June 2014 Landscape Trades

June 2014

VOL. 36, NO. 5

landscapetrades.com

Is your family business normal, or dysfunctional?

DESIGN GOAL:

Summary judgment may speed justice

Slow water

Time-saving checklist for contractors

Low impact development eases runoff, and presents opportunity

14 28 PM40013519

Renewal and energy in B.C.

Hedges beat fences

10

Great ROI from green infrastructure

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PUBLISHER Lee Ann Knudsen CLP | lak@landscapeontario.com Editorial Director Sarah Willis | sarahw@landscapeontario.com Art Director Kim Burton | kburton@landscapeontario.com Editor Allan Dennis | adennis@landscapeontario.com Web editor Robert Ellidge | rob@landscapeontario.com Graphic Designer Mike Wasilewski | mikew@landscapeontario.com Accountant Joe Sabatino | joesabatino@landscapeontario.com Sales Manager, PUBLICATIONS Steve Moyer | stevemoyer@landscapeontario.com INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS REPRESENTATIVE Greg Sumsion | gsumsion@landscapeontario.com COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Angela Lindsay | alindsay@landscapeontario.com Advisory Committee Gerald Boot CLP, Paul Brydges, Laura Catalano, Hank Gelderman CHT, Marty Lamers, Jan Laurin, Gregg Salivan, Bob Tubby CLP

Contents JUNE 2014 VOL. 36, NO. 5 ON THE COVER: Low impact development retrofit on Elm Drive in Mississauga: Credit Valley Conservation. The City of Mississauga and the Peel District School Board are working together to reduce the amount of runoff and filter stormwater entering Mississauga’s Cooksville Creek.

Bioretention planters and permeable pavement parking lay-bys help to manage stormwater and beautify the street.

FEATURES

6 Managing urban water runoff Insurance companies claim water is the new fire.

Low impact landscapes helps slow water by design.

BY SUSAN HIRSHORN

Landscape Trades is published by Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton, ON L9T 2X8 Phone: (905)875-1805 Email: comments@landscapetrades.com Fax: (905)875-0183 Web site: www.landscapetrades.com

10 Reimaging our built environment Green infrastructure saves money, creates jobs and connects people with nature

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO STAFF Shawna Barrett, Darryl Bond, Myscha Burton, Tony DiGiovanni CHT, Denis Flanagan CLD, Sally Harvey CLT CLP, Jane Leworthy, Heather MacRae, Allie McInnes, Kristen McIntyre CHT, Kathy McLean, Linda Nodello, Kathleen Pugliese, Paul Ronan, Ian Service, Tom Somerville, Martha Walsh

COLUMNS

Landscape Trades is published nine times a year: January, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October and November/December.

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Landscape Trades assumes no responsibility for, and does not endorse the contents of, any advertisements herein. All representations or warranties made are those of the advertiser and not the publication. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the association or its members, but are those of the writer concerned.

BY STEVEN PECK

14 SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING Hedges are often an overlooked garden element, but they provide food, shelter and beauty

BY SEAN JAMES

16 LEGAL MATTERS The use of summary judgement processes may reduce legal costs

BY ROBERT KENNALEY

18 ROAD TO SUCCESS Fun with family dynamics in the green industry biz

BY ROD McDONALD

22 MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS Housekeeping details that keep your crews running smoothly

BY MARK BRADLEY

DEPARTMENTS ISSN 0225-6398 PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES AGREEMENT 40013519 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT LANDSCAPE TRADES MAGAZINE 7856 FIFTH LINE SOUTH, MILTON, ON L9T 2X8, CANADA

Green Pencil CNLA News Provincial News New Products Letter to the Editor Industry News Coming Events Classifieds Where to Find it

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JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

3

greenpencil

Front line workers can make or break your reputation

Embrace your exposure I promise, this is not a rant about leaf blowers. But a leaf blower started me thinking.

On a Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago, it was finally warm enough to open my car windows and sunroof, and enjoy the flow of fresh air. All the other cars driving along with me on Lakeshore Road were doing the same, and I’m sure enjoying the first scent of freshly-mown grass this year.

Up ahead, I could see cars disappearing into a cloud of dust and debris caused by — you guessed it — landscape maintenance crews, blowing detritus and organic matter into the road.

You can bet I did up my windows for protection against the flyBy Sarah Willis ing debris, and slowed down enough to find the truck and identify the offending company, though I won’t mention its name.

You can also be sure that this winter, I took note of the snow maintenance company that plowed a snowbird neighbour’s driveway, but completely blocked the public sidewalk with two-foot-high windrows. The homeowners weren’t home to notice, but all the neighbours who had to step off the sidewalk out into

4 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

the street did. Handily, the maintenance company had markers with its name and number staked along the driveway, so we all know who not to call.

Work from other trades stays indoors, between the contractor and the homeowner. But unless your project is in a remote area or an extremely private backyard, it is carried out in the public eye. One way to look at it is that the green trades were the first unofficial guerilla marketers, leaving indelible public impressions from trucks, uniforms and site signs.

Professionals in the landscape industry have a unique advantage, in that their skill and talents benefit from what I think of as ambient advertising.

Your work is all around us, always. By selling one project in a desirable neighbourhood, you automatically reach your target market just by showing up every day; you have the opportunity to connect with prospective clients visually through your landscape designs, construction or maintenance work.

However, no matter how incredibly lovely and artistic your finished work is, your crews might be making an indelible negative impression while completing the project. If you are reading this, I’m sure I’m preaching to the converted, but an occasional reminder to staff that all eyes are on them at all times, won’t go amiss at Tailgate Talks this season. LT

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Slowing water

BY SUSAN HIRSHORN

— by design

Runoff is a serious urban problem; plants and construction techniques are offering solutions mpersand is a new residential complex in a suburban area of Ottawa that is designed with an urban feel. Geared to residents looking for affordability and convenience, its townhomes and condos are integrated with commercial and retail space as well as a large park, all within walking distance of buses and proposed light rail transit. Ampersand is also about sustainability. The homes are built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.

To reduce stormwater runoff, the site also incorporates a number of water-sensitive urban design strategies known as Low Impact Development, or LID. LID is an approach to land development (or re-development) that aims to capture, slow or infiltrate stormwater close to where it falls. Using vegetation, permeable paving materials and other techniques that mimic natural hydrologic systems, LID reduces the volume of overland runoff that contributes to flooding. It also prevents pollutants from flowing into waterways and oceans.

Among the LID features at Ampersand are extensive tree coverage and diverse, drought-tolerant plantings with no need for irrigation after establishment. The runoff from several rooftops is directed into planted areas, without affecting foundations or retaining walls, according to Derek Hickson, an engineer for Ampersand’s developer, the Minto Group.

6 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Two rain gardens receive overland flow from the park. Elevated drains direct overflow during large storms into a perforated pipe which is both surrounded by clear stone and connected to storm sewers. Most of the water infiltrates into the ground, recharging the groundwater.

The complex also features pedestrian-friendly routes free of garages and driveways. “We minimized paved surfaces by locating most parking underneath the buildings,” says Hickson. “In urban development, the greatest source of stormwater runoff comes from impervious surfaces, such as roads and roofs.”

Canada wakes up LID has been around for nearly two decades and its use is well established in the United States and Great Britain. Although Canada has been slower to embrace it, serious flooding in many areas of the country has awakened interest in LID. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, “Water damage is now the leading cause of property damage in Canada, costing insurers approximately $1.7 billion per year.” The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) is an independent research arm of Canada’s property and casualty insurance industry. It has expressed support of LID as a way to help provide a long-term solution to urban flood losses.

Municipalities around the country have adopted — or are considering — new bylaws involving LID. Stipulations include

Aaron Volkening

This bioswale in Wisconsin shows the runoff path of stormwater from the road directly into the median.

disconnecting downspouts to reduce the load on wastewater systems; limiting or taxing hard, impervious surfaces and requiring green roofs for buildings over a certain size. The cities of Toronto, Port Coquitlam, B.C., and Richmond, B.C., for example, have green roof bylaws.

“Most municipalities are getting comfortable with LID — and it’s a learning process for everyone, including the developers and contractors,” says Chris Denich of Aquafor Beech, a Mississauga, Ont.- based firm that provides water resources engineering and environmental services including LID planning for public and private sector clients in several provinces.

“Although not every LID strategy or installation is suitable for every condition, the system is flexible and dynamic,” he adds. “You’re given a basket of tools. It’s up to the designer and developer to select the ones that are most appropriate for the site.”

Cost and maintenance still key concerns At Ampersand, Minto examined the feasibility of green roofs, but decided against them because of the cost of structural reinforcement needed for support on fourstorey, wood-frame buildings. Similarly, it was more cost effective and aesthetically appealing to minimize paved surfaces and increase space for planted areas, than to pave surfaces with such LID-friendly materials as permeable pavers or porous asphalt. Vegetated surfaces also eliminated the city’s maintenance concerns about snow removal with permeable pavers. The city did agree to let Minto install a small permeable paver test area in the Ampersand park. The test area will not be maintained during winter months, thus eliminating possible damage from de-icing salts and snowplows.

Rain gardens a popular choice Vegetated installations, especially rain gardens, have become a popular LID installation for municipalities and property owners looking for lower initial cost and maintenance.

“When properly constructed, rain gardens can absorb 30 to 40 per cent more rain than a standard lawn,” says Amanda Marlin, Executive Director at EOS Eco-Energy, a Sackville, N.B., not-for-profit organization promoting sustainable community planning.

After Marlin proposed various LID strategies to the town of Sackville, a rain garden pilot project was accepted. The project involved three rain gardens strategically placed around town.

Marlin has already been told by property owners living downhill from the gardens that their lawns are “no longer soaked and squishy,” after heavy rains. Plans are underway to expand the rain garden project to surrounding municipalities, Marlin says.

Financial incentives driving the market Although LID-based strategies and practices may soon become a municipal requirement, right now various types of financial incentives are driving the market. The Sackville rain garden pilot project received funding from the New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund. Minto’s low-impact research and technical activities at Ampersand were aided by a grant from the EQuilibrium Communities Initiative, which was jointly funded by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Natural Resources Canada.

Will property and casualty insurers who stand to benefit from LID be reducing premiums for property owners with LID installations? Dan Sandink of research institute ICLR says, “I have not seen insurers incentivize [measures such as rain gar-

JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

7

Rainwater runoff from rooftops is diverted to planted areas at the Ampersand development in Ottawa, Ont.

Some municipalities offer financial incentives to encourage the use of landscape development to manage and slow stormwater.

dens, infiltration features, etc.]. It may be difficult to provide evidence that these measures provide a direct risk reduction benefit to individual property owners, though there are clear benefits when these measures are adopted at a watershed/regional scale … I have seen a couple of examples of insurers considering downspout connections in property underwriting questionnaires. This may or may not lead to an incentive, depending on the risk of the insured. They should check with their broker or agent to see what their insurer might consider.”

At the government level, municipalities with stormwater utilities are key drivers of the LID market, often promoting stormwater management with a carrot-and-stick approach. It requires property owners with more impervious surfaces on their lots to pay higher utility bills, while giving credits to those who make LID improvements. In Kitchener, Ont., property owners are now able to apply for stormwater credits of up to 45 per cent on the stormwater portion of their utility bills, for such measures as rain barrels, cisterns, infiltration galleries, rain gardens and permeable pavers. Victoria, B.C., will be introducing a similar system in 2015.

installing or maintaining permeable pavers, green roofs, rain gardens, bioswales and other features has the potential to carve out lucrative markets for contractors, agrees Denich, who has supervised LID installations at many sites across Ontario. “Unfortunately, we just had a project where we were looking for experienced contractors and we had a very low turnout in terms of finding contractors with the necessary LID expertise,” he says. “Contractors, developers and other concerned individuals need to educate themselves about LID best practices, what new materials are available and where to get those materials. Our climate is changing. The nature of municipal infrastructure is changing. Public opinion on what constitutes infrastructure is changing and we all need to change with it.”

Green industry opportunity

The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute offers a program which certifies installers of permeable concrete interlocking pavers. www.icpi.org

Clearly, this trend offers many opportunities for the landscape trades. Since plants are a significant component of LIDs, they can drive business to local nurseries. The need for special expertise in

Learn more about LID The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and Aquafor Beech have developed a fee-based online training course which covers the basics of LID. www.thelivingcitycampus.com

Many other organizations offer LID learning programs, workshops, case studies, conferences and more. These include: Alberta Low Impact Development Partnership www.alidp.org British Columbia Capital Region District Low Impact Development www.crd.bc.ca/education/at-home/low-impact-development Credit Valley Conservation www.creditvalleyca.ca Low Impact Development Center (American) www.lowimpactdevelopment.org Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program www.sustainabletechnologies.ca

As the climate changes, the need for change in municipal infrastructure is imperative to manage large volumes of stormwater.

8 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Susan Hirshorn is a Montreal-based writer, editor and communications consultant.

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Celebrating the benefits of green roofs on the General Services Administration building in San Francisco at last year’s Cities Alive Conference, are John Rahaim, Director of San Francisco Planning Department; Ruth Cox, GSA Regional Administrator, Pacific Rim Region; Steven Peck, President of GRHC and Juliet Ellis, Assistant General Manager for External Affairs at SFPUC

Big benefits

green infrastructure in

BY STEVEN PECK

Green infrastructure solves many urban problems; solutions and benefits offered by plants open up opportunities for the green trades

G

reen infrastructure technologies are becoming recognized by engineers, designers, health care advocates, developers and policy makers as proven and effective ways to solve many urban problems. Yet in North America, the many contributions of green infrastructure to our natural and built environments, as well as to human health, are not fully reflected in public policy. The green industry must put priority in raising awareness of the important health and financial benefits of green infrastructure.

Water, water everywhere...

When we engage in traditional urban development we change the hydrology of the landscape. Impervious surfaces do not allow water to infiltrate soils or evaporate through vegetation.

In a natural setting, vegetation captures and infiltrates storm water with little as 10 per cent runoff on the surface.

With increasing amounts of green infrastructure in urban areas, storm water is captured, stored and then slowly released, protecting water quality and reducing the strain on aging pipes, erosion controls, storage and treatment and other forms of water-related infrastructure. When widely implemented, green infrastructure can reduce the size and cost, or even eliminate, single-purpose grey infrastructure, 10 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

such as storage tanks, ponds and tunnels.

The current trend toward more intense periods of rainfall in many parts of the world has also placed additional stress on the capacity of our storm and sanitary sewer systems to deal with added volumes. These storms and the resulting flooding contribute directly to multi-billion record insurance claims across North America.

Green infrastructure can often be designed to maximize its ability to capture rainfall, thus mitigating some of the severity of flooding after a major storm event and reducing the occurrence of combined sewer overflow events, especially during periods of less intense rainfall. Plants and soils capture and retain storm water, and micro-organisms are able to filter and metabolize a wide range of pollutants.

Fire on the horizon In addition to addressing storm water challenges, green infrastructure also helps cool our increasingly overheated urban regions. When the sun strikes the millions of square feet of dark roofs and miles of pavement that characterize cities, these surfaces transfer and reflect this heat to the atmosphere around it a phenomenon called the urban heat island effect (UHI).

By using the sun’s energy to turn water stored in plants

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New technologies help create parks and green space out of formerly grey city infrastructure in places like Toronto City Hall’s green roof, New York’s High Line park and the roof of the General Services Administration building in San Francisco. Not just beautiful, but functional too, creating sustainable and resilient cities.

(through transpiration) and soils (through evaporation) into water vapour rather than heat, green infrastructure transfers this energy away from surfaces and even cools the surrounding air.

An UHI modeling study by Environment Canada on the Annex neighborhood in downtown Toronto, Ont., demonstrated that when 25 per cent of the area covered in trees was removed, the summer temperatures jumped by a remarkable 2°C. Cooler cities mean less air pollution, from reduced demand for coal and gas fired electricity generation. Cooler cities have less particulate matter in the air, and less ground-level ozone, which requires the right mix of heat, sunlight and airborne chemicals to form. Cooler cities also mean less heat-related illnesses and premature mortality.

Human health and well-being Living green infrastructure contributes directly and indirectly to our physical and mental health and well-being as well, another potentially huge category of savings.

Poor air quality costs the Canadian health care system nearly $5.7 billion each year directly, in costs to hospitalize people, and $6.7 billion in indirect expenses associated with disability and premature deaths. Plants improve air quality through their ability to catch particulate matter on rough leafy sur-

faces. Plants also metabolize certain types of chemical pollution, such as benzene and carbon dioxide, as well as removing tiny carcinogenic particles from the air.

Providing children with nearby opportunities for natural playgrounds and unstructured play is an important strategy for combating the rise in sedentary lifestyles. Too many children are more inactive now than ever and the future costs of this will be staggering. Accessible green roofs and walls provide new gardening and recreational opportunities on underutilized surfaces in our cities. Parks with trails through natural areas provide important recreational infrastructure.

Studies show that contact with nature can reduce stress, a major contributing factor for depression, impaired immune systems and infections. A recent study conducted

by Ian Alcock, of the University of Exeter in the U.K., tracked 1,000 participants for over five years. In the study, people who moved to densely-built or grey areas suffered a decline in mental health.

Having a job contributes considerably to supporting our health and well-being. Green infrastructure projects tend to be more labour-intensive than traditional forms of infrastructure. So for each dollar invested, more employment is generated. Research in one of Canada’s major cities indicates that for every $170,000 to $520,000 invested in

Join the conversation At Grey to Green: A Conference on the Economics of Green Infrastructure Focusing on Health in Toronto, August 25-26, 2014, local and international experts will focus on these and other health-related dimensions of green infrastructure. The conference will provide a unique opportunity for sharing the most recent research, case studies and policy developments that recognize the multiple links between human, economic and ecosystem health and green infrastructure in our communities and our workplaces. www.greytogreenconference.org 12 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

green roofs, a year of employment is created for one person based on the direct labour related to design and installation. Indirect jobs associated with green infrastructure components include growing plants, manufacturing roof systems and blending growing media.

Benefits beyond aesthetics The American biologist Edward O. Wilson developed the Biophilia Hypothesis, which argues that humans share an innate attraction to nature, and connecting with nature directly affects our mental and physical wellbeing. Bill Browning, a veteran green building designer, researcher and analyst, has studied the many benefits that result from integrating nature into the building design process. Among these are reduced illness and absenteeism, better employee retention, faster healing rates for hospital patients, better classroom learning rates, improved retail sales from greener streets and natural lighting and reduced levels of crime and violence.

Next steps Communities need to understand that green infrastructure can deliver preventive health care benefits that reduce expenditures, lengthen lives and improve quality of life. More research is needed to understand the full extent of these benefits, and help practitioners and policy makers better quantify them.

If the public had a real choice in the matter, do you think they would invest in a new power or water treatment plant in a remote location, or in green infrastructure spread LT throughout their own community?

Steven Peck is president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.

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sustainablelandscaping

Green vs. brown:

The value of hedges

The first concern when most customers ask for a landscape design is, “low maintenance.” I think this may be why hedges have fallen out of favour in the last couple of decades. Perhaps it’s time to reconsider hedges, and start selling them more passionately.

Hedges have many characteristics that make them worth recommending. They can, and should, be longer-lasting than fences if properly maintained. Many municipal bylaws

Properly pruned hedges are difficult to find. The sides should be sloped slightly so that the bottom is wider than the top to prevent thinning and allow the sun to reach all parts of the hedge.

14 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

only permit fences six to seven feet tall. Hedges can be trained to be taller, thereby offering more privacy. Another benefit is hedges slow the wind instead of trying to stop it, providing beneficial air circulation. Fences have eddies of wind on the leeward side, whereas hedges simply reduce wind speed.

Living green infrastructure offers many benefits over hardscapes, such as reducing the urban heat-island effect. Just as important however, is that hedges offer increased biodiversity, which means reduced pest populations. A large variety of birds, insects and even mammals will rely on a hedge for shelter and safety. They venture out to feed on and control everything from Japanese beetles to slugs, ultimately reducing maintenance and increasing the aesthetic appeal of our landscapes.

If the hedge shelters edible plantings, without additional nutrients there may be a drop in yield but an increase in the health of the plants. Proper management of soil, moisture and organic matter is important in these situations to keep yields up. Fewer pests and diseases will mean increased yields, compensating for the water and nutrient uptake from the hedge.

Proper maintenance and shaping of hedges is essential, and many people aren’t aware of the details. The sides should be sloped slightly so that the hedge is wider at the bottom than at the top. This allows sunlight to reach all parts of the hedge, which prevents thinning at the bottom. A hedge with a see-through bottom doesn’t offer much privacy. In a perfect world, the top would be slightly peaked to help shed snow.

Frequently, we allow hedges to get an inch or two larger every time we prune them.

(Perhaps we feel bad for hurting the hedge, so we leave a bit to compensate?) Once the

BY SEAN JAMES

hedge has reached the desired size, always take it back to exactly where you pruned it to last time. It will get thicker and stronger every time you prune it. Damage from snow and ice is a symptom of not pruning often and tightly enough — not an actual fault with hedging itself.

Some hedges such as yew and privet can be rejuvenated. A yew hedge can be cut back in early spring by as much as a third. This can be done if it has grown out of scale with the landscape. Privet can be cut back by as much as you want, unless there’s a lot of dead wood inside, in which case it should be coppiced right to the ground. It will begin regrowing in about six weeks. Start shaping it when it’s about half the desired width so it forms with good, thick growth.

Informal hedging can be used on larger properties with plants such as bridalwreath spirea and shrub roses. These require nextto-no maintenance, but they do take up a lot more room. They give the same benefits, if not more so (fruit and flowers) than formal hedging.

Hedges can be a beautiful addition to our landscapes. They benefit the environment and they ignore our support. Much of life is about sales. If people are concerned about additional maintenance, remind them that fences need maintenance too, and that hedges never heave or rot.

Now, go make the world greener! LT

Sean James is owner of an Ontario-based environmentally-conscious landscape design/build/maintenance company, an eco-consultant and a popular speaker.

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legalmatters

“ It’s (quite possibly) the End of the World As I Know It — and I Feel Fine ”

The title to this article has been borrowed, unabashedly, from a classic (in my mind) REM song from the late ‘80s. The lyrics pretty much summarize my view of recent developments in litigation in Canada.

These relate to the use of “summary judgment” processes to, in some circumstances, eliminate the need for lengthy trials and reduce legal costs in litigation.

As a starting point, let’s put the developments in context. Historically, pre-trial discovery and disclosure obligations have increased over time. In Ontario, for example, it got to the point where the Rules of Civil Procedure required litigants to produce any document, and answer any question, so long as there was a mere “semblance of relevancy” to the inquiry. This overlapped with our increasing use of computer technology and the corresponding production of more and more documents — think, for example, of how the use of email has changed the way we communicate. Although in Ontario the “semblance of relevancy” test has been rolled back (some would say only marginally), pretrial disclosure obligations and processes have continued to drive the cost of litigation.

The problem only gets worse when the parties are forced on to an actual trial: all of the relevant documents and issues are potentially at play. This can result in lengthy trials on the heels of the lengthy and expensive pre-trial process. This can be particularly true in relation to construction disputes, which are generally document-intensive 16 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

BY ROBERT KENNALEY

and the number of issues can be substantial.

Consider, for example, the common case where the contractor is suing for balance of contract and changes in the work, while the owner is disputing the changes and backcharging the contractor for deficiencies and incomplete work. We can often add competing delay claims and/or allegations of wrongful termination or abandonment of the work to the mix. In addition, numerous witnesses and experts are often required to determine whether or not and why the work was deficient. It isn’t hard to imagine how even a relatively small residential construction project gone wrong can result in significant litigation costs.

Summary judgment can eliminate trials One tool that has been available to address litigation costs has been the motion for “summary judgment.” This remedy has been generally available in Canada where the Court could determine, on the facts before it, that there was no real need to continue with the litigation process. Rather, a judge would be able to summarily determine the merits of some or all of a law suit on the basis of motion materials before the Court, and without the need for a trial.

In Ontario, these processes lost some momentum in 1998 when the Ontario Court of Appeal held that summary judgment should not be granted if there were credibility issues to be determined. In other words, the Ontario Court decided that if any “he-said-

she-said” dispute was at issue, a trial judge — in fairness to parties — would have to hear from the witnesses themselves to evaluate credibility before judgment could be rendered. This was in keeping with longstanding trial practices and principles of adjudication. More recently, however, the Ministry of the Attorney General in Ontario amended the Rules to lower the bar for successful summary judgments and put procedures in place to allow for credibility to be assessed without the need for a trial. In its first opportunity to interpret the new Rules, the Ontario Court of Appeal determined that to award summary judgment the Judge would have to be able to form a “full appreciation” of all of the evidence, based solely on the evidence before the Court on the motion.

It is in this context that the Supreme Court of Canada weighed in on when, and why, summary judgment should be available.

Conventional trials not always realistic The Supreme Court in Hryniak v. Mauldin, 2014 SCC 7, expressly recognized that undue process and protracted trials, with unnecessary expense and delay, can prevent the fair and just resolution of disputes. In this regard, it held that the best forum for resolving a dispute is not always the most painstaking procedure and that a shift in culture is required. The Court went on to say that Canadian Courts should move away from the conventional trial in favour of proportional procedures tailored to the needs of the par-

ticular case. It held that summary judgment rules must be interpreted broadly, favouring proportionality and fair access to the affordable, timely and just adjudication of claims.

In relation to the Ontario Rules, the Court held that the Ontario Court of Appeal, “placed too high a premium on the ‘full appreciation’ of evidence that can be gained at a conventional trial, given that such a trial is not a realistic alternative for most litigants.”

The Court essentially held that the judge can exercise discretion, depending on the amounts at issue and the principal of proportionality, to decide (even without a full appreciation of the evidence) that she has enough evidence before her to either render a decision or limit/control the pre-trial

courts accept the challenge and give teeth to LT the remedy.

procedures necessary to administer justice without resorting to a full-blown trial. The Court held that a motions Judge in Ontario could render summary judgement when he or she could make the necessary findings of fact and law and where the summary procedure would be the more proportionate, expeditious and less expensive means to achieve a just result. The focus, it appears, is on letting the motion judge decide how much evidence is necessary to administer justice, when the amounts at issue and potential litigation costs are considered.

Time will tell us how and to what extent the Supreme Court’s call for a culture shift will play out in actual courtrooms across the nation. I, for one, will ‘feel fine’ if our lower

Robert Kennaley has a background in construction and now practises construction law in Toronto and Simcoe, Ontario. Rob can be reached for comment at 416-368-2522, at kennaley@ mclauchlin.ca, or on LinkedIn. This material is for information purposes and is not intended to provide legal advice in relation to any particular situation. Readers who have concerns about any particular circumstance are encouraged to seek independent legal advice in that regard.

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17

roadtosuccess

Family dynamics

BY ROD McDONALD

My mother loved to tell the story of when I was two years old; I would dance on the doll case that belonged to my older, four-year-old sister. I would do a jig until she screamed blue murder. “Mom!!! He’s doing it again!” I would then smile; having gotten the reaction I had so eagerly sought, and carry on with my day. That is called a family dynamic. For most of us, family dynamics enter into our business life more often than we think. There is nothing wrong with that, in and of itself. What is important is how we handle that dynamic. Is it for the better or for the worse? This column is a collection of stories and opinions with one common thread — the family dynamic.

I had a woman working in my greenhouse in the 1990s. She was a wonderful employee. After two years with me, her husband was transferred to a city in Ontario. She found the premiere garden center in that city and applied for a job. She was hired, and was no doubt a wonderful employee there, as well. She returned to Regina for a family visit, after a year in Ontario. She dropped by to see me. I asked her how things were going at her new place of employment. She said that my operation and her new place of employment were quite similar. We both stressed quality products, cleanliness and customer service. She then went on to tell me that because there were three generations of the family managing the operation, “the staff meetings are absolutely nothing like the ones in your place.”

I asked her to explain. “The staff meeting starts out as a basic staff meeting. It quickly deteriorates, with the non-family employees hugging the walls and looking for cover. Turmoil breaks out with some family member accusing either his brother or his mother or his uncle of sabotaging his best efforts — or something similar. It is so bizarre.” As they say in the space program, “Houston, we have a problem.”

Lines of authority When you have more than one family member as either a manager or as an owner, it often leaves the staff uncertain who they should be taking orders from. Just think. If you were a staff member and one brother said to water a block of plants lightly, and ten minutes later a different brother insisted that you increase the water volume to the saturation point, what do you do? To some, it might sound funny, but rest assured, I have spoken with those employees, and to them it is chaos. They feel as if they are caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place.

If you are going to have more than one family member directing traffic, and rest assured, I am not opposed to multiple family members under the same greenhouse roof, then a clearly defined set of roles must not only be agreed upon, it must be followed to the letter and the spirit of the agreement. No staff can serve two masters, and it is mandatory that the family ascertain who is in charge, and more importantly, who is not.

Once a dad…

Another problem that I have seen with the family dynamic of our trade is when dad retires, but he doesn’t really retire. He tells everyone that his son, daughter, niece or nephew is now in charge, but he always seems to be around, not giving advice as an elder, rather, issuing orders. He answers the phone, he places the orders, he tells the staff to lower the price of this plant and raise the price of the hanging baskets. He is quoted as being “more or less retired.” Sadly, he is around just enough to not only interfere with the day-to day operations, but to give the appearance that the person who is supposed to be in charge, is not. Nice try, Pops. Let me find a dictionary so you can read what the word retired means.

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roadtosuccess dynamic, that my mother never interfered with my parenting skills, or the lack of those skills. Only once did she ever pass an opinion. The youngest son was 16 and he usually saved his temper tantrums for the immediate family. He didn’t throw them in front of friends, aunts, uncles or grandparents. One day, he carried out a grand performance, with my mother watching. When he was finished, my mother chortled and said to me: “All your chickens are coming home to roost, aren’t they?” That was her one and only comment, and I appreciated that there was only ever the one. I now try very hard to follow her example, and as my son parents, I try to be a cheerleader, not an advisor. They don’t need my meddling and neither does anyone trying to run his parent’s or relative’s former business.

Season to celebrate I know that many readers will be able to relate to the following story. I was the only member of a large, extended family to enter the green trades. I made most of my income from April 15 to July 15, and from December 1 until the 24th. Everyone knew this was true, and I really, really want to emphasize the word everyone. Having written that, every Mother’s Day, every family function including birthday parties and graduations, I was expected to attend. Try as I might, it took me years to convince my family that it was too hard on me to be there at a brunch when the greenhouse was humming, filled with customers. Even if I were to attend a function, my mind would be back at the greenhouse. Finally, and it did take many years, my family started coming down to the garden center so that I could wish everyone a ‘merry merry.’

My beautiful wife’s birthday is June 4 (or at least I am pretty sure it is), and we finally reached an agreement, negotiated over the years. Flowers and a gift on the 4th, but the romantic celebration, the weekend getaway, waited until August. I don’t expect people outside our trade to understand the intensity of what we experience in our spring rush, so I share the above only with you, a chosen audience.

20 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

One of my all-time favourite stories regarding the spring rush is this one. A friend, unnamed to protect the truly guilty, owned a nursery. It was the first week of May. He had five semis in his yard. Two inbound and three outbound. His wife went into labour with their third child. She called. He took her to the hospital. He grumbled so much about the five trucks that she told him to go and deal with his “precious trucks.” Without a word of apology or saying, “I will be back later tonight,” he took off. As he ran out the door, his wife screamed, “When you were making this baby last August, you weren’t in such a hurry!” She told me the story. I laughed. He didn’t. Apparently, it was still a sore point in their marriage.

Close to home Back to the family dynamics of business. I have three sons. My beloved mentor from my youth, Dieter Martin out of Langham, north of Saskatoon, cautioned me when the boys were young: “Never inflict your dreams on your children. You wanted the garden centre. You wanted the glass greenhouse.

That is your dream, not theirs.” I listened to everything he told me, including that nugget of wisdom. Each of the boys tried the business. Two would have been good managers, very good in my opinion. One told me that I worked too hard for my money. That was not a problem for me but it was for him. He now owns his own shop in Calgary, working too hard for his money just as I did, but it’s his shop and his money. The second one needed to branch out on his own. He needed to get away from his dad’s shadow and I understood that. He and his wife are successful entrepreneurs in Edmonton. The third one asked his mother how I made my money.

She explained that I bought at wholesale and sold at retail. He asked, “Is that even legal?”

Obviously, he was cut out to be an artist and a musician, which he chose to do.

I followed Dieter’s advice and I did not inflict my dream on my children. Sadly, I and no doubt you as well, have seen where a father has inflicted his dreams, rather than letting his children find their own way, and those children are often less than happy. It is

as if they have been held hostage to a situation they have no control over.

Children find their own way and they often find their way not by preaching, but rather by example. When my boys hit that wonderful age of 14, when they would sleep all day, occupying the messiest bedrooms and shower so seldom that their greasy hair stuck to their head — I knew I was being tested. When they were 14, I went through that worrisome period that they were going to be lazy adults. My wife got after me to have a bit more faith. She said, “Actions speak louder than words. You go to work every day; you thank God in your prayers that you can work hard. The boys see that. When their turn comes, they will know what to do.”

I didn’t really believe her.

One of the boys turned 16 and got his first after-school job, working in a computer shop at the local mall. It was 4:15 p.m. and he asked me for a ride to work. I got him to the front door of the mall at 4:25 and told him to “run.” He looked at me and said “Why? My shift doesn’t start until five. I have lots of time.” I asked, “Why, if your shift doesn’t start until five, did you get me to drive you here so early?” His answer: “You always told us it is important to arrive early for our shift, so I am early.” My wife was right. They were paying attention. My faith was restored.

Family businesses work only when they are organized to work. They do not work when chaos is the norm or anarchy is the non-structure. Sort this stuff out and you LT will stay on the road to success.

Rod McDonald owned and operated Lakeview Gardens, a successful garden centre/landscape firm in Regna, Sask., for 28 years. He now works full­time in the world of fine arts, writing, acting and producing in film, television and stage.

managementsolutions

Housekeeping for contractors

BY MARK BRADLEY

“A stitch in time, saves nine.”

As old as that saying is, the truth still prevails. As your season slips into high-gear, don’t neglect the little “stiches” that keep small problems from growing into big ones.

Below I’ve listed items that cause small problems, lots of little stiches here and there.

But you’ll lose count of wasted, unbillable hours working around these problems if you skip past the housekeeping phase and try to work through them. Some of these problems lead to quick, so-called harmless trips to the store. Other, more serious neglected items will lead to audits, fines, and even preventable accidents.

So, bring your staff in on a Saturday and work through the items that apply to your company. The day’s wages will sting (a bit), but like a needle applied to fabric, a few hours spent preventing problems will save you hundreds of hours dealing with them.

Shop housekeeping Label all your shelves and storage locations. If there’s one thing you can do to make your cleanups last longer, it’s labelling. Having clearly-marked areas for everything prevents people from just tossing materials and tools wherever they feel like. Labels will not only make your shop look neater and cleaner, it will shorten your seasonal cleanup from months or years to weeks.

Clean up employee meeting and lunch areas. These areas often suffer from neglect. Dirty, unkempt employee areas reinforce the message to all employees (especially new ones) that it’s OK to leave a mess.

Clean out the equipment repair area in your shop. Throw out any old tools and equipment that are beyond repair, or where it’s cheaper to replace.

Throw out broken tools or materials 22 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

that you’ll likely never use. They just add clutter. If it’s been sitting around for a year or more and you haven’t used it, toss it out.

Check your material inventories. Restock materials, tools, small equipment, job consumables. Stock up on items you use just about every day to reduce wasted time stopping at vendors.

Check your fuel cans. Are they colourcoded by fuel type? Do you have all the lids and nozzles (Hint: you probably need 3-4 spare lids for every can!)

Do all your new employees have an area for their personal belongings, or a mail slot? Nothing says, “You’re not important and we don’t expect you to be here long,” like not providing a space for new employees, while keeping spots for employees who no longer work for you.

Paperwork printed and ready. We’re trying to get rid of paperwork everywhere we possibly can, but you probably can’t escape it all. Make paperwork available on clearly-marked shelves.

Inventory your safety equipment. Check quantities of commonly-used safety supplies like hearing protection, eye protection, eye wash, and safety vests. Order more of what you need.

Look around the shop for hazard areas, especially for fuel or hazardous chemical storage areas. Post warning signs and no-smoking signs wherever necessary.

Update your MSDS binder. Ensure you have MSDS sheets for all hazardous materials and make sure your MSDS sheets are up-to-date (they do expire).

Check the first aid supplies at the shop.

Make sure you’re stocked according to your local health and safety laws.

Inspect your shop fire extinguishers.

Make sure the inspection is recent and they’re charged and ready.

Check and replenish inventory of cleaning supplies – brooms, dust absorber, spill absorber, truck washing supplies, etc.

Office housekeeping Walk into your greeting and receiving area. Pretend you are a customer, a new employee, a banker or a vendor. What’s the entrance to your office like? Is the first impression neat, tidy and attractive?

If it’s not, why not?

Make sure all new employees have an employee file. Build a basic checklist for what should be in each file and staple the checklist to the inside cover of the folder.

Make sure you are updating all staff, but especially new employees, with basic training. MSDS, PPE and relevant tool and equipment training are key. Get written signoffs for all training and keep signoffs somewhere to access.

Put a plan in place for ongoing training.

How often do you expect toolbox meetings? Where should staff get the content for these toolbox meetings? How do they submit the signoffs? What other training or inspections are expected?

Update your Health and Safety policies, board postings, contact numbers and emergency response plan. Save old policies, and use a new version number on new ones, so you can demonstrate that you review and update these regularly.

Build an electronic calendar with key dates to remind you and your staff.

Calendars are easy, fast and free ways to set up reminders for training deadlines, fleet and vehicle management, health and safety inspections and more.

Ask all staff to report important allergies or health conditions. If you have staff with serious allergies, make sure you

managementsolutions have an EpiPen at the shop or office.

Don’t forget to make sure people have been trained to use it.

Check your office supply inventory.

Restock where required. Label all office supply shelves and areas so that these areas stay neat and organized.

Check your uniform inventory.

Update your answering machine message. If your message is old and tired, consider a new one.

Update your website and any social media you use. Nothing is worse than a neglected website. If you haven’t posted any new content in a year or more, do it. Post spring updates, pictures of last year’s jobs, pictures of this year’s staff or equipment. Post inspiration from other sites! Anything to get you started.

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Vehicle, trailer and equipment housekeeping Organize your keys. Build a rack in the shop with clearly-marked locations for each vehicle and equipment key.

Have at least two backups for every key. Keep the backups organized with labelled key chains.

Check dates of all plate renewals, insurance slip expiration, annual inspections, etc. Create electronic calendar entries to remind people of important expiration dates.

Check all the paperwork in your vehicles.

Each vehicle should have updated insurance slips, ownerships, copies of inspections, and any other relevant documents.

Ensure all vehicles and trailers are registered for the correct weight.

Include an emergency plan, emergency contact information and an accident checklist in each vehicle.

Check inventory of daily vehicle inspection books/forms. Store in an easy-to-find place.

Create binders for all vehicles and equipment in the office to store copies of ownerships, registrations, inspections and all maintenance records. This will make an MTO audit much easier.

Check your insurance policy against your current fleet, and ensure new drivers are named on your policy.

Check the contents of all first aid kits in vehicles.

Check the tool inventory in all your trucks and trailers. Replace any worn or broken items.

Label all shelving and storage areas in your tool trailers (especially enclosed trailers).

Ensure all equipment has an operator’s manual available.

Make sure employees have sufficient training to inspect, operate, and work around LT and with the equipment they use.

Mark Bradley is president of TBG Landscape and the Landscape Management Network (LMN), both based in the Toronto area.

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cnlanews Garden Days happening this month!

Industry and public alike are gearing up for Garden Days happening June 13-15. The weekend kicks off with National Garden Day on Friday, June 13, which is a day designated to celebrating the garden experience. The public has been invited to enjoy their own gardens, get inspired at a local garden centre or visit their local botanical or public garden. This event has garnered government attention with Welland, Ont., MP Malcolm Allen, presenting a bill for a National Garden Day in the House of Commons earlier this spring.

If you are organizing a garden-related event, be it a community planting, sale, or festival, it is not too late to register it on the GardenDays.ca website. This is a fantastic opportunity to share in the promotion of a national event. Let’s celebrate together and support #GardenDays!

Where in the world is Victor Santacruz?

CNLA Executive Director, Victor Santacruz, has not been seen around the Milton, Ont., office lately because he has been busy travelling and promoting the industry around the globe! This past winter, Victor could often be spotted in Ottawa, attending meetings with the Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance, the Canadian Human Resource Council and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

In April, he escaped the endless Canadian winter by travelling to the Nursery and Land-

scape Association Executives Conference in Savannah, Georgia. While there, he had the chance to network with fellow industry executives and bring back valuable information he learned from fellow associations.

Finally, Victor is just returning from a trip to Vienna, Austria, where he and CNLA President Christene LeVatte attended the European Landscape Contractors Association Presidium Meeting and Conference. Keep an eye on Victor’s Twitter (@cnlaVictor) to see where he will turn up next!

Improve your customer experience ratings Ensure that your garden centre elicits a pleasing and valuable shopping experience for your customers. The Garden Centre Assessment Program draws on the value of a third-party perspective of your store, revealing areas for improvement that you may not notice on your own. A Garden Centres Canada-approved reviewer will go through your store, combining the benefits of both a mystery shopper and the Landscape Industry Certified Retail Horticulturist program. Registration forms are available at www.gardencentrescanada.com.

Last chance to contribute valuable industry information Whether you manage a landscape company or a garden centre, your information has value for the rest of the industry. By taking 10 minutes to contribute to your sector’s benchmarking survey, you will increase the validity of the results and assist in the creation of an important statistical tool. To say thanks, CNLA will enter each participant into a draw to win an iPad mini. Surveys for both sectors are available online at www.cnla-acpp.ca/ lccsurvey (landscapers) and www.cnla-acpp.ca/gccsurvey (garden centres).

Improve your online shopping

Victor Santacruz (left), CNLA executive director, with Justin Trudeau.

26 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

The Retail Council of Canada has added a new discount program available to CNLA members, Shopify! Check out www.cnla-acpp.ca/rcc for details.

In preparation for gardening

season, many consumers opt for the convenient, efficient and hassle-free way to obtain the supplies and equipment they need — online shopping. By selling your lawn and garden supplies online, you give your customers the ability to order any selection of products for direct delivery to their homes. The Shopify solution helps you set up, launch and operate a successful e-commerce garden supply store with all the right tools just a few clicks away. CNLA members receive a 14-day free trial and 20 per cent off any Shopify plan!

No more SIN cards As of April, Service Canada started issuing paper letters for Social Insurance Numbers, instead of the classic plastic cards, as an increased security measure. Here are some reminders of your responsibility regarding SINs: l SINs are required by all employers within three days of an employee’s start date l Update the verbiage on your operational documents to reflect the change l Non-expired SIN cards can still be used or presented to employers l Employers can request other pieces of identification to verify a SIN belongs to an employee l Ensure that employees with a SIN beginning with the number nine (9) are authorized to work in Canada and have valid immigration documents

National Plastic Recycling Event Happening this month, garden centres are lending their stores as drop-off points for old garden plastics. From June 20 to July 1, people can visit a participating garden centre and dispose of used garden pots, trays, etc. that many municipal recycling programs do not collect. In past years, garden centres have diverted thousands of pounds of plastic from landfills. Find participating garden centres at www.cnla-acpp.ca/plasticrecyclingevent. To sign your garden centre up as a depot, please contact Chelsea@cnla-acpp.ca for registration information.

LT

The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association is the federation of Canada’s provincial horticultural trade associations. Visit www.cnla-acpp.ca for more information.

britishcolumbiaupdate Landscape Trades devotes space in each issue to provincial association news. This month features news from British Columbia Landscape and Nursery Association.

Year in review: We survived and will thrive!

At the September 2013 BCLNA AGM, members supported reducing the size of the board from 18 directors to seven. The smaller board, which includes the chair of each commodity group, enables it to act quickly and be more tightly engaged. Former directors continue to lead their committees, while only attending meetings when issues in their areas of responsibility arise.

A small but mighty team sustains association operations. Hedy Dyck was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in June 2013 and is supported by her team of Michelle Linford (Special Projects), Suvan Breen (Membership Services and Sales), Karen De Jong-Ellery (Marketing and Communications/wCanWest Show Manager) and a part-time bookkeeper.

In the past year, the focus has been to make administrative functions and processes more efficient while reducing costs. Moving to VOIP phones and the Salesforce database system has yielded significant savings; other expenses are being reviewed with the objective of functionality and effectiveness.

Programs, publications, networking and fun The core functions of the BCLNA continue to bring members together. The annual Christmas Party was well attended and the Annual Auction generated $22,000. A number of workshops were offered including pruning, rainwater har-

vesting training and social media.

Each commodity group meets regularly, with special guest speakers highlighting the meetings. The annual Buyers Guide came off the presses in February; contact Karen at kdejong@bclna.com to request a copy. Weekly/bi-weekly e-newsletters are sent to all members providing the most up-to-date information and ‘goings on’ in the industry. With an open rate averaging 45 per cent, and distribution to over 1,200, the e-newsletters are the significant communication vehicle for the BCLNA. Members are now gearing up for the annual golf tournament taking place in June.

Grower highlights Environmental issues and anticipated results from regulations pose the biggest challenges for growers. Agricultural waste, restrictions on burning (which is essential when biosecurity and disease issues need to be dealt with quickly) as well as Species at Risk regulations, and access to water, are just a few of the issues that BCLNA is advocating on behalf of its members.

Retailer highlights Retailers who showed above-average profits last year were those that had success in shoulder-season sales. Looking at the demographic of their customers and presenting an offering of merchandise that keeps customers returning through the non-spring months, successful retailers featured fall and winter veggie gardening, giftware, cafés, cooking classes, gourmet foods, fashion and fairy gardens!

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Landscape highlights The landscape meetings now comprise an education segment in addition to happy hour, dinner and meeting. It is an easy way for people to get their CEUs, and learn something new, while also providing networking opportunities.

Provincial legislation regarding cosmetic use of pesticides has completed the consultative state, with input under review. BCLNA was very active in the discussion, providing comments as early as 2011 and subsequent discussions with the Ministry of Environment. There is no defined timeframe for a decision.

CanWest moving in 2015 The CanWest Hort Show is moving to the Tradex Exhibition Centre in Abbotsford in 2015. Show Chair, Craig Stewart of Finning (Canada) says, “This move will provide us with the opportunity to grow the show to include an outdoor equipment demonstration component.” He adds, “The large outdoor field space adjacent to the indoor facility provides the perfect venue.”

The move from the Vancouver Convention Centre (VCC) to Tradex will attract more attendees from throughout the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Upper Fraser Valley and B.C.’s interior. It is centrally located in the heart of B.C.’s horticulture area, with easy access and ample parking. Proximity of the Abbotsford International Airport is extremely convenient for those travelling from outside of B.C.

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britishcolumbiaupdate

CanWest 2014 takes place at the Vancouver Convention Centre on Oct. 1 and 2.

B.C. Landscape & Nursery Association (BCLNA) Chair, Tim Loewen, Pine Meadows Tree Farm, says he is thrilled with the move. “We’ve had our challenges over the past few years as the cost of hosting a show in downtown Vancouver at the Convention Centre continues to rise.” This move provides us with an opportunity to grow and change, to revamp and reenergize and to confidently produce a show that will benefit our members and B.C.’s horticulture industry.”

Strategic planning On February 4, BCLNA held a meeting to discuss the major issues facing the industry and

develop key priorities to address over the next two to three years. Key priorities identified were public relations, membership renewal and advocacy.

BCLNA members chose public relations as their strongest interest area. Members communicated a need for a marketing package promoting local landscaping and horticulture services, potentially using a House Book and an online Buyers Guide. Another suggestion was to create a communication package encouraging potential customers to BUY BC. Additional ideas include promoting a unified stance through a one-pager shared message.

A close second priority was the need for a

membership overhaul. Members suggested a membership campaign, reviewing membership costs and completing ROIs. The third priority for members was BCLNA’s advocacy role. Members want to see political action, and to do their part by being provided with talking points to take to their MLAs and MPs. There was also a strong interest in getting municipalities on board with enforcement and education of BCLNA’s Standards; for example, landscaping standards, invasive plants education and certified landscape design.

Recycling regulations and stewardship BCLNA has worked with the B.C. Agriculture Council and other industries, as well as the Canadian Federation of Independent Business – B.C., to mitigate the unforeseen consequences of recycling regulations. The organization developed in Ontario to deal with its recycling regulations entered B.C. as the main stewardship provider, called MMBC. However, the B.C. fees are at least three times those in Ontario.

The Board of Directors for MMBC are the same in B.C. as they are in Ontario — all big-box retailers — who have notified suppliers they will not entertain a price increase for the recycling costs, effectively making growers absorb the costs, resulting in even lower margins. A strong backlash is occurring, with BCLNA members meeting with the Minister of Environment, the Honourable Mary Polak, to voice concerns and offer solutions to the high costs and administrative burden required by the MMBC program.

Carbon tax rebate The escalating fees in B.C.’s carbon tax scheme had created an uneven playing field for B.C. producers. Growers from outside B.C. could import into the province without paying the tax, while B.C. growers exporting outside the province were not able to receive a rebate for their out-of-province sales, both creating a price disadvantage.

The B.C. government initially offered a carbon tax rebate for greenhouse growers, and then in late 2013, also offered it to nursery growers and forest seedling nurseries. As of this date, the government has indicated a rebate program will be in effect for the current year as well.

LT

30 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

30 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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newproducts Concentrated wetting agent Deluge is a wetting agent for use on all types of growing media in nurseries, greenhouses, interior plantscapes and soilless media production. Deluge is safe for sensitive plants, has excellent wetting and drying properties and is highly concentrated with economical low use rates. Deluge can be incorporated in the growing media; used as a drench application; in irrigation/fertigation systems; as a misting agent over freshly stuck cuttings; and as a continuous overhead watering application to remove sitting water on foliage Kam’s Growers Supply www.kams.ca

LED step light Lite On is an energy efficient step or retaining wall light, with a 1.9 watt, 20,000 hr. CREE bulb that gives off warm light.

UV-treated polycarbonate lens will not brown or yellow.

It features 30 surface mounted diode high output LEDs per fixture. Heavy-duty die cast aluminum body has a waterproof design and 30-year warranty.

One-key lock for truck cap Snugtop truck caps are now paired with codeable locks to boost security and convenience while reducing key clutter. Bolt codeable locks are used on commercial truck caps. Drivers insert their ignition key into the lock cylinder, and rotate the key once, which activates the spring-loaded plate tumblers to immediately code the lock to that unique key.

Surefoot Hardscape Products www.surefootedging.com

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Exterior vehicle camera

The iQ PC912 is a 12-in. gas-powered cut-off saw with fully integrated dust collection. Used properly, this professional tool can dry-cut concrete and masonry materials, capturing up to 90 per cent of the dust. Cut brick, pavers, CMU, stone and tile, with no water — 100 per cent dry cutting. All the benefits of a conventional cut-off saw with quick and easy dust disposal.

RMT Equipment announces its newest vision product from Orlaco, the All Time Vision Camera.

The ATVC is for vehicle operators who constantly work in dusty, dirty, snowy, or rainy conditions. This camera system, with a distinctive integrated solution designed for self-cleaning application, allows the operator to receive uninterrupted real-time camera images from around the vehicle, regardless of weather or working conditions.

IQ Power tools www.iqpowertools.com/PC912

RMT Equipment www.rmtequip.com

Dust control concrete saw

Zero-turn mower Kubota’s newest zero-turn mower series includes three models: the Z723, Z724 and the Z725. The Z700-Series have powerful Kohler Command V-Twin Engines and integrated Parker 14cc pump and wheel motors in three cutting widths (48-, 54- and 60-in.).

Kubota www.kubota.ca 32 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

In case of downtime.

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that comes with our NeverStop™ Loaner Guarantee, standard with every new John Deere commercial mower. In the unlikely occurrence that your mower should need servicing under warranty, you’ll receive a free loaner from your John Deere dealer* if it takes 24 hours or longer. So say goodbye to downtime. With NeverStop, you don’t have to stop.

Keep Mowing * Program available only at participating dealers and dealer participation will vary. Loaners used for residential purposes provided within 72 hours. Some conditions and restrictions apply.

Additional program offerings available for an added cost. See participating dealer for complete details and program offerings. **Offer valid from March 4, 2014 until July 31, 2014. 0% APR purchase fnancing for 36 months on select new John Deere Commercial Mowing equipment. Down payment may be required.

Taxes, set-up, delivery, freight, preparation charges and a $50 documentation fee will apply. Representative Amount Financed: $50,000 , at 0% APR, monthly payment is $1,388.89 for 36 months, total obligation is $50,000, cost of borrowing is $0. Monthly payments/cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed/down payment. MSRP cash price based on highest priced product in series : $70,085 (includes $50 documentation fee). Cost of borrowing based on Representative Amount Financed not MSRP cash price. Minimum fnance amount may be required; representative amount does not guarantee offer applies. The charge for amounts past due is 24% per annum. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Additional dealer fees may apply. Financing on approved John Deere Financial credit only. See dealer for details. Limited time offer which may not be combined with other offers. Discounts or other incentives may be available for cash purchases. By selecting the purchase fnancing offer, consumers may be foregoing such discounts and incentives which may result in a higher effective interest rate.

JohnDeere.ca/MowPro

59436

lettertotheeditor At Landscape Ontario Congress two years ago, I attended an owners-only seminar titled, How to be Successful and Prosperous as a Landscape Contractor, by Monroe Porter of Proof Management. As I listened to Monroe, things started to fall into place.

Some of the basic things that he was saying really resonated. “Knowing how your company is doing financially is more important than knowing what your company is building at that second. Don’t price per square foot, because it encourages someone that has no idea of how their company is doing to underbid you, driving down your profitability.” I was fortunate enough to hire Monroe Porter and the Proof Management team as my consultants; he introduced me to a growing peer group called Prosult. It is amazing meeting and talking to people that are just like me: other contractors and business owners. We discuss things openly, because there is no competition.

Two years ago we built beautiful landscapes that exceeded our client’s expectation. I would look and see money in the bank.

Things were good … but not really. Something would happen; cash would go back to square one, or worse. I blundered along and accumulated debt.

When I was introduced to a peer group, it was during the most stressful time in my life, in both business and at home with my

wife. My wife and I were at odds, I was not sleeping. My young son and daughter were my only release, and I felt guilty that I was not working on the company when I was playing with them, and could not enjoy that time.

Today, I know my numbers. My business has taken a dramatic turnaround in finance and profitability. My stress level decreased to the lowest that I can remember it being in my life. I understand myself much better, and am able to play to both my strengths and weaknesses. Most of all, my family life has never been better. I appreciate every moment I have with them and enjoy it, knowing I’ve earned it and their future is secure. I am the happiest that I have ever been.

We are very fortunate to have a great support network in our provincial association.

You can benefit from seminars like the one I attended, which is the second-most pivotal moment in my life, next to meeting my wife.

There are certifications that you can educate you and your staff towards, Landscape Industry Certified designations through CNLA and international certifications (ICPI, NCMA, etc.). We have publications like Landscape Trades where you can read articles from accomplished business owners like Mark Bradley from TBG and LMN, or Nathan Helder from Gelderman Landscaping, as well as others that are equally qualified. These people speak at indepen-

dent seminars, as well as at Congress. They offer sound advice, that if you apply, will help make you prosperous. Nathan Helder has published that he is a member of a peer group, and points out the help it has offered him. If you can locate a peer group, it can make a dramatic change in your life.

Beware of consultants who tell you to “sell more,” or advice from accountants.

Check multiple references and ask them lots of questions. You need to determine if the money spent in consulting fees has improved their business and personal lives. If they have not helped in both, move along to another. They must understand you, the person, to do a really good job as a consultant in our industry. Cost is not everything; you want a good fit.

These services are out there in our own back yard and abroad. Take advantage of them and start making money, improving your work and home life, lowering stress and running your business instead of it running you.

Brad Coultes, HBSc Lay of the Land, Hamilton, Ont.

LT

Do you have an opinion, or comment on something you’ve read in Landscape Trades?

We value and welcome letters to the editor.

Email sarahw@landscapeontario.com, or fax 905-875-3942.

Join us on June 21, 2014 for our 25th Anniversary Birthday Bash!

A wide selection of natural stone and precast concrete products • Flagstone • Interlocking • Cultured Stone • Masonry products • In-Lite LED Lights

• Retaining walls • Aggregates • Accessories • Bulk/bag road salt • Kichler LED Lights

Office and yard: 25 Langstaff Rd. E., Thornhill, Yonge & Hwy 7-407 Manufacturing plant: 12350 Keele St., Maple 416-222-2424 or 905-886-5787 Fax: 905-886-5795 Yard: 2777 14th Avenue Markham, On. 905-479-2201 Fax: 905-479-2202

34 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

www.beavervalleystone.com

industrynews National Garden Day proposed NDP Agriculture and Agri-Food Critic Malcolm Allen has introduced a Private Member’s Bill to establish National Garden Day. The Welland, Ont., MP’s bill would designate the Friday before Father’s Day of each year as National Garden Day. If the bill passes this year, National Garden Day is June 13.

“National Garden Day would be an opportunity for gardening enthusiasts, families and schools to share their knowledge and passion for gardening and the outdoors,” said Allen.

“Canadians could enjoy their home gardens or favourite community garden, visit their local garden centre or travel to other communities.”

Supported by the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) and other stakeholder groups, National Garden Day would promote environmental stewardship, educate the public on the health benefits of gardens, and highlight the importance of industry in the maintenance and creation of gardens everywhere.

36 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Anniversary for Garden & Floral Expo Garden & Floral Expo celebrates its 15th anniversary this October. Building on more than a decade and a half of success, the show continues to thrive and serve the Canadian floriculture and horticulture communities. Garden Expo takes place at the Toronto Congress Centre, North Building, on Oct. 22-23. The Euro-style trade show attracts top horticultural decision makers, who come to explore new product offerings, meet vendors, learn about trends, socialize and share ideas with their peers and retail experts.

Show highlights include: brand-name vendors who have served the industry since the show’s inception, new vendors showcasing their products for the first time, industry pros presenting Top Ten Tips for business growth, workshops on boosting profits from containers, holidayscaping and making brands matter, Inspired — Design Day featuring accredited floral designers demonstrating innovative designs to make businesses blossom, LO’s

Awards of Excellence Ceremony for garden centres and growers, and hundreds of new and green products to excite customers for the 2015 spring season. Additional information on Garden & Floral Expo can be found at: www.loexpo.ca

Snow event comes to Columbus The Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA) will hold its 17th Annual Snow & Ice Symposium in Columbus, Ohio from June 18-21. The fourday event will feature a trade show, speakers, educational sessions and networking events for the snow and ice industry. “The winter of 201314 was a challenging one, with both extremely cold temperatures and high snow totals across the U.S. and Canada,” says Martin Tirado, SIMA CEO. “We look forward to the Symposium as a way for snow and ice professionals to gain new ideas, share challenges and successes, and check out the latest industry equipment and services, all in one place.”

New for the 2014 Symposium will be a preconference workshop at the City of Columbus

Volunteers laboured to build a rainwater harvesting system for the village of Kanuwloe, Ghana.

Complex, which will include a facility tour and sessions on brine making and equipment cleaning. Keynote speaker John DiJulius will present What’s the Secret?, on June 19, and sales expert and author Marc Wayshak presents Championship Selling in the New Economy, on June 20.

The Symposium will be held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency Columbus, and also features a two-day trade show with the latest equipment and services from over 100 exhibitors, an interactive Best Practices Pavilion on the trade show floor as well as 21 educational sessions in topic areas including sales and marketing, operations and equipment, management and leadership, and CEO to CEO. Registration and a full schedule of events are available at www.sima.org/show.

Aquascape promotes clean water in Ghana A team of Aquascape Foundation volunteers installed a 25,000 gallon rainwater harvesting system at the International Needs Network

School in Kanuwloe, Ghana the week of Feb. 23.

The RainXchange harvesting system provides clean drinking water for approximately 700 school children and their families year-round, allowing preparation of one hot meal each day.

Ed Beaulieu, director of field research and contractor development for Aquascape, designed the system to collect run-off from the village’s elementary and junior high schools, while Aquascape technical agent Chuck Catton managed construction of the project.

“The Kanuwloe village has no direct source of water nearby so the ability to capture, filter, and reuse rainwater is critical to the life and

health of the people in this area,” says Carla Wittstock, president of the Aquascape Foundation. “We’re so grateful to have a dedicated team of volunteers who traveled and laboured to make this live-saving project a reality.”

Rittenhouse celebrates centenary M.K. Rittenhouse & Sons is marking its 100th anniversary as a supplier to the agricultural and horticultural industries. The company was founded in 1914 by Moses K. Rittenhouse, who originally ran the business from his barn in Jordan Station, Ont. “100 years as a familyowned and -operated company is an impres-

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industrynews sive milestone, and I feel privileged to be a part of that history,” says current president Mark Rittenhouse, who joined the company in 1985. “My grandfather, father and uncles encouraged me to learn all aspects of the business while growing up across the street from the original factory.”

Mark’s father, Glen, patented several equipment designs, and the company continues to build custom sprayers. A 1990s mail order catalogue developed into one of the industry’s largest shopping websites. The company now ships product across North America daily, as well as regular orders worldwide.

Stanley keynotes at Farwest John Stanley, renowned horticulture industry expert, will bring his insight and perspective to the 2014 Farwest Trade Show in Portland, Ore., on August 21, when he delivers the keynote speech, followed on August 22 by a three-hour retail workshop. His understanding of the dynamics that impact horticulture businesses will connect with all segments of the industry, from growers to retailers to landscapers.

Stanley’s keynote address, Don’t Serve Me...

Make My Day, sheds light on an industry that is changing rapidly. What has worked in the past will not work in the future as the whole structure evolves. His speech will focus on the issues that horticultural businesses needs to address in the coming months and years in order to grow sales. Attendance is free for all show registrants.

In advance of Farwest, Stanley will facilitate a two-day New Vision Forum with Sid Raisch of

Horticultural Advantage, Aug. 20-21. The New Vision Forum is a traveling, intensive round-table event hosted by AmericanHort that explores new directions, trends, and technologies in garden retail. Participants will discover ways to meet emerging business challenges and master the possibilities presented by the new economy.

Separate registration is required.

Techniseal celebrates anniversary Techniseal celebrates 30 years of excellence in 2014. Founded in 1984, Techniseal has grown from a small Candiac, Que., based start-up to a multi-million dollar international enterprise. By targeting a single market with specialized sealers and cleaners for concrete pavers, Techniseal has become another example of small business achievement in the Canadian marketplace.

Projects that have benefitted from the use of Techniseal’s innovation and investment in technology include the Ground Zero Memorial in New York, the streets of Old Montreal and thousands of square feet of pavers at the Munich airport.

Introducing Sports Turf Canada Members of the Ontario-based Sports Turf Association recently voted to expand the provincial not-for-profit corporation into the federal jurisdiction. The result? Updated letters patent, revised and updated governing by-laws, and the introduction of a now Canada-wide organization.

As part of this renewal process the Sports Turf Association intends to become known as Sports Turf Canada, registering it as a trade style name.

Past president Paul Gillen explains, “The nucleus of members of the Sports Turf Association has, since its inception in 1987, been based in Ontario. However we have long-supported sports turf managers from coast to coast. The transfer of our corporate identity into the federal domain recognizes more formally our dedication to the promotion of better, safer sports turf across the country.”

“The creation of a national association was the vision all those years ago. It is exciting and gratifying to watch this niche organization grow into one with a national presence and a national mandate,” said Michael Bladon, a founding father of the Sports Turf Association.

“While Sports Turf Canada as a brand identity may be new, the passion and hands-on approach of board members and staff and their dedication to the association is not,” added new president Tennessee Propedo. “We are the authority in our field and are committed to providing our members with current, credible and relevant information to help them to manage their field assets in the most safe and effective manner.”

The association’s roots go back to 1987, when after a brainstorming session at the University of Guelph, a broad segment of the turf industry endorsed its need. Of particular concern at that meeting was the need to minimize and avoid injury to participants using athletic fields where they relate to sports turf. More than 25 years later, Sports Turf Canada will continue to promote better, safer sports turf through innovation, education and professional programs.

COIVIC

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5465 Eighth Line - Milton, Ontario - L0P 1E0 T: 905 878 9101 - F: 905 878 9471 E: nursery@coivic.com

38 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Exceptional Variety of Flowering Shrubs Hand Selected Specimen Evergreens,

Large Caliper Shade Trees- 60-150mm Native and Non-native Species

COIVIC SPECIMEN TREE SALES PRIDES ITSELF IN OFFERING A WIDE SELECTION OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY PLANT MATERIAL. SAVY LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND CONTRACTORS ALIKE, ARE CHOOSING THEIR PLANT MATERIAL FROM OUR SELECTION OF HAND PICKED SPECIMENS. GIVE US A CALL OR VISIT WWW.COIVIC.COM TO VIEW OUR ONLINE AVAILABILITY LIST.

Langley turf students donate $5,000 Fourteen students in Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s turf management program rubbed shoulders with leading experts in turf technology and industry professionals from across the country at the Canadian International Turfgrass Conference & Trade Show in Vancouver. In addition to donating $5,000 to the Canadian Turfgrass Research Foundation (CTRF), students organized the pre-conference golf tournament for delegates, served as event hosts, conducted registration and assisted with meetings. The donation to the CTRF was raised through golf tournaments, raffles, poinsettia sales and social events.

KPU student Mark Stoklosa admits he was nervous at the start of the event, but said it gave him helpful insight into his future profession. “After meeting members, attending seminars and meetings, I have a better understanding of the different aspects in the turf industry,” he says.

Western Canada Turfgrass Association president Keith Lyall lauded the KPU students for making the conference run so smoothly, also noting their

Second-year turf students completing a class project during the conference.

They presented their Turf Care Center design projects to the Safebrush Gold Club superintendent and assistant, as well as the president of the Canadian Gold Superintendents Association and various industry representatives.

donation was double the contribution made by any previous group.

Students are involved in the ongoing development of the turf management field lab at KPU. For more information about the program, visit: kpu. ca/hort/turf.

Faux pas The Legal Matters column in our April issue featured a photo showing Richard Portelance of Cypress Hill Design and Build, and Brian Shelfoon of Permacon, that was used in error. The image was meant as a stock shot of two industry members consulting over a plan, not a live photo.

Landscape Trades apologizes for any negative inference regarding the use of our photograph.

Echo and Shindaiwa honoured by NAEDA The North American Equipment Dealers Association has ranked Echo and Shindaiwa at Gold Level Status in its annual Manufacturer Relations Survey. The Gold Level Award recognizes those manufacturers who have achieved exceptionally high dealer ratings in categories such as product quality, technical support, parts availability, marketing and advertising support, etc. The level is determined from the results of dealer evaluation data collected from the annual survey. The survey asks dealers to evaluate the companies whose products they sell in key areas correlated to a dealer’s operational model. LT JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

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JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

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comingevents June 18, Fifth annual Canadian Water Summit, Toronto, Ont., www.watersummit.ca June 18-21, 15th Annual Snow and Ice Symposium, Columbus, Ohio. www.sima.org June 22-25, Garden Centres of America Summer Tours, San Francisco, Calif. www.gardencentresofamerica.org July 12-15, Cultivate '14 (formerly the OFA Short Course), Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio. www.cultivate14.org July 15, GPGB Training Program, Greater Columbus Convention Centre, Columbus, Ohio. www.greenplantsforgreenbuildings.org

July 29-August 1, Turfgrass Producers International Summer Convention and Field Days, Philadelphia, Penn. www.turfgrasssod.org August 2-6, ISA Annual Conference and Trade Show, Milwaukee, Wisc. www.isa-arbor.com August 5-7, IGC Show East, Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor, Md. www.igcshow.com August 6-7, Penn Atlantic Nursery Trades Show (PANTS), Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Penn. www.pantshow.com August 10-13, Toronto Fall Gift Show, International Centre and Congress Centre, Toronto, Ont. www.cgta.org

August 10-15, IGCA Congress, Ireland. www.igccireland2014.com August 17-20, Fall Alberta Gift Show, Northlands, Edmonton EXPO Centre, Edmonton, Alta. www.cgta.org August 19-21, Independent Garden Center Show Chicago, Navy Pier, Chicago, Ill. www.igcshow.com August 19-21, Interior Plantscape Symposium and Tradeshow, Navy Pier Festival Hall and Conference Center, Chicago, Ill. www.piagrows.org

August 21-23, Farwest Show, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Ore. www.farwestshow.com LT

classifieds BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 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

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Mankar Ultra-Low Volume Sprayers Weed Control • Control Drift • Precise application • Reduce herbicide by 50-80% • No mixing 647-309-7826 info@MankarULV.com www.MankarULV.com

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: All classified ads must be pre-paid by credit card. Rates: $62.15 (includes HST) per column inch (approx. 25 words). Deadline: 10th day of the month prior to issue date. 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 40 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Gelderman Landscape Services – Waterdown Branch Water Mangement Technician You will be responsible for all aspects of maintaining and repairing commercial and residential irrigation systems. In addition to having a minimum of 5 years’ experience, the exceptional candidate will: • Have hands-on working knowledge of irrigation systems and installation • Be responsible for ensuring systems function efficiently • Be responsible for repairing, maintaining, and troubleshooting systems • Be able to work independently and in a team environment • Have a valid ‘G’ driver’s license • Have excellent problem solving skills We offer competitive wages based on experience and qualifications. This could turn into a fulltime year round employment relationship.

Interested individuals can email resumes to lhand@gelderman.com We thank all applicants for their interest however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

View more ads at landscapetrades.com

Celebrating 15 years with the floral and garden industry

CANADA ’S FALL S HOW F GARDENOR THE AND INDUST FLORAL RY

Wednesday, October 22 and Thursday, October 23, 2014 Toronto Congress Centre, Ontario Canada

www.loexpo.ca

Your sales ADVANTAGE Garden & Floral Expo has been the place to network with over 1,500 green industry pros, for over 15 years. Meet the buyers and decision makers for Canada’s vibrant garden centre and floral industries — at Expo!

Attendance Profile Expo 2013

Others Allied to Trade

Retail

(Garden Centre, Gifts, Florists, Mass Merchant, Convenience & Discount)

(Suppliers, Media, Education, Gov’t)

45%

28%

Greenhouse/Wholesale Nursery Grower/Distributor

13% Landscape Architects, Contractor, Designers

Interior Designer, Plantscaper, Event Manager, Meeting Planner

11%

3%

Reserve your exhibit space today!

1-800-265-5656 ext. 377 l showinfo@loexpo.ca JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

41

where to find it COMPANY

PHONE

EMAIL

WEBSITE

404 Stone Ltd. 36

PAGE

905-887-3404

sales@404stone.com

www.404stone.com

Atlas Polar Company Ltd 37

888-799-4422

info@atlaspolar.com

www.atlaspolar.com

Beaver Valley Stone 34

416-222-2424

info@beavervalleystone.com

www.beavervalleystone.com

Best Way Stone Ltd 21

800-BESTWAY

info@bestwaystone.com

www.bestwaystone.com

Chrylser Canada 11

519-973-2000

www.chryslercanada.ca

Coivic Contracting Ltd 38

905-878-9101

pnursery@coivic.com

www.coivic.com

Core Outdoor Power 31

855-831-CORE

sales@coreoutdoorpower.com

www.coreoutdoorpower.com

Cut Above Natural Stone 35

888-557-7625

info@cutabovenaturalstone.com

www.cutabovenaturalstone.com

General Motors of Canada Ltd 19

800-GM-DRIVE

www.gmcanada.com

Gravely 43

800-472-8359

info@ariens.com

www.gravely.com

Hino Motors Canada 27

905-670-3352

info@hinocanada.com

www.hinocanada.com

Hustler Turf Equipment 30

800-395-4757

sales@hustlerturf.com

www.hustlerturf.com

John Deere 33

www.johndeere.ca

Kubota Canada Ltd 25

905-294-7477

www.kubota.ca

info@kubota.ca

Mahindra Tractors 29

www.mahindracanada.ca

Miska Trailers 23

800-306-2111

sales@miskatrailers.com

www.miskatrailers.com

Munger Lawnscape Inc 28

519-738-2571

jmunger@mnsi.net

www.mungerlawnscape.com

Navascape by Permacon 5

www.navascape.ca

Oaks Concrete Products by Brampton Brick 2

800-709-OAKS

info@oakspavers.com

www.oakspavers.com

Oregon Association of Nurseries 39

800-342-6401

info@oan.org

www.oan.org

Permacon Group Inc 44

800-463-9278

www.permacon.ca

Pro Landscape by Drafix Software 17

800-231-8574

sales@prolandscape.com

www.prolandscape.com

Stihl Limited 9

519-681-3000

info.canada@stihl.ca

www.stihl.ca

Unilock Ltd 15

800-UNILOCK

georgetown@unilock.com

www.unilock.com

Winkelmolen Nursery Ltd 13

519-647-3912

winkelmolen@sympatico.ca

www.winkelmolen.com

Zander Sod Co Ltd 24

877-727-2100

info@zandersod.com

www.zandersod.com

Win a trip for two to Canada Blooms!

2015 March 13 - 22, nto ro To , re Cent Direct Energy code unique access Ask us for the e by October 31st! lin on ter en d an

Enter online at

looms.com

www.canadab

Grand Prize: al Hotel, InterContinent Daily 3 Nights at the Tickets for 2 and VIA Rail Train s! om Blo a nad Passes to Ca

presents/présente

Sponsored by

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our garden cen

42 | JUNE 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

CNLA members:

Promote a great contest for your customers this fall!

– A trip for two to visit Canada Blooms, March 13-22, 2015 at Toronto’s Direct Energy Centre It’s easy! Just register with CNLA, and display the contest poster (shown at left); customers simply use your code to enter online at the Canada Blooms website.

In addition to the trip, winners for two free tickets will be drawn from each garden centre’s entries. It’s a great way to showcase your store and excite your customers!

Contests can begin in your store any time, but must close by October 31, 2014. This GCC/Canada Blooms initiative is designed to both build your traffic and promote Canada Blooms.

This is a FREE opportunity for CNLA members only.

To participate visit http://www.cnla-acpp.ca/gardencentrecontest or email chelsea@cnla-acpp.ca

LANDSCAPE DOM I NATOR When you work hard all day taming the tough terrain, you need a machine that works just as hard. You need a Gravely Commercial Mower. With a full product offering from zero-turn mowers to 21-inch walk behinds, Gravely is built to take on the toughest jobs. And when your livelihood depends on getting the work done – downtime is not an option. That is why Gravely Commercial mowers are built to dominate the landscape.

www.gravely.com

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PERMACON.CA