 625 Business Manager, Rob Petroni knows there is strength in numbers, and that looking out for others is the true key to success.
By Matthew St. Amand Photography by Syx Langemann
There is an African proverb that states: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
The Labourers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) wants to go far, and it wants to take as many people along for the ride as possible. There are few simple truths that lie at the heart of LiUNA including: there’s strength in numbers, hard work should be rewarded with good wages and benefits, workers have a right to safe working conditions, and people should have the ability to retire with dignity and security. It will be these simple truths that drive them into the future with so many strong people in such great numbers.
PORTRAIT
There is a North American proverb that says: “Culture in the workplace begins at the top.”
At LiUNA 625, that’s Business Manager Rob Petroni. Anyone who knows Rob knows that he does things differently. For one, he hired a veteran rock musician, Jeff Burrows, as LiUNA’s Community Relations Director. For another, he is always seeking new ways to look out for members. That is exactly what he was doing in 2017 when he announced that the LiUNA benefits plan would begin offering medical cannabis products to discourage opioid prescriptions.
Interviewed by the CBC about this development, Rob explained: “Now that we’ve added this, we’re hoping more doctors... will move towards prescribing the cannabis oil as opposed to the opioids. The most important part of this is to reduce the opioid use and or abuse.”
Rob’s ability to approach situations so uniquely is likely because he has experienced the industry from every rung of the organizational ladder.
Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, he joined LiUNA in 1987 as a construction worker. In 1992, Rob moved to Windsor to study Psychology at the University of Windsor and continued working construction during summers to fund his education.
“After university, I worked in the field,” he says, using the industry term for construction sites. “I worked on the first phase of the Windsor Casino. As a LiUNA member, when one project finished up, they sent me out to work on another. I was right on the ground as a Construction Craft Worker, part of a crew pouring cement.”
So, does LiUNA act as a kind of employment agency for members?
“No,” Rob says, “LiUNA is a place that businesses call when they need workers. If a road builder calls, saying they need a pipe layer, the union dispatches one to the job. If you need ten workers tomorrow, you don’t have time to put an ad in the paper or on the Internet. You call LiUNA and we’ll send them out. The difference is: an employment agency is paid by the employer. With LiUNA, workers are paid directly by the employer, but we handle the worker’s benefits and pension packages. Those stay with the worker wherever they work. They are not tied to the employer.”
According to its website, LiUNA “is the most progressive, aggressive and fastest growing union of construction workers, waste management workers, show service workers and healthcare workers in Canada.” It is an international union, with members throughout the United States. Between America and Canada, LiUNA has more than 500,000 members.
LiUNA members are involved in building highways and bridges, waterways and dams, hospitals, schools, and government institutions. They make streets, communities, cities, and provinces work. From low rise to high rise construction, pouring concrete to landscaping homes, the workers of LiUNA literally build Canada.
As Rob notes: “For every dollar paid to construction workers, seven dollars goes back into the local economy.”
Not only did Rob find employment as a member of LiUNA, but he also found room to move within the organization.
“In 1997, I successfully ran for an Executive Board position of LiUNA local 625,” he continues. The position provided him with an avenue for his ideas about improving and promoting LiUNA.
“In 2002, I was approached by the Business Manager in London/Windsor to see if I wanted to try organizing,” Rob remembers. “The International had just started an organizing fund for a new wing of recruiter, because finding skilled workers was becoming a problem. LiUNA was way ahead of the curve and rolled out a North American wide fund for recruiting.”
Rob was good at his job, and his results were noticed. By 2006, he was Assistant Business Manager, and in 2009, Rob was elected to his first four-year term as Business Manager, the top position in LiUNA. In the same year, Rob became an Executive Board member of the Ontario LiUNA Provincial District Council. In 2021, he was appointed director of Organizing for Central and Eastern Canada.
“When I first became an organizer, there were six of us for all of Central and Eastern Canada,” he says. “We had a small office on Seminole with a staff of three. There were 400 LiUNA members in Windsor-Essex. Today, we have an office on Fasan Drive in
Oldcastle, with a staff of 23, and 2000 members county-wide.”
From the beginning, Rob has been doing more than meeting quotas and hitting targets—he has been helping to change people’s lives.
“You have a worker who’s earning $14-anhour in a job, and then I come along and educate him on how he could be making $25-an-hour with benefits and pension,” Rob explains. “Joining LiUNA is a game-changer. You go from struggling in a job to having a career that allows you buy a home and raise a family. As an organizer, I was invited to people’s weddings.”
It was during that time, heading toward 2009, the general shortage of skilled workers in numerous trades and industries came to light. Employers had an increasingly difficult time filling skilled positions, and industry commentators began making dire predictions about the impact that would have on the economy.
LiUNA’s brilliant solution was to create the Construction Craft Worker apprenticeship program.
“It’s a three-year program,” Rob explains. “We graduate about 32 new journey men and women each year. All training is free to our members.”
Members are not only enjoying higher wages, but they also receive excellent benefits and a solid pension.
“We have 135,000 members participating in the pension plan,” Rob says. “LiUNA runs the pension. If you move anywhere within Central and Eastern Ontario, it’s the same pension, the same organization. So, workers have full mobility.”
One of LiUNA’s mottos is: “Building Better Communities Together.”
“LiUNA members want to be represented in the community in the best light possible,” says Jeff Burrows, veteran rock drummer and member of The Tea Party.
Many labour organizations are active in raising money in the community, doing charity bike rides, runs. Rob and LiUNA brought in Burrows, and through its sponsorship of the Windsor Bluesfest—among other events—supports local causes, such as Transition to Betterness (T2B), Brentwood, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and various food banks.
The Bluesfest is a Windsor institution, having brought the biggest names in blues to the city. In recent years, a need arose to re-imagine the annual festival. That’s when Rob and his wife, Carol, stepped in. They formed a non-profit called Bluesfest Windsor, which keeps the festival going, but steers the proceeds toward area charities. LiUNA stepped in to be a major sponsor. That’s when Burrows was brought in.
“My role is to make sure everything backstage runs smoothly,” Burrows explains. “I recalled the best festivals that Tea Party played, usually in Europe, and created an atmosphere like that, from artist treatment, riders, food, to load-in and load-out.”
In 2019, this evolution proved successful. Among the artists who performed were Vanilla Ice, Young MC, C&C Music Factory, featuring Freedom Williams and 2-Live Crew and Tone Loc. Buddy Guy and Eric Gales also played. There was even a tribute to Prince, which saw Morris Day and The Time, Sheila E., Purple Reign and Master of Cool take the Windsor stage.
The name of the festival has further evolved into LiUNA YUNITY, but remains non-profit and volunteer-based. It’s greatest success to date was the 2020 New Years show “From Ontario With Love A Celebration Of Hope”, hosted online from Windsor’s Capitol Theatre, which celebrated its 100th anniversary.
According to 519 Magazine: “The celebration… [featured] powerful Front-line Workers stories from six Ontario locations including Windsor, Ottawa, Niagara, Thunder Bay, Huntsville, and Kingston. The evening [was] hosted by Kim’s Convenience star Andrew Phung and Canadian television and radio personality Arisa Cox with award-winning DJ duo Loud Luxury, live from Windsor’s Capitol Theatre…”
There is a lot happening a LiUNA 625. To learn more, visit them online at www.liuna625.ca. D
RESERVING NOW!
CONSTRUCTION STARTING
LAKESHORE’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS LAKESHORE’S MOST LAKESHORE’S MOST NEW ADDRESS PRESTIGIOUS PRESTIGIOUS
File: Z-627 maitland street londonontarioN5Y 2V7 5 www.zeddarchitecture.com info@zeddarchiteZEDDA RCH ITECT UR EI NC HOLDSTHISDRAWING , THECO PY RIGHTA ND OWNERSHIPOFTHED ES IGN,A ND ALLINST RU MENTSOFSERVICE ASEX CLUSI VE PROPERTYA ND MAYNOT BE SE O DFORANYOTHERPROJECT , SOLDOR BE A FF . EREDFORSALE(OR AS A PARTOFASALEOFPROPERTY)WITHOUTTHEWRITTENCON SE NTOFZE DD RCH ITECT UR EI NC . Scale: C:\Users\mmajzoub\Documents\20-028- 1654Manning Rd Lakeshore-(Central)-Condo_mmajzoub.rvt2020-09-04 1:05:39 PM LakeshoreResidence 1654Manning Rd , LakeshoreOntario Townhouse-Perspectives 08/12/2020-028 t-SD9.4 . WWW.ONE650MANNING.COM Z-627 maitland street londonontarioN5Y 2V7 5 www.zeddarchitecture.com info@zeddarchiteZEDDA RCH ITECT UR EI NC HOLDSTHISDRAWING , THECO PY RIGHTA ND OWNERSHIPOFTHED ES IGN,A ND ALLINST RU MENTSOFSERVICE ASEX CLUSI VE PROPERTYA ND MAYNOT BE U SE DFORANYOTHERPROJECT , SOLDOR BE O FF U EREDFORSALE(OR AS U PARTOFASALEOFPROPERTY)WITHOUTTHEWRITTENCON SE NTOFZE DD RCH ITECT UR EI NC Scale: LakeshoreResidence 1654Manning Rd , LakeshoreOntario Townhouse-Perspectives 08/12/2020-028 t-SD9.4 A LAKESHORE’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS NEW ADDRESS U WWW.ONE650MANNING.COM File: Z-627 maitland street londonontarioN5Y 2V7 5 www.zeddarchitecture.com info@zeddarchiteZEDDA RCH ITECT UR EI NC HOLDSTHISDRAWING , THECO PY RIGHTA ND OWNERSHIPOFTHED ES IGN,A ND ALLINST RU MENTSOFSERVICE ASEX CLUSI VE PROPERTYA ND MAYNOT BE SE DFORANYOTHERPROJECT , SOLDOR BE FF EREDFORSALE(OR AS O PARTOFASALEOFPROPERTY)WITHOUTTHEWRITTENCON SE NTOFZE DD RCH ITECT UR EI NC . Scale: C:\Users\mmajzoub\Documents\20-028- 1654Manning Rd Lakeshore-(Central)-Condo_mmajzoub.rvt2020-09-04 1:05:39 PM LakeshoreResidence 1654Manning Rd , LakeshoreOntario Townhouse-Perspectives 08/12/2020-028 t-SD9.4 . NEW ADDRESS O WWW.ONE650MANNING.COM File: Z-627 maitland street londonontarioN5Y 2V7 5 www.zeddarchitecture.com info@zeddarchiteZEDDA RCH ITECT UR EI NC HOLDSTHISDRAWING , THECO PY RIGHTA ND OWNERSHIPOFTHED ES IGN,A ND ALLINST RU MENTSOFSERVICE ASEX CLUSI VE PROPERTYA ND MAYNOT BE SE O DFORANYOTHERPROJECT , SOLDOR BE A FF EREDFORSALE(OR AS A PARTOFASALEOFPROPERTY)WITHOUTTHEWRITTENCON SE NTOFZE DD RCH ITECT UR EI NC Scale: C:\Users\mmajzoub\Documents\20-028- 1654Manning Rd Lakeshore-(Central)-Condo_mmajzoub.rvt2020-09-04 1:05:39 PM LakeshoreResidence 1654Manning Rd , LakeshoreOntario Townhouse-Perspectives 08/12/2020-028 t-SD9.4 File: Z-627 maitland street londonontarioN5Y 2V7 5 www.zeddarchitecture.com info@zeddarchiteZEDDA RCH ITECT UR EI NC HOLDSTHISDRAWING , THECO PY RIGHTA ND OWNERSHIPOFTHED ES IGN,A ND ALLINST RU MENTSOFSERVICE ASEX CLUSI VE PROPERTYA ND MAYNOT BE U SE DFORANYOTHERPROJECT , SOLDOR BE O FF EREDFORSALE(OR AS U PARTOFASALEOFPROPERTY)WITHOUTTHEWRITTENCON SE NTOFZE DD RCH ITECT UR EI NC Scale: C:\Users\mmajzoub\Documents\20-028- 1654Manning Rd Lakeshore-(Central)-Condo_mmajzoub.rvt2020-09-04 1:05:39 PM LakeshoreResidence 1654Manning Rd , LakeshoreOntario Townhouse-Perspectives 08/12/2020-028 t-SD9.4 . LAKESHORE’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS NEW ADDRESS File: Z-627 maitland street londonontarioN5Y 2V7 5 www.zeddarchitecture.com info@zeddarchiteZEDDA RCH ITECT UR EI NC HOLDSTHISDRAWING , THECO PY RIGHTA ND OWNERSHIPOFTHED ES IGN,A ND ALLINST RU MENTSOFSERVICE ASEX CLUSI VE PROPERTYA ND MAYNOT BE SE DFORANYOTHERPROJECT , SOLDOR BE FF EREDFORSALE(OR AS PARTOFASALEOFPROPERTY)WITHOUTTHEWRITTENCON SE NTOFZE DD RCH ITECT UR EI NC Scale: C:\Users\mmajzoub\Documents\20-028- 1654Manning Rd Lakeshore-(Central)-Condo_mmajzoub.rvt2020-09-04 1:05:39 PM LakeshoreResidence 1654Manning Rd , LakeshoreOntario Townhouse-Perspectives 08/12/2020-028 t-SD9.4 A NEW ADDRESS 519-979-9995 2020-09-04 1:05:39 PM File:
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A PLAN FOR WINDSOR’S RENAISSANCE MATTER ARCHITECTURAL STUDIO INC.
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Photography by Trevor Booth
Driving down Windsor’s streets, Steven Cooper and Phil Sharron cannot help but recognize the city’s potential through an Architectural lens. With a respect and appreciation for Windsor’s rich past, they imagine all the possibility to come.
Both of the founding members of Matter Architectural Studio Inc. were born and raised here and are eager to bring their talents full circle back to their hometown. Steven and Phil have spent the last six years building their London office, which now has the momentum, the staffing, and capability to be nimble with their projects and jump into the Windsor market.
“We have a long-standing history in Windsor. I was formally educated at St. Clair College before attending school in the US, our families are here and we genuinely care about the city’s future,” Steven says about using the skillsets that he and Phil gained in this city to help move it forward."
“When we come back to Windsor and see how the landscape has changed, it excites us,” Phil adds as the two reminisce about their days of gigging classic Windsor bars, like the old The Chubby Pickle or our existing Phog Lounge, through their respective bands.
“When you’re gone for a certain degree of time and come back to see this transition, you begin to understand that there’s going to be a moment where you can interject yourself into that change, and you start thinking of how to be a part of that positive effect,” Steven adds.
When it comes to their standard of Remarkable Architecture, Steven and Phil pride themselves on stretching beyond the pretty picture; their mission isn’t rooted in satisfying their designer’s ego. Matter Architectural Studio Inc’s mission is to provide impactful solutions to complex issues through expertise and collaborative partnerships; creating spaces that engage, inspire, and benefit the community. They have established themselves by providing a caliber of work that people want to be associated with, whether that be their staff with their collaborative employment, or their clients with the finished product and experience.
Their team has tackled all project types, big or small, with innovation and integrity, which has landed them with the local business awards for: Small Business of the Year (Finalist), One of London’s Best Places to Work, and a Top 20 Under 40 Award for Steven.
Steven says that Windsor is going to see a renaissance shortly, and with Matter’s experience in design for the post-secondary and healthcare industries, they see themselves assisting in the growth anticipated for Windsor in the next five to ten years. Matter Architectural Studio Inc. already has the ball in motion on a few local developments, including a project with St. Clair College, and being included in the Architect’s Roster for the City of Windsor.
Steven and Phil are excited to help shape the city, support spaces as they realize their full potential, and to leave their fingerprints on the pulse of their hometown. For more information please visit them online at www. matterinc.ca today. D
THE MAESTRO OF CANADIAN WHISKY
Dr. Don Livermore reflects on 25 years at Hiram Walker & Sons
By Devan Mighton Photography by Syx Langemann
Whisky is a storyteller's drink. Each drop of amber, aged with care, is a time capsule, a record, a legacy of decades of careful selection, endless planning, and dedication to the craft.
Canadian whisky dates back to the late 1700s, but the American Civil War transformed the category. Young entrepreneurs like J.P Wiser and Hiram Walker, travelled to Canada and created a legacy that has endured. Just like a spirit maturing in a cask, Canadian whisky has evolved over the years through the hands, hearts, and minds of those who made the hard decisions, predicting the future, what the whisky drinkers of today will enjoy.
Enter Dr. Don Livermore. "My intent was never to go to school to become a whisky maker, brewer, or distiller," he says.
A quarter-century ago, Livermore sat down for a job interview at Hiram Walker & Sons, and the trajectory of his life changed. Not a whisky drinker himself, the microbiology biochemistry undergrad learned his art on the fly. In 2004, he received his master's degree in distilling and brewing at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland and his doctorate in 2012. In the same week, he was promoted to be Hiram Walker's master blender.
This year, Hiram Walker & Sons won its fourth straight Distillery of the Year Award at the Canadian Whisky Awards. "I'm grateful for the people I work with," states Livermore. "You're only as good as the weakest link of your chain. At the end of the day, our research and development team are designing the whiskies, but we design from the quality ingredients that everybody else makes here." "We've got such a great staff at Hiram Walker here. We've got some of the most talented people in the world that make whisky here in Windsor. It takes a great team to make great whisky. Decisions such as selecting good quality grains, fermentation parameters, and they're helping me through these things – getting me different barrels, different ways to make whisky, distillation techniques such as different types of pot or stills and column stills, and choosing new types of barrels all play an important part in the final whisky recipe." "It's an incredible and talented facility, and the record shows. We've won the distillery of the year now four times in a row. I think that says a lot."
Livermore didn't come into the business as a whisky drinker, but as a scientist in love with creating. "My educational background was never designed to be whisky but more of a fermentation specialist," explains Livermore. "I never really was into whisky. I had some typical Canadian whisky when I was in university-college, but not a lot. It wasn't until I came to Hiram Walker where I here and gained an appreciation for all of the different flavours and all of the different things you can do to make whisky. The job probably got me into whisky more than anything."
Although he has an affinity for Manhattans, in 25 years with the spirit, Livermore has adapted to the Canadian whisky lifestyle.
"I enjoy it many different ways," he admits. "Being in Windsor, on a hot summer day, I'm not going to be sipping whisky neat by my pool. There are certain brands that we make, like the Wiser's Deluxe, the Wiser's Triple Barrel, Hiram Walker Special Blend – I like them with ginger ale as a nice cocktail or with soda in the summer.
"For 10 o'clock at night, sitting in my La-Z-Boy, I usually have it neat or with an ice cube or two – and it usually depends on which whisky it is. I find that the more rye I blend into the whisky, I tend to want an ice cube."
Livermore says that there is a lot of enthusiasm and excitement for Canadian whisky at the moment, not just domestically, but internationally as well with Lot 40 Dark Oak recently winning the top rye whisky in the world at the World Whisky Awards 2021.
"I think that the category of Canadian whisky is poised to make a comeback, to have a renaissance, because we have a lot of versatility and can adapt in our style of whisky. I believe that this facility here, the Hiram Walker distillery, is one of the best distilleries in the world," he states proudly.
Livermore says that it would not be a stretch to label Windsor "Whisky Town". He says that he often deals with businesspeople and members of the media coming through the Hiram Walker distillery that end up in shock at the number of styles the facility can create. "Canadian whisky is one of the most innovative, creative, adaptable styles of whisky there is," he explains. "One part about being a master blender is being able to look into the crystal ball and wondering what is next. You've got to be able to listen to your consumer. That's probably the hardest thing as a blender – to listen to your customer and ask, 'What do you want?' "I'm not making whisky for me. I'm making it for you."
Livermore says that a previous boss of his used to call him "The Connector". However, Livermore likens his job to being the maestro at a symphony. He acts as the intersection between the people inventing products, coordinating grains, the brewer, the distiller, the barrel purchaser – then
he creates recipes with his whisky blender's prescience.
He also feels the weight of history when it comes to being the Hiram Walker master blender. He is the keeper of history, the keeper of processes. "I have to remember each nuance and put it in for the next generation."
His proficiency as a master blender eventually led to the LCBO asking Livermore to create his now-famous "flavour wheel".
"I laughed and asked, 'Do people really use those?'" he chuckles. "I put pen to paper, and I developed that wheel, and it's actually trademarked in 170 different countries. I never thought that people would use it the way they are."
The Canadian Whisky Flavour Wheel carefully divides the flavours of whisky into key components, like flavour notes and chemical composition. "It's a distillery cheat sheet if you want to call it that," says Livermore. "Flavour for whisky only comes from three spots. It comes from the yeast, which is fermentation, from the grain, and from the barrel."
"If someone wants different flavours, I manipulate those things. We're very adaptable in what we can do, and that's what makes Canadian whisky a very exciting category."
Livermore is proud of his place in the history of Canadian whisky and the mark he has made at Hiram Walker & Sons. "I think to be part of the history of this facility is an extraordinary responsibility," he says. "Honestly, it's awesome how important it is to the region, to society, the economics, and to be part of it. Shaping not only today but shaping the future when I'm long retired. What I'm putting away today will still be used, if you think about it, 30 years from now."
"It's such a storytelling opportunity and to be a part of that rich history and story is really cool," states Livermore. He relishes the idea that in 30 years, friends will still be sipping and storytelling over the whiskies that he painstakingly blended and aged. "That's the good part about whisky, the conviviality and moments with friends. It's the storytelling, that social side of it – that's the connection."
For more from the maestro, follow Dr. Don Livermore on Instagram @cdnwhiskydoc. Life of a Master Blender. To book a tour please visit the J.P. Wiser Tour site.... jpwiserstour.ca
Cheers! D
Through the Generations: JOE MATTE’S GARDENING
Photography by Trevor Booth
The oldest landscaping company in Windsor is celebrating a monumental anniversary in business, and has the named founder to thank for it.
In 1951, Joe Matte wasn’t a business owner but a gardener for another landscaping company. A client – Mr. Butch Meretsky – saw the spark of passion for the job in Joe’s eyes and set Joe up with the tools and clients to launch his own business.
From day one, Joe worked to live up to that generous offer, honed his skills as a self taught landscaper, and until the day he died in 2001, he was a humble and hardworking man who wanted to repay what he’d been given.
“My grandfather was very generous,” his grandson, and current Joe Matte’s Gardening
You can reach Louis and the Joe Matte’s team at: 519-796-6125 or joemattesgardening@hotmail.com
Psalm 100:4-5- Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations!
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4000 McCormick Rd. Harrow, ON I 519-982-1112 owner, Louis says. “If he saw that same drive in others, he would help them get started with advice, clients, or anything else they needed. Joe was instrumental in helping to start five other companies within his extended family. He never worried about the money; he was just grateful to be working.”
Joe’s reputation proceeded him from job to job. Even though gardeners and landscapers weren’t well respected as a profession in the early days, he managed to be one of the most well-respected people in the community and industry. Louis explains that one time, Joe was working for automotive mogul Dan Kane, and walked into the show room wanting to buy the new 1975 Cadillac demo.
“My grandfather was persistent,” Louis recounts the story he’d heard from Joe, and says that Dan ended up selling it to him. “He drove it to a client’s house later that day – a well-known doctor or lawyer – and the client said he’d tried to buy that same Cadillac, but Dan wouldn’t budge on it!”
Louis and his father still have that car, the memories, and the business, all thanks to Joe.
This is why Joe Matte’s Gardening has outlasted so many other landscaping companies; not only because of his hardworking nature, but the high standard he brought to the industry.
Joe was always the most talented at pruning, which is one of the company’s specialties to this day. “I’ve been told by other professionals in the industry that they can tell if our team been on a site because of our ‘picture perfect’ crisp details. It feels really fulfilling,” Louis says about their pride in doing the job right every time.
The Joe Matte’s Gardening team is, and always has been, a family operation through and through. Louis (grandson) and his father – also named Louis – now have the pleasure of welcoming the next generation of family members to their team: the twins Jake and Josh, and of course, another Louis!
“Seeing that my grandfather started from nothing, I think he would be proud of the fact that the fourth generation is continuing the legacy he started,” Louis adds.
They thank God – and the Windsor community – for being able to celebrate these 70 years in business and look forward to many more years of serving the area. D
