LANDSCAPE ONTARIO ANNUAL REPORT 2010
Lighting symposium was sold out.
Landscape Contractors Chair/board representative: Peter Guinane Members: Harry Gelderman, Ryan Heath CLP, CLT, Brian Clegg, Barry Hordyk, Brian Marsh, Arthur Skolnik, Charlie Dobbin I would like to thank all of the members of our committee for contributing their time. The annual lecture series was held in conjunction with Industry Night at Canada Blooms on Mar. 18, 2010. Speakers were Ron Koudys and Adam Gracey, who focused on how landscape architects and contractors can better work together. Special appreciation went to the sponsors of the event, Beaver Valley Stone, Dufferin Aggregates, Eloquip, and Unilock. Over 80 attendees enjoyed the talks, and then joined the Industry Night celebration and awards presentation. The Landscape Contractors Sector Group assists with the feature gardens at Canada Blooms, reviewing all entries to ensure they meet industry standards and quality. With the assistance of LO staff, and Tim Kearney’s vision, the wow factor was returned to the show in the Landscape Ontario garden. The 2010 Canada Blooms show at the new location, Direct Energy Centre, was a great success with everything on one floor level. Applications for feature gardens at the 2011 event have exceeded the space available, and will ensure excellence through healthy competition.
It is hoped representatives from all the chapters will be involved with the Contractors’ Group, in order to ensure the needs of members from all the chapters are captured. Our group will visit all chapters and give presentations to LO members and moderate a discussion of issues within each chapter. Our group investigated ways to maximize the benefits of certification. The number of certified members has grown quickly and we believe it will reach a critical mass and become the standard. This will further distinguish LO members and trigger a shift in customer expectations. Publicity of our program will make it much easier for companies with certified staff to compete against those with uncertified staff. The Contractors support the new Green for Life initiative. We are the green industry, and we need to get the message out to the public. Respectfully submitted, Peter Guinane Chair, 2009-2010
Landscape Designers
Items of interest
Chair: Tony Lombardi CLD Provincial board representative: Beth Edney CLD Treasurer: Janet Ennamorato Newsletter editor: Jennifer Hayman Members: Paul Brydges, Don Chase CLD, Harry Gelderman, Judith Humphries CLD, Alice Klamer, Ron Koudys, OALA,CLD, Fred Post CLD, Haig Seferian CLD, Ron Swentiski CLD
A newsletter focuses on issues pertaining to the contractor sector. Arthur Skolnik has been writing articles to answer questions and provide insight into issues that affect all landscape contractors. They are available online and in the regular LO newsletters.
The Landscape Designers hosted the annual conference at Congress on Jan. 11, 2010. It was a very successful event, with over 180 people in attendance. All speakers and topics were well received by the audience. Added to the confer-
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ence was a special area where sponsors of the event were provided tabletop displays and had the opportunity to network with participants. The group also hosted the first Designers’ Breakfast at Garden Expo in Oct., 2009. It was close to being a sold out event. Plans for 2010 are well under way for participation at Garden Expo in the form of a breakfast seminar, and with another great conference in January. The Designer newsletter continues to be a great success and has been widely circulated. It is to be incorporated with the LO website. A committee continues to work on the CLD exam and portfolio review. We are working with the CNLA on renewing the CLD licensing agreement. There are several new members taking on responsibilities within the committee. We also have been working hard to resolve the issues surrounding the gap between Landscape Industry Certified and the older Certified Landscape Designer branding. Discussions include the process, standards and ongoing education opportunities. The committee is very close to completing a manual. Respectfully submitted, Tony Lombardi CLD Chair, 2009-2010
Lawn Care Chair: Steve Tschanz Provincial board representative: Alan White Members: Tom Somerville, John Wright, Rohan Harrison, Don McQueen CIT, Don Voorhees, Paul Gaspar, Richard Reed, Bill Van Ryn Jr, Mark Goodman, Kyle Tobin, Dave Soepboer, Ryan Van Haastrecht, Lee Radcliffe, Thom Bourne CIT, Phil Bull, Pam Charbonneau, Martin Horsman, Gavin Dawson The frustration of last year continues for the lawn care sector. Out of the gate in the spring, a new herbicide was approved by the PMRA and was quickly approved by the MOE. This product was received with great anticipation, however, demand surpassed the supply projections for the product, leading to shortages and many headaches for lawn care operators. Lawn Care is still looking for registered answers on insect control, particularly with chinch bugs. We expressed concern last year with the MOE’s inability to police the pesticide ban across the province. This concern was met with many visits to operators during the season, however, there still seems to be a lack of enforcement. Many of the committee members have witnessed