Clean Air Calculator Strengthens Trade Stories Always Together Rose Launches Across Canada
Dave Endacott and Matt Atkinson from Atkinson Landscaping in Surrey, B.C. are pumped about winning the Best Business Practices Award at the CNLA’s inaugural Awards of Business Excellence in February.
EXECUTIVE BOARD
President Anita Heuver - AB
Past President, Comms Committee Chair Bill Hardy, CLHM - BC
Vice President, Climate Change Adaptation Chair Alan White - ON
Second Vice President, Human Resources Chair Jeff Foley, CLHT, CLHM - BC
Treasurer Robin Godfrey - NS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BCLNA Representative Heike Stippler, CLD
Landscape AB Representative Jeff Oudyk
Landscape SK Representative Leslie Cornell, RSE, PHC
MBNLA Representative Guy Dowhy, RSE, CLHT, CLHM
Landscape ON Representative Ed Hanson
Landscape NS Representative Steve Smith
Landscape NL Representative Aaron Hickey
Landscape NB/PEI, Member Services Chair, Insurance Chair Kevin Nauss, CLHM - NB
Professional Development Committee Chair Mike Lunau, CLHM, CLHT - ON
Landscape Canada Committee Chair Peter Guinane - ON
Research Committee Chair Phil Paxton CLHM, CLHT, RSE - AB
Government Relations Committee Chair Christine LeVatte CLHM, CLD - NS
Growers Canada Committee Chair Breanna Beck - AB
Garden Centres Canada Chair Leanne Johnson - BC
ASSOCIATION STAFF
Executive Director Victor Santacruz, CLHM, CAE victor@cnla-acpp.ca
Deputy Executive Director Rebecca Doutre, CLHM, CAE rebecca@cnla-acpp.ca
Member Services & Administration Manager Nicole Xavier nicole@cnla-acpp.ca
Retail, Landscape, & Industry HR Specialist Anne Kadwell, CLHT anne@cnla-acpp.ca
Member Services Coordinator Catie Cane catie@cnla-acpp.ca
Bookkeeper Dorothy Teguibon dorothy@cnla-acpp.ca
Member Services Coordinator Emily Fisher emily@cnla-acpp.ca
Growers & Research Specialist Jamie Aalbers jamie@cnla-acpp.ca
Events Specialist & Communications Coordinator Lauryn Smith lauryn@cnla-acpp.ca
Content & Design Coordinator Sarah McIntosh sarah@cnla-acpp.ca
CiB & GCF
Program Specialist Sonia Parrino sonia@cnla-acpp.ca
Media Coordinator Stuart Service stuart@cnla-acpp.ca
CiB & GCF
Program Coordinator Vivian Shum vivian@cnla-acpp.ca
This Spring, over 17,000 units of the Always Together Rose
Communities in Bloom awards.
2026 Winter Events
Message from the President
By Anita Heuver, President, Canadian Nursery Landscape Association
What continues to stand out to me about this industry is the pride people take in their work. Across Canada, our members grow, build, design, supply, and support spaces that make communities healthier, greener, and more livable. That work matters, and so do the people behind it.
Over the past year, I have spent a lot of time thinking about both the strength of our industry and the pressures so many businesses are facing. Labour shor tages, rising costs, reg ulatory compl exity, economic uncer tai nt y, and climate impacts are not distant issues. They affect day-to-day operations, long-term planning, and the confidence businesses
need to invest in the future. Even so, I continue to see resilience, professionalism, and a willingness to adapt. That says a great deal about the character of this sector.
At CNLA, we have been working to become more focused, more strategic, and more effective in how we serve our members. Some of that work is easy to see. Some of it happens quietly, behind the scenes. Strengthening governance , clarifying roles, and improving how decisions are made may not grab headlines, but it is important work. A strong association needs a solid foundation, and that has been a real area of progress for us this year.
Kicking off the opening reception before our successful February winter meetings in Orangeville, Ontario, where the CNLA covered a lot of ground at the board table.
2026 Winter Events
A major milestone this past year was the development of a formal Government Relations Strategic and Tactical Plan. For CNLA, that is a significant step forward. It gives us a clearer framework for advocacy and helps move our efforts from reactive responses to long-term influence and measurable outcomes. It also reflects a broader maturity in how we position our industry and our priorities.
At the same time, we are continuing to strengthen how our industry is understood by governments and external stakeholders. Ornamental horticulture is not discretionary. It is not optional. Our sector contributes directly to climate resilience, biodiversity, healthier communities , urban livability, and the quality of life Canadians value in the places where they live, work, and gather. Managed landscapes and nursery production are part of the solution when it comes to climate adaptation and green infrastructure. That is a message we need to keep advancing, and we need to do it with evidence, consistency, and confidence.
CNLA also remains committed to delivering practical
value through national programs and services.
From the Canadian Landscape Standard and Landscape Certification to Clean Plants, research, education, and workforce development, our goal is simple: to make sure our national work is useful, relevant, and grounded in the realities members face across the country.
I want to thank everyone who helps move this association forward. Our volunteers, committee members, board of directors, provincial partners, staff, sp onsors/partners, and members all play a part. Progress does not happen by accident. It happens because people stay engaged, contribute their expertise, and care enough to keep building.
I am optimistic about the direction of both the association and the industry. There is still much to do, but the momentum is real. We are building an industry that is more resilient, more respected, and better positioned for the future. My hope is that members will continue to stay engaged, stay involved, and help shape what comes next.
Thank you to Greenworks for taking the time to show me their equipment and for sponsoring the opening reception of the CNLA Winter Meetings in Orangeville. Your support helped make it a great evening of networking and conversation for Canada’s green industry.
2026 Winter Events
CNLA Adds Packed Day of Programming
By Stuart Service
On February 3 at Hockley Valley near Orangeville, Ontario, the CNLA hosted three concurrent events as part of the winter meetings of its Board of Directors: the Emerging Leaders Forum, the Leadership Summit, and the debut CNLA Awards of Business Excellence. Together, the events highlighted leadership development, innovation, and excellence across the many sectors of Canada’s green industry.
During a talk about communication at the Emerging Leaders Forum, pairs attempt to draw a plant from only a description.
Attendees file into Adamo Estate Winery for the debut CNLA Awards of Business Excellence.
The crowd settles in for the afternoon Leadership Summit.
2026 Winter Events
Emerging Leaders Forum Grows the Next Generation of Green Professionals
At the Emerging Leaders Forum on February 3, Breanna Beck delivered an engaging keynote focused on communication and conflict management, two leadership skills often assumed but rarely taught. Drawing on her experiences as an educator, landscape construction supervisor, and former national athlete, Beck explained how miscommunication is often at the root of a workplace conflict.
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place,” she said, noting how assumptions and unclear expectations can quickly erode trust within a team. Beck highlighted the importance of active listening, clarity, feedback, and that communication must be intentional and is
best deployed in multiple ways: verbal, written, visual, and non-verbal.
And when conflicts occur, they should not be avoided. When handled effectively, resolved conflicts can drive innovation and strengthen collaboration.
“Effective leaders do not avoid, repeat, repress or deny conflict,” she said. Address the issues openly, identify the root causes, and follow up to ensure lasting solutions.
Following the keynote, participants broke into facilitated roundtable discussions that explored career pathways, leadership challenges, and professional growth across the landscape and horticulture sector. Conversations ranged from pursuing green careers as
Following brainstorming sessions at the Emerging Leader Forum, Leeland Paxton from Wheatland Trees in Calgary, Alberta, summarized his group’s discussion about working among a staff of multiple generations.
2026 Winter Events
students to navigating intergenerational workplaces and taking the next step in professional development.
Several groups emphasized that while technical knowledge can be gained over time, soft skills like professionalism, communication skills, and adaptability are critical to long-term success. Mentorship emerged as a recurring theme, with participants highlighting the value of learning from experienced leaders and creating space for patience, training, and shared accountability across teams.
The finale of the Forum was a candid panel discussion featuring leaders from across the landscape and nursery sectors: Andy Walker from Andy’s Lawn and Landscape in Burlington, Ontario, Sean Christie, owner of Rugged Earth Landscaping in Muskoka, Ontario, Alexander Godfrey of Lakeland Plant World near Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Nick Winkelmolen from Winkelmolen Nursery in Lynden, Ontario. Moderated by Kelsey White from Turf Systems, the conversation explored career paths, leadership styles, growth challenges, and the pursuit of a work-life balance.
Each panelist shared a unique entry point into the industry. Walker traced his start back to age 12, when he mowed his neighbour’s lawn for $20. He enjoyed the cashflow and relative ease of the work. He registered
his business as soon as he could at age 15 and the company has grown every year.
Christie described a series of closed doors in teaching that led him to entrepreneurship, finding a way to convert his passion into something that could one day help him buy a house. He added that the secret to growing the business was learning from failure, attending industry events, and finding inspiration from seeing winning projects at the Landscape Ontario Awards of Excellence.
Godfrey reflected on a two-year journey to the United Kingdom, saying his time abroad working at Barton Grange Garden Centre was transformative: “Going away and getting that experience was something that I’ll remember forever.”
Winkelmolen reached the conclusion while in school for engineering that this wasn’t the career path he wanted to pursue, coming to the realization that he’d rather be outside and to be a farmer.
When questioned about leadership styles, responses ranged from Walker’s active “hands-on” approach to Christie’s “gradual release,” built on trust and delegation. Godfrey emphasized culture, a “positive vibe, a lot of energy motivating,” while Winkelmolen described needing to take a step back from micromanagement.
A candid panel discussion concluded the Emerging Leader Forum on February 3. Pictured from left: Kelsey White from Turf Systems, Nick Winkelmolen from Winkelmolen Nursery, Alexander Godfrey from Lakeland Plant World, Sean Christie from Rugged Earth Landscaping, and Andy Walker from Andy’s Lawn and Landscape.
“My dad was very much a micro-manager, so I tried to get away from that as much as I can,” Winkelmolen said. “I will never be able to get away from that completely because, you know, I learned from him. But it’s very much stepping back to some extent and letting people take the lead.”
Discussion of growth revealed shared constraints, including workforce shortages, land costs, regulatory hurdles, and long production timelines.
“Muskoka has a really hard time finding a skilled workforce,” Christie said, adding that closures of college campuses in Orilia and Bracebridge are adding to staffing challenges.
The challenge for growth at his garden centre out east, Godfrey said, is the years-long headache that’s been the permitting process, which is impeding on new renovations.
A theme emerged throughout the discussion that the people behind a business matter most. Godfrey said that building an environment that drives higher employee retention frees up time to focus on the big picture.
As Walker summed up, “Surround yourself with good people.”
2026 Winter Events
Keynote speaker Breanna Beck shares communication tips and the lasting benefits of leadership that confronts and resolves conflict.
Leadership Summit: Mental Health, Technology, and the Human Side of Leadership
The 2026 Leadership Summit brought together industry leaders to explore the interconnected themes of well-being, technology, and people centred decision-making. Emceed by Landscape Ontario Executive Director Joe Salemi, the summit featured presentations from Gerry Friesen, Peter Guinane, and Jason Maraschiello, each offering a distinct perspective on the evolving demands of leadership in the green industry.
Gerry Friesen, also known as The Recovering Farmer, opened the session by drawing on his background in agriculture to speak candidly about mental health, resilience, and the pressures faced by business owners
and leaders. Friesen emphasized the importance of self-awareness and emotional well-being, particularly in industries shaped by seasonality, labour challenges, and external stressors beyond one’s control. He encouraged leaders to recognize the impact of stress on themselves and their teams, and to create environments that support open conversations about mental health.
Peter Guinane of Knowledge Tree Consulting followed with a forward-looking presentation focused on artificial intelligence and its growing influence on business and leadership. Guinane explored how AI is reshaping decision-making, productivity, and
Jason Maraschiello closed the Leadership Summit with a lively discussion on the practical realities of leading teams.
communication, challenging leaders to engage with technology proactively rather than reactively. He emphasized the importance of understanding both the opportunities and limitations of AI, noting that while technology can enhance efficiency and insight, it cannot replace human judgment, values, or relationships. His talk encouraged leaders to think critically about how AI can support their organizations without defining it.
Closing the summit, Jason Maraschiello brought the conversation back to the practical realities of leading teams. Drawing from his experience in business leadership, he focused on accountability, communication, and empowering people at every level of an organization. Maraschiello highlighted that leadership is demonstrated daily through actions, consistency, and the ability to support others’ growth.
Throughout the session, Salemi guided the discussion and connected shared themes across all three presentations, explaining how effective leadership in the horticulture and landscape sector requires a balance between innovation and empathy, performance and well-being, and technology and human connection.
2026 Winter Events
Gerry “The Recovering Farmer” Friesen encouraged leaders to recognize the impact of stress on themselves and their teams, and to create environments that support open conversations about mental health.
Awards of Business Excellence
Winners of the inaugural CNLA Awards of Business Excellence
The 2026 CNLA Awards of Business Excellence recognized outstanding Canadian companies and individuals who continue to raise the bar for professionalism, leadership, and innovation across the nursery and landscape sector. Presented at the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association’s winter meetings, the awards highlight excellence in business practices, sustainability, creativity, community impact, and long-term industry contributions.
The Best Business Practices Award was presented to Atkinson Landscaping in Surrey, British Columbia, for its strong management approach, employee retention, and long-standing client relationships. The close-knit
team delivers reliable, high-quality services across both maintenance and project divisions while fostering a culture that values hard work and rewards staff.
The Most Innovative Business Award was presented to Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds, a national leader in nature-based play and learning environments. With more than 4,500 projects completed over three decades, the company has redefined how communities engage with outdoor spaces. The Green for Life: Industry Award also went to Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds, acknowledging its global influence and mission to connect one million people to nature every day by 2030.
Awards of Business Excellence
The Sustainable Solutions Award recognized The Silent Gardener in Westminster, British Columbia, for its commitment to quiet, full-service landscaping using exclusively battery-powered equipment and vehicles.
The Outstanding Volunteer Award honoured Guy Dowhy, RSE, CLHT, CLHM, owner of Dowhy Designs and Landscapes and Manitoba’s CNLA board representative, for his longstanding dedication, leadership, and service to the association.
The Emerging Leader Award was awarded to Matthew Bell of Geller’s Design | Build | Landscape in Winnipeg, Manitoba, recognized for fostering a strong team culture and delivering award-winning design-build projects.
The Landscaper of Distinction Award was awarded to Para Space Landscaping, located in Vancouver, British Columbia, for exceptional growth, employee
development, and industry leadership.
NVK Nurseries received the Grower of Distinction Award, recognizing the Dundas, Ontario nursery grower’s strong focus on consistency, customer service, and supporting landscape professionals and garden centres with reliable products.
Connon Nurseries earned the Garden Centre of Distinction Award, reflecting its innovative retail expansion through their seven The Branch pop-up locations opened across the Greater Toronto Area in 2025, as well as their continued commitment to high level customer experience.
“The 2026 award recipients reflect the strength, creativity, and professionalism of Canada’s horticulture and landscape industry,” said CNLA President Anita Heuver. “Their achievements set a powerful example and help move our industry forward.”
The Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds team was a big winner at the inaugural CNLA Awards of Business Excellence, taking home the Innovative Business and Green for Life Industry Awards.
Manitobans Guy Dowhy, RSE, CLHT, CLHM, winner of the Outstanding Volunteer Award, and Matthew Bell, winner of the Emerging Leader Award.
David Endacott and Matt Atkinson from Atkinson Landscaping in Surrey, BC, thank the audience upon receiving the Best Business Practices Award.
Sheldon Ridout from The Silent Gardener in Westminster, BC, wins the Sustainable Solutions Award. He tells the audience that he’s always available to share tips and advice on the path he took to change all of his company’s vehicles and equipment to be 100% electric.
Awards of Business Excellence
Landscaper of Distinction Para Space Landscaping, B.C.
For more than four decades, Para Space Landscaping has built its reputation for quality work across Metro Vancouver. That work was recognized nationally when the company received the Landscaper of Distinction Award at the CNLA Awards of Business Excellence.
Founded in 1979 as a home-based business, Para Space has grown steadily into a full-service landscape firm with expertise spanning maintenance, construction, irrigation, pond health and repairs. The company now services all of Vancouver, supported by an office located centrally to its client base.
“In the past 12 years, we have quadrupled in size,”
said Jeff Foley, President of Para Space Landscaping. “Our growth is attributed to our amazing team and staying true to our core values.”
For staff on the ground, the reward comes when plans turn into something tangible.
“The most rewarding part of our job is when a client comes home and sees the night and day difference,” said Cody Zahradnik, a Senior Manager at Para Space Landscaping. “To come home and see their vision and our vision merge and come to life, it’s really special.”
That focus on people extends inward as well. Para Space has been recognized as one of North America’s
Winners of the Landscaper of Distinction Award Cody Zahradnik, Samantha Thorbes-Curry, Cinzia Di Blasio, Shelley Nyhan and Jeff Foley from Para Space Landscaping in Vancouver, B.C.
Awards of Business Excellence
Best Places to Work by Lawn and Landscape magazine and as one of the best places to work for women in 2025 by the Best Companies Group. A cornerstone of the company culture is its emphasis on training.
“Training and development for us starts on day one,” said Para Space Landscape Maintenance Manager Nico Bourne. “With our in-house training and seminar program, we’re able to offer a magnitude of different subjects.”
With 161 team members and more than 50 training topics, the company emphasizes both technical skill and personal development. That investment
materializes in how Para Space approaches its clients.
“As a one-stop shop, we aim to provide peace of mind through certified teams who are committed to going the extra mile,” said Shelley Nyhan, a Senior Manager at Para Space Landscaping.
For Zahradnik, the award reflects the collective effort.
“This is an award that recognizes us [as] the people doing the work on site and the business that we’ve grown and the careers that we’ve helped develop,” he said. “It means a lot to us to be recognized by the CNLA for the hard work that we do.”
The Para Space Landscaping team has grown exponentially, quadrupling in size over the past 12 years.
Cody Zahradnik and Cinzia Di Blasio pictured moments after winning the Commercial Maintenance Award at the 2019 National Awards of Landscape Excellence, recognized for groundswork at a 12-storey condominium in Vancouver.
Awards of Business Excellence
Emerging Leader Matthew Bell, Man.
The Emerging Leader Award went to Matthew Bell, owner of Geller’s Design | Build | Landscape. For Bell, the recognition landed less as a personal milestone than as an acknowledgment of the culture his company has been building for more than a decade.
Based just outside Winnipeg, Geller’s is a vertically integrated design build firm serving Manitoba and northwestern Ontario, with a focus on high-end residential work supported by commercial and maintenance services.
“We want to be a destination company not only for our clients, but also our staff,” Bell said.
That emphasis on people runs through Bell’s definition
of leadership. Geller’s employs roughly 100 people across three locations, and Bell measures success as much in life markers as in revenue. “We’ve had two of our first foremen recently buy a house with their spouses,” he said. “We have one of our designers coming back from her first maternity leave. I’m excited to see our staff continue to grow, continue to develop not only in their professional lives, but also in their personal lives.”
A recent award winning project on Muriel Lake in northwestern Ontario pushed the company to its limits. The scope included 10,000 square feet of paving stone, a timber frame pool house, and a pool excavation
Awards of Business Excellence
complicated by bedrock. The project took nearly two and a half years.
“Being able to achieve that project, being able to sell it, design it, build it, have happy clients, be recognized as a team – that is something that I think we will always be able to hang our hat on.”
Geller’s is closely linked with its sister company, Shelmerdine Garden Centre, where Bell and his partner Chad Labbe operate a large scale retail and supply operation. Together, the two businesses combine inspiration, construction, and long term care.
Behind it all are clear values for the team.
“We want to be a destination employer,” Bell said, adding that open book management is part of that approach. “What is good for Geller’s will be good for everybody that works here.”
Another core value is more bluntly stated: staff have to genuinely give a damn. “We can’t teach somebody to care,” he said.
“Winning the Emerging Leader Award recognizes the culture and the people that have worked hard to build Geller’s over the last decade,” Bell said. “This is a testament to show that what we are working to build over here really is having an effect on the industry.”
The Geller’s design team at their downtown Winnipeg office.
Matthew Bell credits his staff for the Emerging Leader Award, and highlighted how proud he is that his two companies Geller’s Design | Build | Landscape and Shelmerdine Garden Centre are a testament that careers can be built in the horticulture industry.
Completing this project near Muriel Lake in northwest Ontario was a crowning achievement for the Geller’s team.
Garden Centre of Distinction Connon Nurseries, Ont. Awards of Business Excellence
Connon Nurseries was recognized for rethinking retail at the 2026 CNLA Business Awards of Excellence, earning the Garden Centre of Distinction Award. Their latest venture was unveiled last summer through the opening of seven pop-up retail garden centres in population centres across the Greater Toronto Area. Standing inside one of those pop-up locations known as The Branch, vice president Terry Vanderkruk explained how the concept took shape.
“These are convenient pop up locations that are situated in large shopping malls with high traffic volume,” he said. “Our sales yard destinations are locations that you need to drive to. They’re in the country, they’re off
the beaten path, and we wanted to create something that was more convenient for our consumers.” The move was also a direct response to shifting retail dynamics.
“We are seeing the emergence of the box stores taking over 50 per cent of the retail business over the last 20 years,” Vanderkruk said. “We’re not happy that a lot of the retail business has come away from the independents, and we’re doing something about it.”
The risk is paying off, though Vanderkruk remains grounded about the work still needing to be done to grow The Branch in subsequent years.
“Success never comes overnight,” he said. “You need
Connon Nurseries President Rob Vanderkruk was presented the Garden Centre of Distinction Award by CNLA Treasurer Robin Godfrey.
Awards of Business Excellence
to work hard at it. You need to be tenacious. You need to earn your place.”
For the Connon’s marketing and media manager Valerie Kristjanson, the distinction between a garden centre and Connon Nurseries’ sales yards matters at their flagship locations in Waterdown, Trenton and Newmarket.
“We call it a sales yard because it’s more than a garden centre to us,” she said. “Everybody is serviced here. So the general public’s welcome. Home gardeners are welcome, [and] trade professionals are welcome.”
The spaces were intentionally designed to bring people together, from contractors meeting clients to home gardeners browsing as they sip a coffee.
“It’s just a great space,” Kristjanson said. “It’s a great space to be in, and to be around plants all the time.”
When accepting the award, Vanderkruk gives full credit to the effort behind the scenes.
“It’s been a lot of work to create a new brand and a lot of risk,” he said. “You’re never sure if it’s going to be successful or not, but to be recognized for that is great.”
Garden centre owners and operators across Canada are invited to join us in Montréal, Québec, July 5–8 for the 2026 Garden Centres Summit.
Get inspired visiting some of Québec’s most awe-inspiring garden centres and gain valuable insights through a speaker series focused on best practices for operating a successful Canadian independent garden centre, including practical succession planning do’s and don’ts that can save you heartache and money.
Connon Nurseries opened seven The Branch pop-up garden centre locations across the Greater Toronto Area in 2025, an ambitious venture that brought their products closer to their home gardening clientele.
Connon Nurseries’ flagship sales yards in Waterdown, Trenton and Newmarket remain the staple of their business, servicing trade professionals and home gardening clientele.
Awards of Business Excellence
Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds honoured twice at awards ceremony
By night’s end, the Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds team walked away with two consequential honours at the CNLA Business Awards of Excellence: the Green for Life: Industry Award and the Most Innovative Business Award. These awards recognize a company that is altering how communities think about play, learning, and the landscapes that shape childhood.
Early in his career, founder Adam Bienenstock was asked by a client for a playground. Bienenstock tried something that may have been ahead of its time, building around the natural landscape by blending a play area around a creek and a fallen tree.
Adam Bienenstock inside a hollowed out tree trunk at the Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds office in Hamilton, Ont.
The client was unimpressed.
Awards of Business Excellence
“He patted me on the head and said ‘That’s nice, Adam. I wanted a playground,’” he recalled. “I never thought for a second that he was right.”
That conviction guided more than three decades of work that now stretches across North America and beyond. Today, Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds operates from rural Hamilton with a core team of about 35, supported by a continent-wide network of arborists, contractors, designers, and carvers.
The company has completed more than 4,500 projects, many of them ambitious, large-scale natural playgrounds and outdoor learning environments. The structure of the company has evolved with the work.
“We’re much more project managers across the continent than we are individual contractors,” Bienenstock said. “And we look after the specialty bits that are really hard to get exactly right.”
Bienenstock’s inspiration is informed by decades of science, including research by his father, immunologist John Bienenstock, on the gut microbiome, and by early childhood development research from Fraser Mustard. Long before municipalities caught
on, Drs Bienenstock and Mustard were arguing that soil, biodiversity, and sensory-rich environments were essential infrastructure.
How that philosophy adapted through 2020’s global disruption was recognized with the Most Innovative Business Award. When playgrounds were wrapped in caution tape in 2020, Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds pivoted hard toward schools and outdoor classrooms.
Adam Bienenstock highlighted a staggering stat: roughly 200,000 acres of asphalt covers Canadian school grounds.
“The number doesn’t make sense,” he said. “It’s a crazy number.”
Their national push is helping to pull up the pavement at schools and put living systems back in, as well as highlighting that outsized effects come from even modest shifts of large-scale landscape investment toward natural systems.
Upon receiving the Most Innovative Business Award, Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds CEO John El-Raheb thanked the audience, “We’re honoured to receive this award and, honestly, I’m grateful for the team because what we do isn’t easy, but they make it look easy.”
The 2,800 square foot Westminster Station Nature Play Park in Denver, Colorado, completed by a consortium including Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds in 2021.
Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds (BNP) CEO John El-Rehab joins staff and students for the grand opening of an outdoor classroom at Champlain Discovery Public School in Pembroke, Ontario in September 2025.
Awards of Business Excellence
Best Business Practices Atkinson Landscaping, B.C.
When Atkinson Landscaping won the Best Business Practices Award at the 2026 CNLA Awards of Business Excellence, the recognition landed squarely on how the Surrey, British Columbia company treats both its people and its clients.
Founded in 2014 by childhood neighbours Matt Atkinson and Dave Endacott, the company now serves Surrey, Langley and Maple Ridge, with operations spanning landscape maintenance, construction and snow removal. While the scope has grown, the emphasis has remained steady.
“We believe in transparency,” said Atkinson.
“One way we do this is we run what’s called open
book management. We do a meeting once a quarter where we go over our financials for the quarter. We pay out a 10 per cent profit share to our entire staff,” he added. “When Dave and I win, everyone also wins.”
Opportunity follows closely behind by implementing staff suggestions and by promoting from within to elevate employees into the roles they aspire towards.
Culture is reinforced beyond the jobsite with Atkinson Landscaping’s “work hard, play hard,” core value, Endacott said. Staff outings occur frequently throughout the year in the form of summer golf tournaments, summer barbecues and holiday parties.
“More of a time just to be intentional and spend time
Best Business Practices Award winners Dave Endacott, Trystan Laing, Kaella Young and Matt Atkinson from Atkinson Landscaping in Surrey, B.C.
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together, hang out and build culture,” Endacott said.
The same care extends to clients. After every onetime project, Atkinson Landscaping sends a handwritten thank-you card signed by the crew.
“Just to add a little bit more value to their experience,” Endacott said. Maintenance clients are approached with long-term relationships in mind, with 12-month contracts and a dedicated account manager.
“We say internally to our account manager, to think of their role as a relationship manager,” Endacott said. “We’re trying to build specific relationships in hopes that the renewal process is smooth and happens consistently.”
The systems in place were learned the hard way. Endacott recalled early jobs that did not even cover staff wages, a turning point that led them to track costs properly and refine their services.
For Atkinson, the award brings perspective on how far the company has grown.
“Ten to 12 years ago when Dave and I started the business, we didn’t even think we could be in the running for an award like this,” he said. “It’s such a humbling experience.”
Strata maintenance in Lower Mainland communities in B.C. is the specialty of Atkinson Landscaping they are looking to grow.
From childhood neighbours to award-winning business owners, Dave Endacott and Matt Atkinson thanked the audience at the 2026 CNLA Awards of Excellence for the recognition that they never imagined as a possibility when they established Atkinson Landscaping in 2014.
Awards of Business Excellence
Grower of Distinction NVK Nurseries in Ont.
NVK Nurseries was presented the 2026 Grower of Distinction Award, a recognition that speaks to a nursery that has stayed grounded in people, plants and place for well over a century.
Based in West Flamborough, just outside of Hamilton on the Niagara Escarpment, NVK operates as a wholesale nursery serving landscapers and garden centres across the industry. The business spans roughly 15 farms and about 1,000 acres in production, with a mix of container and field-grown material. It is not open to the public, by design, as the focus is firmly on the trade.
“We’re able to supply anything from A to Z in terms of plants,” said Brent Vanderkruk from NVK Nurseries.
“Anything that would go in your garden, in a landscape. Hard to grow stuff. Native plant material, large
caliper trees, shrubs, evergreens, anything really, that will go in your landscape.”
NVK is both a starting and finishing nursery, sourcing liners and specialty material from across North America to complement what’s grown in-house. Japanese maples from Oregon, native seed from local seed zones and large-caliper trees are all part of a deliberately broad inventory built through long-standing relationships. That reach is matched by the people behind it.
“We’re approximately 200 staff,” Vanderkruk said. “It takes a lot, an army of people to make the nursery run. And we couldn’t do without them. They’re the best in the industry.”
The company’s roots trace back to 1906, when it
The NVK Nurseries team at their booth at the Landscape Ontario Congress. NVK brings a retail mindset to the wholesale business and views Congress as an important opportunity to establish and strengthen connections with trade professionals.
began as a seed supplier in Hamilton.
Awards of Business Excellence
“Without a good, strong foundation, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” Vanderkruk said. “My great-great grandfather, my great-grandfather, my grandfather, my dad, they all built a great foundation.”
That foundation now supports a fourth generation focused on quality, stewardship and education. NVK invests heavily in propagation, trials and sustainable
land practices, with an eye on the next hundred years. It is also intentional about bringing young people into horticulture and giving them room to grow.
“When we heard that we had this award for Grower of Distinction, it is a complete honour,” Vanderkruksaid. “We’re humbled by it. But also, again, it’s the work of all the staff and team members at the nursery, plus all the people we collaborate with.”
Ryan Munroe and Brent Vanderkruk from NVK Nurseries were presented the Grower of Distinction Award at the 2026 CNLA Awards of Business Excellence.
NVK operates about 1,000 acres in West Flamborough, offering a huge mix of container and field-grown material to the wholesale market.
Canadian Nursery Landscape Association
CNLA Strengthens Ties With Thailand Canadian delegates explore new partnerships in Bangkok
By Rebecca Doutre
Members of the CNLA participated in a trade mission to Thailand from November 25 to December 3, 2025, to explore import and export opportunities, visit key parks and green spaces, and attend a horticulture-focused conference.
A growers’ tour, coordinated and hosted by the Botanical Association of Siam (BAS), included visits to Air Orchids, a producer of orchids and ornamentals, and a wholesale/retail market that brings together dozens of growers from the region into one market setting. A tour of the ancient city was a highlight, as
it was the headquarters of the BAS office. The tour featured breathtaking Thai plants and landscapes, a lotus exhibition, and the time to explore a floating market. Additionally, we visited Suan Luang Rama IX, a Botanical Garden that featured a plant competition and another ornamental plant market filled with unique plant varieties.
A Presentation and Landscape Tour was coordinated and hosted by Landscape Architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom, showcasing Centenary Park. This modern, eco-friendly public park in the heart of Bangkok is
Canadian Nursery Landscape Association
known for its innovative, sustainable design to help manage urban flooding. The park serves as a vital green space and an “urban forest” offering various activities and unique design features that help to absorb and manage rainwater through cascading ponds, sloped walkways, a constructed wetland, and underground retention tanks. A second project, Chao Phaya Skypark, was visited at night. This elevated public park is built on an abandoned railway structure in Bangkok, offering panoramic 360-degree views of the Chao Phraya River and city skyline.
Additional green spaces visited in Bangkok included Lumphini Park, the city’s first public park, established in the 1920s by King Rama VI, which serves as a green oasis in the heart of the bustling city. Lastly, Benjakitti Park, which features an extensive urban forest and a 180-acre wetland area built on the site of a former tobacco factory. This park is sometimes described as a “swamp” or “wetland” park because its design manages stormwater and provides wildlife habitat. A notable feature is the elevated skywalk that runs through the tree canopies and over the wetlands, offering unique views of nature and the city skyline.
The CNLA also coordinated a conference to network with key contacts from Thailand related to trade opportunities, including presentations from Senior Trade Minister Frank Le, Mr. Yanyong Phanphruek with the Horticulture Research Institute and a panel of growers, including the President of the BAS, Dr. Soontorn Pipitsangchan, addressing the Thai market, import and export opportunities and challenges. Negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between Canada and Thailand have begun, and with agriculture a considerable part of Thailand’s economy, this presents Canadian Horticulture businesses with opportunities worth exploring. In particular, agri-tech innovations are in demand. All plant imports require valid phytosanitary certificates from the exporting National Plant Protection Organization or CFIA.
When doing business in Thailand, it is important to note that hierarchy, respect, and appearance matter. Cultivating personal relationships is the best path to success in this market, as much business is done outside formal meetings. Use a local agent and a good lawyer, and connect with the Trade Commissioner Service.
CNLA extends its thanks to the members and staff of the BAS, Kotchakorn Voraakhom, all conference speakers, and the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) for their support in coordinating this successful trade mission. For more information on Thailand’s floriculture sector, see the country profile developed by AIPH and CNLA with funding from the Government of Canada through the AgriMarketing. Program.
Communities in Bloom
Stratford Welcomes
31st CiB Symposium & Awards
By Stuart Service
The Communities in Bloom Symposium brought national and international delegates to Stratford, Ontario for the 31st edition of CiB’s Symposium and Awards
The opening reception took place at the Tom Patterson Theatre, where delegates were welcomed by Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma. The evening continued at the historic Stratford Public Library, where attendees took part in a silent disco.
The first dancers between the bookshelves were City staff and Councillor Brad Beatty Dozens soon joined them and, through their headphones, dancers told one another, “THIS MUSIC IS REALLY GOOD!” unaware how loudly they were praising the deejay.
The following day began at the Stratford Rotary Complex with presentations from Stratford staff and volunteers
highlighting community projects. Former mayor Dan Mathieson and former Stratford Perth Museum general manager John Kastner spoke about possible futures for a former train repair facility on 18 acres south of the University of Waterloo campus.
“Opportunity only knocks once on a door. And I think it’s banging on the door,” Kastner said. “Just to be political at a very nonpolitical event, I hope the City Council does something with this building.”
Mathieson noted how Stratford, a city of about 33,000, has repeatedly punched above its weight” with ambitious civic projects.
“The world is full of problem identifiers. We’re short on solvers,” Mathieson said. “As you go back to your communities and the work you do promoting Communities in Bloom, please be problem solvers.”
Harry Jongerden, former head gardener at the Stratford Festival and CiB judge, highlighted during the walking tour how Stratford’s identity was shaped by early investment in parks and gardens long before the Stratford Festival began.
Communities in Bloom
Following walking and bus tours, the Community Showcase Dinner & Awards began at the Stratford Country Club. As communities were recognized, the club’s Wi-Fi faltered under the strain.
Beatty asked the audience to stop streaming the Toronto Blue Jays playoff game During the brief outage he hosted an impromptu Stratford trivia contest, then delivered score updates between awards.
The final day began with table-topic discussions on community engagement led by Geneviève Potvin of Scotts Canada. Sessions throughout the morning focused on community-led ecology, urban forestry and regenerative food systems. Speakers discussed invasive species management, rebuilding food webs with native plants, expanding tree canopy and regenerative agriculture to strengthen biodiversity and local connections.
International delegates closed the speaker program. Michelangelo Boni of Bellaria-Igea Marina described a community built on family, tourism and environmental education. Robbie Quinn of Abbeyleix, Ireland spoke about the role of partnership and volunteerism in community success.
That evening, the 31st edition of the CiB National and International Awards honoured municipalities from Canada, Ireland, Italy and Slovenia.
“We proudly recognize and thank all the communities that took part in our provincial, national, and international programs,” said Peggy Head, national chair of Communities in Bloom. “With the support of our Board, judges, sponsors, and partners, your ongoing dedication to creating greener, healthier, and more sustainable places truly embodies our spirit of Growing Great Places Together”.
Congratulations to the winners and thank you to the judges!
National & International Winners
National Population
Up to 5,000: Town of Capreol, Ont.
National Population Over 50,000: City of North Bay, Ont.
International Challenge (Small): Town of Yarmouth, N.S.
International Challenge (Medium): Bellaria-Igea Marina, Rimini, Italy
Class of Champions (Small): City of Castlegar, B.C.
Grand Champions: City of Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Healthier, Livable Cities: City of Barrie, Ont.
Outstanding Achievement Winners
Teck Community Appearance Award: Wood Buffalo, Alta.
CNLA Environmental Action Award: City of Fredericton, N.B.
CiB Heritage Conservation Award: Town of Capreol, Ont.
CiB Tree Management Award: City of North Bay, Ont.
Commission Plant and Floral Displays Award: City of North Bay, Ont.
Scotts Youth Involvement Award: City of North Bay, Ont.
Scotts Community of Gardeners Award: City of Brandon, Man.
CiB Community Involvement Award: Village of Pugwash, N.S.
The Butchart Gardens Land Reclamation Award: City of Stratford, Ont.
Municipal World WinterLife Award: Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden, Lethbridge, Alta.
CNLA Green Cities Award: Bellaria-Igea Marina, Rimini, Italy
During the October 17 walking tour, participants stopped at the Ted Blowes Memorial Pollinator Peace Garden, where this monarch butterfly paused long enough for a photo. It wasn’t chasing social media likes; it was simply too chilly to fly with the temperature below 13°C.
Congratulations to the winners and thank you to the judges!
Nutrients for Life School Garden Award: Off the Grid-Tommy Douglas Collegiate, Sask. America in Bloom 2025 Edible Garden Community Award: City of Trail, B.C.
CiB International Community Involvement Award: Abbeyleix Tidy Towns, Co Laois, Ireland
Ball International Plant and Floral Displays Award:
Bellaria-Igea Marina, Rimini, Italy
CiB Best Downtown Area Award: Wood Buffalo, Alta.
Municipal World Great Canadian Landmark Contest: Treble Clef, Salmon Arm, B.C.
Thank you to CiB’s volunteer National & International Judges: Susan Ellis, Tina Liu, Christine Isaac, Alain Cappelle, Angela Veith, Seville Kwan, Larry Hall, John Lohuis
Communities in Bloom
Eco Club student Lucy Chung and teacher Christine Ritsma shared with CiB how students at Stratford District Secondary School created a community urban farm and led environmental initiatives.
CiB National Chair Peggy Head, CiB judge Karen Stephenson, and RCMP Cst. Richard Bella. Stephenson received special recognition for her years of contributing to the success of the CiB program dating back to 2009. As the key liaison for Scotts Canada, she established the Scotts Canada Gro for Good grants.
Martin Quinn has been involved with CiB since the beginning of the program in 1994. He was honoured for his tenure and shared the story of how he started out as a judge through the inspiring message of the late Ted Blowes, former mayor of Stratford.
Winter Lights Festival at Lethbridge, Alta. Japanese Garden Recognized at CiB Symposium
By Stuart Service
The Winter Light Festival at the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden received the Municipal World WinterLife Award at the October 17 Community Showcase in Stratford, Ont. during Communities in Blooms’ 31st annual Symposium.
The 4-acre, Lethbridge, Alta. garden was crafted with authentic, Japanese style landscaping. Nikka Yuko, which means Japan-Canada friendship, was among several projects funded in 1963 by the Government of Canada to celebrate Canada’s centennial in 1967.
It wasn’t long before the 1963 funding announcement that southern Alberta’s Japanese Canadian community
grew under difficult conditions, particularly during and after the Second World War. A majority of Japanese Canadians were forced into internment camps in B.C. and Alberta in the 1940s, and racist policies persisted following the end of the war.
“Until almost 1950, and in some places a little bit longer, Japanese Canadians weren’t welcome to own a house in the City of Lethbridge and they weren’t allowed to work there without special permission,” said Dawn Sugimoto, president of the Lethbridge & District Japanese Garden Society.
Eric Granson, Michelle Day-Miles and Dawn Sugimoto from the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden in Lethbridge, Alberta. The garden’s Winter Light Festival received the Municipal World WinterLife Award during Communities in Blooms’ 31st annual symposium.
Communities in Bloom
“I give you all of that as background because 15 years after those policies went away – just 15 years – a group of city councillors, community members and the local Japanese community came together with the idea of creating this garden for a Canadian centennial project.”
The Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden “is a symbol of resilience to me,” she added.
“It’s a symbol of people who came through horrible things and created something beautiful and lasting.”
That story is what Sugimoto wanted Communities in Bloom judges to see and experience when they visited last July.
“It was an opportunity for them to see it not just as a garden, but as a little piece of history,” she said. “We’re really looking forward to getting the report back of what their observations and suggestions are.”
Sugimoto hopes that experience extends beyond Lethbridge. Attraction gardens, she suggests, have something to gain by stepping into the CiB process.
“I encourage other people to take it on.”
The award Sugimoto and Nikka Yuko staff received from CiB on October 17 recognized the Winter Light Festival, now in its 10th year. Once a seasonal garden, the winter festival has been “game-changing” by turning the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden into a yearround attraction.
“The garden is so beautiful. It demands to be seen year round. And the lights are a way for us to do that,” she said.
“It lights up the gardens so you get a sense of the features,” Sugimoto continued. “It’s one of the few winter attractions in our community, and it’s been game-changing for the garden.”
In Memoriam | Brenda Patricia Marie Duke 1951 - 2026
Brenda Patricia Marie Duke was a passionate community leader in Hamilton’s Barton Village, whose dedication to neighbourhood gardens and green spaces left a lasting mark on her community. Through the Barton Village garden efforts and the Birge Street Meadow project, both supported by the Green Cities Foundation, Brenda became a valued supporter of the GCF mission and a powerful advocate for community-led green spaces.
In recognition of her tireless advocacy and love for her community, Birch Park was recently renamed Brenda Duke Greenspace, a living tribute to her legacy and the beauty she brought into public spaces. Brenda’s leadership, generosity, and spirit will continue to inspire the GCF and many others who had the privilege of knowing her.
The Winter Light Festival at the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden is one of the few wintertime attractions in Lethbridge, Alta.
Brenda Duke, centre, was a familiar face through volunteering at Hamilton-area Green Cities Foundation projects.
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Green Cities Foundation
Clean Air Calculator Gives the Landscape Trade a Stronger Story to Tell
By Dave Mazur
The value of plants and managed landscapes are apparent to the green industry and their clients, but there hasn’t always been a simple way to quantify that value of plant material.
That is what led the CNLA to develop the Clean Air Calculator. Built on Esri’s ArcGIS Online, the tool uses interactive maps and a scientific data model to show the value of green spaces in cities, communities, neighbourhoods, and individual properties.
From the beginning, the goal was to make that information engaging, accessible, and easy to use. The calculator was developed through the leadership of
CNLA’s Climate Adaptation Committee, in collaboration with Green Cities Foundation and our partners at Design Tennis. It was created to demonstrate the benefits of horticultural landscape products in a clear, non-technical way while remaining grounded in credible research.
Drawing on published studies and source materials from organizations such as the U.S. Forest Service, the University of Guelph, and the Government of Canada, the Clean Air Calculator translates a landscape area into measurable impact. It can estimate carbon sequestration, oxygen production, clean air volume, the number
Discover the environmental impact of landscaping by plotting out your home, a completed or future landscape project.
of people benefited, and vehicle emissions offset.
The Clean Air Calculator helps put numbers behind the work of CNLA members, and gives companies a way to demonstrate value to clients, municipalities, and decision-makers using language and data that connects landscape work to environmental outcomes.
“Landscape professionals are already delivering these benefits every day,” said Alan White, Chair of the CNLA’s Climate Adaptation Committee. “The Clean Air Calculator helps make that impact visible.”
A new multi-property feature, currently in development and expected to launch at the end of April, will allow companies to enter the total area they manage across multiple properties. That will make
Green Cities Foundation
the calculator more relevant to real-world landscape operations and strengthen the relational data inside the Esri and ArcGIS platform.
As more landscapes are added to the Clean Air Calculator, the sum of that data will provide the CNLA a stronger foundation for advocacy, funding conversations, policy discussions, and sector reporting with municipal, provincial, and federal governments.
At its core, the Clean Air Calculator provides the industry with a better way to explain its value. It helps show how trees, gardens, shrubs, and lawns work together to produce clean air, sequester carbon dioxide, and support nature-based solutions in communities across Canada.
Canadian Nursery Landscape Association
Leanne Johnson Steps Into National Leadership
Leanne Johnson steps into national leadership with a sense of responsibility shaped by experience, mentorship, and a deep connection to the garden retail sector.
In February, during the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association’s winter board meetings in Orangeville, Ontario, Johnson was appointed Chair of the Garden Centres Canada committee and joined the CNLA Board of Directors.
Johnson is President and CEO of Gardenworks, which has 10 retail garden centres located across British Columbia, and has a mission to cultivate joy in gardens, homes and communities.
“That mission is personal to me, not just corporate,” she said. “When I look at what national leadership can do by connecting, advocating and elevating the whole sector, it feels like a natural extension of that mission on a bigger stage.”
Labour, rising costs, and evolving customer expectations are shared challenges across Canada. Johnson also sees opportunity in collaboration, particularly as generational change reshapes both ownership and customer demographics.
Her career path was shaped by longtime mentor John Zaplatynsky, founder of Gardenworks and president of the CNLA from 1997 to 1999. Johnson first met him while working as an accountant with KPMG, when Gardenworks quickly became her “favourite” client. A decade later, she joined the company and transitioned into operations as part of a succession plan.
“The two of us worked really closely together for two years while he prepared to retire,” she said.
“So my understanding of the industry, the risks, working with people, and inspiring teams all came from him.”
Johnson credits that mentorship with instilling a commitment to giving back to the industry. And her accounting background also continues to shape her leadership style.
“With Gardenworks being my client for ten years before I joined them, I really understood the operations, the seasonal nature of the business, the cash flow implications, and the critical factor of managing wage costs,” she said.
Twenty-three years after joining Gardenworks, Johnson still considers her career pivot a resounding success.
“This industry has given me everything: a career, a community, and a sense of purpose.”
She has attended several past retail garden summit tours and is looking forward to her first as Chair of Garden Centres Canada, set for Montreal this summer from July 5 to 8.
“The Montreal garden centres are really in a league of their own in Canada,” she said. “The investment that the garden centres have made in their businesses is remarkable and is unique across all of Canada.”
She also emphasized the learning experiences and value of connection that the summit provides attendees.
“The summit will also be a wonderful opportunity to spend time with other garden centre owners and operators from across Canada to share ideas, be inspired, and to really learn from one another.”
Leanne Johnson in Montreal (2024), flanked by the Centre de Jardin Brossard team, and joined by Stepan Smerda, Past President of the IGCA. Brossard is among the sites that will be visited during the three-day, 2026 Garden Centres Canada Summit.
Always Together Rose
From Sport to Symbol Always Together Rose Launches Across Canada
By Jamie Aalbers
The Never Alone Rose was officially launched in 2014 at the CFL Alumni Legends luncheon in Vancouver and became widely available for sale in 2015. Since then, sales have raised $210,000 in plant royalties supporting the Never Alone Cancer Foundation and the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association’s (CNLA) Heritage Plant Development Fund.
In the summer of 2016, greenhouse staff at Jeffries Nurseries in Portage la Prairie, Man. discovered a branch of the popular Never Alone Rose with a reddish-orange bloom. After five years of limited propagation, the sport proved stable, retaining its unique colour without reverting to the original red with white centre. Jeffries Nurseries and the CNLA signed aMemorandum of Understanding in 2021, allowing development of the new rose as a fundraiser modeled after the original. Along with the Never Alone Cancer Foundation
and CNLA, Communities in Bloom (CiB) has joined the effort to promote the new Always Together Rose Toujours Ensemble® ahead of its market release this spring.
Communities in Bloom, established in 1994, promotes civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community involvement. Each year, the organization selects a theme for participating communities. Aligning with the launch of the Always Together Rose, the 2026 theme is Therapeutic Gardening.
CiB National Chair Peggy Head believes the new rose will resonate with gardeners.
“We can tell a story about what the rose represents and who it will benefit ,” she said. “I think the Always Together rose will sell itself.”
Following the 2021 agreement with Jeffries Nurseries,
Greenhouse staff at Jeffries Nurseries in Portage la Prairie, Man. discovered a branch of the popular Never Alone Rose with a reddish-orange bloom. After five years of limited propagation, the sport of the rose created a stable, unique colour without reverting to the original’s distinct red with white centre.
Always Together Rose
CNLA grower members across Canada were invited to propagate the original plants. Nine nurseries and a tissue culture facility in Quebec multiplied approximately 300 plants into 17,000 Always Together roses in one- and two-gallon pots. Delivery to garden centres is now underway.
One of those nurseries is J.C. Bakker & Sons Ltd. in St. Catharines, Ont., where Justin DeHaan helped bring the rose to market. Speaking in 2024, when the nursery had grown several dozen plants, he described the lengthy process.
“There’s a long runway,” he said, pointing to national trials and the work required to build numbers. “We want enough time where the marketing, the communication, the story and the product availability all line up at one time.”
DeHaan also sees the launch as an example of industry collaboration.
“It is an example of the Canadian landscape industry and the horticulture industry coming together, not as competitors, but as partners working to bring to garden centres and consumers a great made-inCanada product.”
The partners involved have worked since 2022 to develop marketing materials and coordinate the national rollout. A list of participating garden centres and promotional resources are available at cnla.ca/ always-together-rose.
At the retail level, Leslie Cornell is preparing to introduce the Always Together Rose at Cornell’s Garden Centre in Moose Jaw, Sask. Hardy to Zone 3, the new rose offers Prairie gardeners a landscape option while supporting the Never Alone Cancer Foundation.
“The rose itself I’m super excited about,” she said. “This one here is actually going to be hardy in my zone.”
Cornell is planning a summer promotion designed to draw customers while sharing the story behind the rose.
“When they buy $150 worth of annuals they are going to get a free Always Together Rose,” she said. “We’re going to have the signage and the information available that explains what the foundation is about.”
The promotion is supported by Aubin Nurseries, helping make the giveaway possible.
“They gave me special pricing on that too, so that I can pass that on to my customers,” she said.
The fundraiser supports the Never Alone Cancer Foundation, founded by Winnipeg Blue Bombers alumnus and CFL executive Lyle Bauer after his throat cancer diagnosis in 2004. Inspired by the support he received, Bauer created the foundation to help ensure others facing cancer know they are not alone.
Today, the Manitoba-based nonprofit provides practical support to individuals and families living with cancer, including food assistance, transportation support and temporary accommodations.
“It’s all about practical support that helps ease the burden of people that are facing cancer so they can focus on getting better,” said Maureen Arnuco of the Never Alone Cancer Foundation. “It’s about making sure no one feels alone.”
Arnuco said the Always Together Rose builds on the legacy of the original Never Alone Rose.
“It’s coming together for people living and impacted with cancer,” she said. “We’re excited and grateful for that kind of support.”
Foundation staff and volunteers also plan to visit garden centres to help promote the launch.
“We have a line up of garden centres here in Manitoba that we will be visiting,” she said. “Encouraging people to buy the rose, showing the story behind it.”
After months of planning, Arnuco is also looking forward to seeing the rose in person.
“I personally haven’t seen the rose yet,” she said. “I’m excited to be in the stores this summer to see it for the first time.”
Justin DeHaan from J.C. Bakker & Sons Ltd. in St Catharines, Ont. said the successful launch of the Always Together Rose will make a strong statement about the capability of Canadian growers and the “ongoing efforts that exist in this country to develop world-class roses.”
Leslie Cornell and retired Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker Dan Rasovich in 2015. Rasovich visited Cornell’s Garden Centre in Moose Jaw, Sask. to assist in promoting the Never Alone Rose and the Never Alone Cancer Foundation by giving away a Roughriders jersey to a lucky customer.
Congratulations to the Newly Certified!
CLHT Turf Maintenance
Megan Bastian
Port Carling Garden Centre, ON
CLHT Turf Maintenance
Tyler Nason
Land’s Best Friend Landscaping, NS
CLHT Turf Maintenance
Luis Palomares
Isidore Landscaping, BC
CLHT Turf Maintenance
Chris Wigston
Para Space Landscaping, BC
CLHT Ornamental Maintenance
Tyler Nason
Land’s Best Friend Landscaping, NS
CLHT Ornamental Maintenance
Toma Kobayashi
Para Space Landscaping, BC
Certifed between October 2025 - April 2026 Interested
Canada
CLHT Ornamental Maintenance
Megan Bastian
Port Carling Garden Centre, ON
CLHT Softscape Installation
Megan Bastian
Port Carling Garden Centre, ON
CLHM
Frank Gerendas Individual, ON
CLHM
Martin Safar
Para Space Landscaping, BC
CLHM
Justin Correia City of Toronto, ON
CLHM
Tamara Dolotova
Para Space Landscaping, BC
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