Landscape Ontario - January 2016

January 2016 www.horttrades.com

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10 PER CENT

IN 2016!

Nine-foot Grout, LO’s mascot, is only one part of an ambitious membership campaign Page 22

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ON LOGO

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Drawn together

By Paul Brydges LO President

M

y Landscape Ontario journey started through a discussion with Ron Swentiski CLD at the Landscape Designers’ Conference, where I was invited to join the Commodity Group.

Ron and I agreed that having a landscape architect in the group would add a different perspective.

Little did Ron and I know where that discussion would lead. The dynamic group of landscape designers looked to elevate the image and profession.

Becoming the design sector representative to the provincial board seemed like a great way to see the big picture and help where I could. This began with leading the design team to create two LO Canada Blooms gardens along the way. The garden designs at Canada Blooms helped us to get to know members and build relationships through all the sectors involved in LO. The depth and diversity in the association

January, 2016 • Volume 34, No. 1 horttrades.com Landscape Ontario’s mandate is to be the leader in representing, promoting and fostering a favourable environment for the advancement of the horticultural industry in Ontario.

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still continues to amaze me.

Next, a tap on the shoulder from our illustrious executive director Tony DiGiovanni brought me to putting my hat in the ring for the position of treasurer on the provincial board. We all know how difficult it is to say no to such an elegant and articulate speaker.

Which brings us to this point in my LO history, and this article. It’s my first as President Elect.

The daily driving force and message in our design office are that of teamwork and relationships. As landscape architects, our biggest role is and should be that of a coach. We listen to our clients’ needs, wants and wishes and blend the realistic with the fantastic. This is the same platform that LO is built upon in so many respects.

Without the incredible talent of all the contractors we collaborate with, unique materials from suppliers and manufacturers, all we do is put ideas on a piece of paper. There are too many details of construction and materials for any one person to be an expert at all aspects of our modern, very complex projects. We strive to build a team of professionals to bring the most recent knowledge and skill sets to a project in order for our clients to receive the

Publisher Lee Ann Knudsen CLM lak@landscapeontario.com, 416-848-7557 Editor Allan Dennis adennis@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5345 Graphic designer Mike Wasilewski mikew@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5343 Sales manager Steve Moyer stevemoyer@landscapeontario.com, 416-848-0708 Integrated solutions representative Greg Sumsion gsumsion@landscapeontario.com, 647-722-6977 Communications coordinator Angela Lindsay alindsay@landscapeontario.com, 647-723-5305 Accountant Joe Sabatino jsabatino@landscapeontario.com, 647-724-8585

LANDSCAPE ONTARIO STAFF Darryl Bond, Kim Burton, Myscha Burton, Rachel Cerelli, Tony DiGiovanni CHT, Rob Ellidge, Denis Flanagan CLD, Sally Harvey CLT CLM CAE, Jane Leworthy, Heather MacRae, Kristen McIntyre CHT CEM, Kathy McLean, Linda Nodello, Kathleen Pugliese, Ian Service, Tom Somerville, Martha Walsh, Cassandra Wiesner

Views expressed are those of the writer concerned. Landscape Ontario assumes no responsibility for the validity or correctness of any opinions or references made by the author. Copyright 2016, reproduction or the use of whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited. Published 11x per year. Rates and deadlines are available on request. Subscription price: $43.51 per year (HST included).

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best results possible.

Our biggest hurdle in achieving and maintaining our modern landscapes is to overcome the shortage of qualified team members and also the perception of our profession as mowers of lawns and shovellers of snow. Those days are generations gone. If we can look at ourselves in the proper light and realize through education and years of on-the-job training that we are all professionals, we can change our market perception. That is how we are going to bring young professionals into the profession, as well as interest students to move into programs that will qualify them for the careers.

That change of wording to put ourselves forward as professionals is easy and extremely difficult all at the same time. As landscape designers, growers, contractors, maintenance, lighting or irrigation sector professionals, we carry ourselves as professionals every day.

After watching our most recent president put forth the challenge of growing our profession, I quickly wrote on a sticky note what my mandate would be in the eventual potential ascension to president. The two simple words take in all that our firm does and all that LO and our great members do working as a team and collaborating: ‘Drawn Together.’

Say it however you like, but it is the real reason to join LO, as our amazing staff team members continue to put forth in all of our media outlets and programs.

Paul Brydges may be reached at paulbrydges.la@sympatico.ca.

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FEATURES TRIAL GARDENS REPORT GOVERNANCE MEETING NEW PRESIDENT LO CONNECTS

ASSOCIATION NEWS LETTER TO THE EDITOR EVENTS NEW MEMBERS INDUSTRY NEWS COLUMNS AD INDEX CLASSIFIEDS

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Trial Garden continues to evolve

By Rodger Tschanz

The LO trial garden program has always been in a constant state of evolution. Over the years, trials of annual flowers have expanded to include perennials and most recently hardy roses.

Visitors to LO this fall will notice that the rose area has undergone a massive renovation. All the roses planted in 2012 have been removed in preparation for planting a new rose selection in 2016. The planting of newly released rose cultivars will be organized in a way to make identification easier for both visitors and researchers.

The trial garden planning committee is currently investigating the possibility of adding a shrub trial to the trial gardens. If there is a particular plant species or genus of shrub you would like to see trialed, please contact me with your ideas.

As I write this article about the past trial season, we are already making plans for 2016. I would like to formally welcome David Turnbull to the trial garden team.

Along with his duties with Canada Blooms and outdoor property management at the Landscape Ontario Milton home office, David will assist with the maintenance of the LO trial grounds. He inherited this position from Robert Ellidge who will now have more time to focus his energies on his many other responsibilities at LO. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Robert for all of his support of the LO trial site since its inception in 2007.

Most of the annuals and perennials in the Landscape Ontario trial have also been planted at the University of Guelph’s trial garden at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute (containers and ground beds), at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (containers) and at the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG ground beds in Hendrie Park).

The winners and favourites in from the

4 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY 2016

2015 trial season that will be described in the following section have all appeared at the LO trial site, but descriptions will include performance ratings at all relevant trial sites.

Sun lovers

The Garvinea Sweet series of gerbera has now appeared in the trial program at all of the University of Guelph trial sites for two years. This series has specifically been selected by Florist Holland for its outdoor performance qualities.

Our trial experience supports the company’s claims of excellent outdoor bloom production and disease tolerance. This gerbera will give long season bloom in both flowerbeds and containers, as long as the plant is not allowed to sit in waterlogged soil conditions.

The Garvinea Sweet plants at LO Milton suffered because of waterlogged conditions, but performed without fail in containers in Guelph and Vineland and in the well-drained ground beds in Guelph and at the RBG. This gerbera can be described as having medium size flower heads on 30-45 cm long stems. An added benefit of this gerbera selection is its ability to handle mild frosts, making it tolerant of early planting in the spring and season extending in the fall.

In recognition of its excellent garden qualities, the Garvinea Sweet series has been named the 2016 Canada Blooms plant of the year.

Picking the best from the selection of 69 petunias in the 2015 trial is at first glance a difficult chore. However, after a long growing season with varying temperatures, rainfall, disease pressure and early frost, the differences become much more pronounced. The tried and true and vigorous Supertunia Vista Bubblegum continues to perform well from late spring to early fall.

With a similar growth habit to Vista Bubble-

gum, the newly released, 2015 AAS winner, Tidal Wave Red Velour petunia provides dark red flower option, good disease tolerance and a long bloom period.

The tall upright annual Verbena bonariensis is most commonly propagated from seed and is used in plantings such as artificial meadows or where its airy form and lavender-coloured flowers are desired. Meteor Shower is a shorter, vegetatively propagated selection of Verbena bonariensis, making it container friendly and providing a more dense arrangement of flowers. This selection performed well in all trial sites and was a favourite of visitors to the trials. In the Milton trial, a seed-propagated selection Verbena bonariensis (Buenos Aires) was at least 30 cm taller than Meteor Shower, which had an average height of 60 cm.

There were five different cultivars of celosia in the main trial this year. Of the five, Intenz Lipstick proved a favourite of visitors to the garden. Dark, bronze-red foliage with brilliant floral plumes made it an eye catcher. Another favourite was the celosia Dragon’s Breath. It was slow to bloom at all trial sites in Ontario, but its red foliage made it attractive. The inflorescence started to form in August on large plants that had been growing vegetatively for most of the season. The result was a large, showy plant covered in bloom in the late summer. The colour and form make this celosia well suited for fall decorating schemes. Dark Purple and Classic are the two other colours currently available in the Intenz celosia series.

Flowers that seem to unfailingly attract hummingbirds are also always attractive to the public. This is the case for the Salvia Black and Bloom, a new tall upright growing blue flowered salvia that has dark, blackish stems and calyx. Hummingbirds were regularly observed visiting this flower at the three trial sites. Black and Bloom has larger flowers and darker stems than the previously released Black and Blue cultivar.

We are used to seeing different cultivars of Bidens Campfire Fireburst (tickseed) in the marketplace with varying degrees of compactness or flower size, but all have

yellow flowers. This year, for the first time, an orange flower form was entered in the trials. Campfire is the cultivar name and it was compared against the yellow flower form Namid Early Yellow. Both grew to heights of 40 cm in the garden and spread to one metre width by the end of the growing season; each had a maximum flower diameter of four cm. Campfire bloomed well all season and had no noticeable disease issues at any of the trial sites.

Vines

The Summer Romance Double Pink mandevilla has a vigorous vining growth habit and a very attractive, light pink, double bloom. This plant does best under full sun conditions and with climbing supports.

Other members of the Summer Romance series include members of the Diplodemia genus and have been selected for its mounding or trailing habit. Bush Red has a mounding habit, while Vining Yellow has a trailing habit suitable for containers.

The Summer Romance series may also be found marketed as the Calypso series.

Container vegetables

Solanum melongena is commonly called eggplant; the eggplant cultivar we trialed was the 2014 AAS vegetable winner Patio Baby. It has a compact growth habit, produces palm-sized fruit and has a very attractive growth habit and colouration. This is another plant for both garden beds and containers and can fulfill the dual role of ornamental and food crop plant.

We also had the Cucumis bush-type

1

cucumber Pick a Bushel in the trials this past year. Although not very ornamental, this small plant produced large quantities of tasty, short cucumbers without needing much garden space. This AAS vegetable winner is suitable for container growing as well.

Shade

Last year we had the Begonia bolivinesis Santa Cruz (fiery orange colour) in the trial and this year it was San Francisico (salmon coloured) has been released as another option for the gardener. San Francisco has excellent performance in both ground beds and containers and is tolerant of both sun and shade.

A new colour of SunPatiens was released with variegated foliage, orange blooms and the vigorous growth associated with this series. SunPatiens Spreading Tropical Orange is one of the favourites from the open houses this past summer.

Perennials

Prairie Glow is a selection of Rudbeckia triloba that was planted in the trials in 2014 and only started to bloom during the 2015 growing season. The wait was worth it.

The late season bloom is characterized by scores of small dark brown-eyed daisy flowers with yellow tipped burnt orange ray florets. This plant provided a burst of colour in the garden when other perennials such as Echinacea and Rudbeckia Goldsturm were finishing.

The following companies helped to make the Trial Gardens a success in 2015:

2

Plant breeders and distributors

American Takii, Ball FloraPlant, Ball Ingenuity, Benary, Blooms of Bressingham, Dummen Orange, Florist Holland, Floranova, Hem Zaden, Jelitto Seed, Kieft Seed, PanAmerican Seed, Proven Winners, New Mexico State University, Oro, Red Fox, Sakata, Seeds by Design, Selecta North America, Syngenta Flowers, Thompson & Morgan, Vanhof and Blokker, William Dam Seeds

Growers and suppliers

Advance Micro Polymers, Everriss, Forman Farms, Gildale Farms, George Sant Greenhouses Ltd., Gro-Bark, JVK (Jack Van Klaveren Ltd.), Linwell Gardens, MCP Manufacturing, Myers Industries Lawn and Garden Group, Plant Products, Ed Sobkowich Greenhouses, SunGro Horticulture.

Other organizations

All-America Selections, Association of Specialty Cutflower Growers, Guelph and Wellington County Master Gardeners, City of Guelph - Healthy Landscape Program, Landscape Ontario, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Ministry of Rural Affairs, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.

— R odger Tschanz, Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph, manages the Trial Gardens at Landscape Ontario home office in Milton.

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4 5

1 - Gerbera Garvina Sweets, 2 - Bidens Campfire Fireburst, 3 - Salvia Black and Bloom, 4 - Rudbeckia Prarie Glow, 5 - Celosia Dragon’s Breath

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 5

Landscape Ontario leaders came together for the annual Governance meeting in Milton.

Committee hosts governance meeting and launches campaign The Landscape Ontario Membership Committee has seen a huge increase in activities this year, and it appears 2016 will be even busier.

The committee held its Governance meeting, entitled You Matter: Growing Landscape Ontario, on Dec. 3, with nearly 60 Landscape Ontario leaders in attendance.

A few days after the governance meeting, Membership Committee chair, Lexi Dearborn, was talking about how her committee and staff members had set an ambitious goal to increase new member numbers by 10 per cent for 2016. “I believe we can meet the new membership challenge, with staff and members working together,” says Dearborn.

Denis Flanagan, manager of the membership department, announced that Myscha Burton will take over in the new position of Membership Campaign Coordinator. She says her four key goals are to develop a strategy to contact past members from the last five years; utilize suppliers and supplier events to prospect for new members; work in partnership with chapters to develop a chapter strategy, including hosting new-member events; and work with current members to encourage them to bring in new members.

“I will work with all LO departments, chapter coordinators and sector groups to develop and execute a comprehensive membership recruitment plan,” says Burton.

In commenting on her committee’s latest event, Dearborn said, “The governance meeting was an amazing experience. I saw a number of people who normally don’t

6 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY 2016

speak up at meetings, be very involved in the the day’s activities.”

Held at the Grand Chalet in Milton, Dearborn welcomed the members representing LO chapters and sector groups.

She also outlined the day’s objectives, which was to grow leadership skills. Following updates by Denis Flanagan, the participants met in smaller groups to discuss ideas on running meetings.

The highlight of the morning was the creation of 30 second commercials promoting an LO activity. Imaginative, creative, and often humourous commercials were performed. “I was amazed at the creativity that came out of the groups in a very short time,” said Dearborn.

Following lunch participants moved into roundtable discussions on think tank topics, including how to make a great board meeting, communications, sponsorship and solutions, supporting sector groups, attracting new members, sustaining a board, engaging young professionals and social media.

Following the governance meeting, a number of comments were left by participants. One comment was, “I’m always amazed by the energy and spirit of our colleagues. I’m proud to be one of us.”

Another attendee wrote, “It is great to be involved with like-minded individuals working together to better the overall group.”

“It really is one of the few opportunities that members can all sit down in one place to talk to each other one on one,” said Dearborn. “It’s like our Christmas.”

Denis Flanagan says that following the governance meeting, the membership committee and staff are ready to launch new

membership drive at Congress.

Part of that campaign will include a giant model of Grout, created from natural materials by Albert Graves. Grout will be on display throughout Congress ’16.

Burton lists some strategies that will be used to increase membership: • Utilizing feedback from current members on the value and benefits they get out of their membership as a promotional tool.

• Increased presence at large scale events such as Congress, Thrive, as well as Chapter and Sector Group events.

• Form partnerships with allied associations and celebrity endorsements.

• Personalized follow up with all new members.

• Regular magazine column profiling a member benefit. There are many exclusive member benefits; many current members do not know the details. We hope to showcase particular benefits, including season specific ones, so to be better utilized by the membership.

• Increase incentives and exclusive benefits.

• Targeting suppliers and associate members to help promote membership.

• Increased personal contact with members through onsite visits and member appreciation days.

• Increased public awareness of Landscape Ontario and the benefits of hiring a professional.

• Work with chapters to develop various member promotion strategies at chapter meetings and events, including bringing a potential member to events.

• Create Why Hire a Professional campaign to showcase chapter home and garden shows and Canada Blooms. Increase membership promotion at these events, rather than only focusing on homeowners.

• Increased follow-up with seminar attendees; both member and potential member to inform them of the benefits of membership.

Paul Brydges is excited to begin his term as president of Landscape Ontario.

Paul Brydges wants to bring together professionals as LO’s new president Paul Brydges is excited about becoming the 29th president of Landscape Ontario.

“I see my role for the next two years as an opportunity to bring members together and change our thinking of being members of the green industry to green professionals,” says Brydges.

When Brydges first came onto the board of directors, and realized he some day would be serving as president, he remembers writing the words ‘Drawn Together’ on a sticky note. “It’s the term in which my firm works, and I want to bring that philosophy to LO and our great members so we work

as a team with great collaboration.”

He says that after watching LO’s most recent president, Dave Braun, put forth the challenge of growing our profession, “I realized mine would be Drawn Together.”

His goal is to bring all the sector groups together.

Brydges feels that referring to the green ‘profession’ instead of green ‘industry,’ will help change public perception. “We need to make our profession more acceptable to parents, so they encourage their children, instead of discouraging them, to make this their vocation.”

Brydges says that it takes a vast array of specialists or sectors to create the projects that LO professionals work on throughout the year. “If we look into almost any project now being created, we see so many other professions and sectors.” He feels as an Association, there needs to be more communication among the sectors.

Brydges is the principal and senior landscape architect at Brydges Landscape Architecture in Guelph. He has also taken on the design of this year’s Landscape Ontario garden at Canada Blooms. All sectors under Landscape Ontario will be represented in the garden, with the name, Choose Your Path!

Brydges says that the garden will feature all the opportunities to a career in the green profession.

His own career in the profession began after graduating from the University of Guelph. With little work available in Ontario, he moved to Washington D.C., where he worked for a large landscape architect firm.

“It was one of the largest landscape firms in Maryland, and I learned a great deal about the profession there,” says Brydges.

In 2004, he moved back to his hometown of Guelph to begin his own company, Brydges Landscape Architecture. Today he works with a team of trusted suppliers, contractors, architects and sub-trades to design and construct his landscapes.

The company produces only hand-drawn plans. “There are no computers involved in the process,” says Brydges. “It’s integral in the design process and something that the company prides itself on. Clients have come to know and appreciate the artful hand drawn designs produced by the firm.”

Paul Brydges is looking forward to the start of his two-year term as LO president.

“Other presidents have spoken about how much work there is to take on the office, and I realize that is true.” He goes on to say it’s a ten year commitment.

“When a member first comes on to the provincial board, and they move through the various positions, it’s a process of about ten years, until one ends as immediate past president,” says Brydges. He joined the provincial board in 2011. He has also served as a member of the Landscape Design Sector Group, Communications Committee and has been involved in four Canada Blooms festivals.

Brydges and the new board members for 2016 will be introduced during Congress at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Jan. 13, at the International Plaza Hotel, 655 Dixon Road, Toronto.

“I’m looking forward to serving the next two years with a great group of LO members,” says Brydges.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 7

Landscape Ontario Connects you with a partner

By Ed Hansen

We all want to improve our selves and our companies. Sometimes it requires us to take it to the next level. That is not always an easy thing to do.

Wouldn’t it be ideal to share your goals and concerns with someone who isn’t in direct competition with you? It is especially true if the connection is private, in order to feel comfortable about “opening up” about your next-level problem.

Like many of us, when I leave Congress, I say to myself, “Wow there are others just like me out there.”

The goal of the new program LO Connects is to “connect” companies with a partner who is going through the same issues.

The partner you connect with will be well outside your geographic business area.

You can be a mentor, a mentee, or a co-

mentor. For instance, you may need help to grow your company and increase sales, receive information on how to hire, or how to sell your business. We all know there are a million questions.

Most franchise operators have a similar system. The franchise helps its franchisees with information, processes and support through the Connect program. LO will create the same support systems, without forming any franchises. Let’s take advantage of a mutually beneficial opportunity.

A friend of mine in the car dealership world explained this method is used by dealerships that have a sister company.

They meet to share information. Over the years, the relationship grows. They use these opportunities to do everything from exchange employees via learning tours, such as sales reps going to learn the process for a week at the other location, or switch staff so they can learn what another shop does. Owners and senior managers will go to the other company to observe

how the operation runs in an environment that is non-threatening, and safe from proprietary information.

There is something for everyone. If you have been in business for years, maybe you could be a mentor. Maybe you need help, so you could be a mentee to someone else, or maybe you just want to share information to strengthen your understanding of your weaknesses. It is another great benefit for companies to join LO. How do I join? Simply fill out the form, found at gfl.me/h2JT, and we’ll help get you into a partnership. Then select someone who fits what you are looking for. We will be at Congress, where you will be able to ask questions and learn more about potential partnerships. This is an opportunity that costs you nothing. There are neither meeting costs nor facilitators. You will get as much as you mutually want to put in, and you end up growing together.

You may contact me at 613-260-8175 with any questions, or I will simply help guide you.

Ed Hansen is president of Hansen Lawn and Garden in Ottawa, and past Ottawa Chapter president.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS

FREE JOBS RESOURCE FOR LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY

Landscape Ontario has unveiled a new national jobs website that allows both employers and job seekers to post ads for free.

The site, Landscape.jobs, was created in response to feedback from industry members who have been asking for more control over their job postings, including the ability to post jobs themselves, and from job seekers requesting the ability to search through existing opportunities either by region, job type or employer. The website

Andrew Beattie CIT, of Ideal Landscape Services in Barrie, was voted Best LO Chapter Boss.

Inaugural Georgian Lakelands Awards of Distinction a big hit Georgian Lakelands Chapter found success in an event to honour associate members, who Chapter president Lexi Dearborn says help the industry succeed throughout the year.

It was a fun-filled evening in Orillia at the Highwayman Inn on Nov. 26, when Chapter members enjoyed spending time with friends and associates, ate wonderful food and tipped a glass to another wonderful, albeit crazy, year in the landscape trade.

This event saw hardware handed out to some of the hardworking members of the Chapter. The inaugural Awards of Distinction night was attending by nearly 50 people, who voted online for their favourite suppliers, salespeople, bosses and volunteers. The awards were presented by board members and the ever-popular Denis Flanagan from home office.

Lexi Dearborn and Membership and Chapter Coordinator Rachel Cerelli tallied all the votes and the winners of the awards are: Hardscape Material Supplier , Cast-nStone; Plant Material Supplier, Solty Gar-

den Centre; Equipment and Accessory Supplier, Aquascape; Best Supplier to the Landscape Trades, Cast-n-Stone; Best LO Chapter Boss, Andrew Beattie; Best Salesperson, Debbie Wood; Chapter Volunteer of the Year, Jeff Lee. “Congratulations go out to all the winners and nominees and a special thank you to Cast-n-Stone for sponsoring the evening’s events,” said Dearborn.

Keep your eye out for next year’s nominations on the Georgian Lakelands Facebook page and cast your vote for your favourites in our industry.

Laurie-Ann Stuart, Chapter treasurer and MC for the evening, said, “It was nice to have the LO photographer Robert Ellidge snapping away at the event. He captured some wonderful moments that many of us will cherish for years to come. Many of the photos are posted on the Georgian Lakelands Facebook page.

Dearborn said, “Congratulations to the winners and to the Chapter Board for hosting such an outstanding event.”

incorporates all of these features.

In January, LO employment classified pages will be replaced with Landscape. jobs, ensuring an already strong following carries over to the new website.

The employment pages are already among the most popular on the trade association websites. In addition, Landscape Ontario will begin a marketing campaign to promote the site through its far reaching relationships with other industry organizations, partners and branches of government at local, provincial and federal levels.

A unique feature of the site is the job alerts function. Once a job seeker is registered, he or she can select criteria that will then automatically send matching jobs directly to their email. The site also allows registered job seekers to apply for jobs directly online and even apply to multiple jobs all at once.

For employers, this functionality means prospective employees are already a good match, translating into fewer unqualified applicants and time better spent dealing with the right people for the right job. Job postings can also be kept in the system and simply made inactive, to be used again when the need arises, without having to input the same job posting a second time.

The Landscape.jobs site fills a void that has been in the industry for a very long time. Never has there been a national resource for all job opportunities across Canada.

Any company looking to hire or any individual looking for work in the industry is encouraged to register for free at Landscape.jobs.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 9

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ASSOCIATION NEWS AWARDS OF DISTINCTION GALA ADDS NEW MEMBER AWARD CATEGORIES

Ottawa Chapter’s second annual Supplier Awards of Distinction Gala and Casino Night will include new member awards categories for the 2016 edition.

This ticketed event will be held on Feb. 9, the night before GreenTrade Expo, at the EY Center in Ottawa. It’s the same venue as the trade show.

Last year’s Gala was a sellout, with over 130 people in attendance. “We were thrilled with the response for last year’s Gala,” said Bruce Morton, Show Chair of GreenTrade Expo. “We had room for 130 and had to turn people away, so this year we’ve doubled the hall size, and anticipate great response to the new Member Awards that we will be presenting.”

The new Member Awards will honour two long-time Ottawa Chapter members.

The Jim Bauer Legacy Award will recognize eligible companies which have been

in business for a minimum of 20 years, and been a member in good standing of LO for at least 10 years.

The Joan Johnston LO Community Involvement Award will recognize individuals who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to furthering the LO vision by volunteering in green industry events, or community initiatives. Nominated members or member firms that meet the criteria will be presented awards at the Gala.

Designed to foster, recognize, and inspire excellence among local Ottawa Chapter members, the annual awards, modeled after the LO Awards of Excellence, will stir competitive spirit and stimulate improvement, advancement and achievement in the local industry.

These awards recognize excellence in associate members. All industry customers are invited to visit the GreenTrade Expo (GTE) website at greentrade.ca, and nominate their favourite 2015 season suppliers in four company categories and one

individual award. They include Best Plant Materials Supplier, Best Hardscape Materials Supplier, Best Landscape Equipment and Accessory Supplier, Best Supplier to the Landscape Trades (any service or supplies used by an industry business, but not used directly in the landscape build) and finally, the individual Best Salesperson of the Year for 2015. The competition is open to all associate members across the province who sell in the Ottawa market.

Nominations closed on Jan. 8, 2016, after which time industry people may visit the GTE website and vote for their favourites. The nominees receiving the most votes will be presented with awards, and bragging rights for the year. The Gala will be followed by a ticketed, Vegas-style casino night.

“This is our Chapter’s chance to publicly acknowledge the outstanding service we get from the associate member companies that support our industry. It also creates another opportunity for our exhibitors to spend more time building relationships with their customers. What better way than a party the night before the show?” asked Morton.

For more information on the Ottawa Awards of Distinction, sponsorship

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DUTCHMASTER QUALIFIES FOR WORLD TITLE

Dutchmaster Nurseries is among ornamental growers from China, Germany, Netherlands, Turkey, U.K. and U.S. chosen to compete in the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) Grower of the Year Awards 2016.

The event takes place on Jan. 28, in Germany. This international event recognizes best practice in horticultural production by the top ornamental production nurseries from around the globe, celebrating the expertise and energy they give to horticulture.

Another Landscape Ontario member, Sheridan Nurseries, won the award in 2013.

The Gala dinner is the finale of the 2016 Awards, which this year sees for the first time in the history of the Awards, new categories covering different types of grower businesses. Bronze, silver and gold will be awarded to each category of Finished Plants and Trees, Young Plants and Cut Flowers. Each of the category winners will be judged for the final and most prestigious award — the coveted Gold Rose, awarding them the global status of AIPH International Grower of the Year.

Chairman of the international jury and AIPH Past-President, Vic Krahn, commented on the entries, “The jury was very impressed with the exceptionally high standard of the entries received this year. It was a huge task with so many more entries than previous years. The high standards of the entrants meant the jury had to work exceptionally hard. However, in every judge’s case, they found it extremely thrilling to assess such high quality businesses.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS They know with certainty that when the winners are announced in January, this industry will be truly inspired by these world acclaimed businesses.”

CANADA BLOOMS WILL PARTY IN ITS 20TH YEAR

Canada Blooms is 20 years old this March. To celebrate the occasion, the theme for this edition of Canada’s flower festival is ‘It’s a Party!’

“Each festival is an opportunity for all industry members to engage with their products and services to bring their best to put in front of over 200,000 attendees,” says general manager of Canada Blooms Terry Caddo. “By the time we open our doors, people are weary of winter and looking forward to the colour and excitement that horticulture brings to them.

Each year, Canada Blooms enjoys over $3 million of media coverage, which it is leveraged to promote the industry.”

Canada Blooms takes place from Mar. 11 to 20 at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto. It is co-located with the National Home Show.

The event has become Canada’s premier garden show, attracting people from all across North America. It now ranks as one of the top five shows of its kind in North America.

Following last year’s Canada Blooms, Mark Cullen wrote in his Toronto Star col-

umn, “Every year exit surveys tell us that the top reason that people come to Canada Blooms is to see these gorgeous gardens. And why not? If you were to have them built in your own yard, you would need almost an acre and it would cost more than $8 million.”

Landscape Ontario’s Garden Inspiration magazine will be handed out at the 20th Canada Blooms. The popular magazine is directed towards consumers; it offers inspiration in the joys and benefits of horticulture, and connects homeowners with members.

Of course, LO’s most visible presence is the garden. This year. Paul Brydges has designed a garden which will feature all the sectors represented by Landscape Ontario. The garden is named, ‘Choose Your Path!’ Brydges says he wants the garden to display all the great job opportunities available in horticulture.

It is expected that the garden will demonstrate not just opportunities with the sectors, but challenging and satisfying vocations that will provide comfortable livings. Brydges says, “We hope people will leave the garden inspired and that it helps, Choose Your Path!”

Mar. 17 will see Industry Night, when garden builders and association members gather for a special celebration at Canada Blooms. During the evening, awards and presentations will take place,

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along with networking and great food and drink.

Director of Horticulture David Turnbull, says “A host of volunteers from all facets of the industry — growers, retailers, maintenance, lighting, gardeners, etc. — bring their enthusiasm, experience and energy to build and create the wow that translates into business in the coming year.”

He says Canada Blooms was created to stimulate and educate the public in the many benefits of horticulture in their lives.

“Whether you are a newbie or old hand at our festival, we encourage you to mark off your calendar for the Mar. 4-10 to help volunteer to build our world-class event.

We continue to be a great success as the result of excellent leadership, committed industry partners and enthusiastic volunteers. Come join in the journey and have fun with us!” says Turnbull.

Those interested in becoming a volunteer may contact David Turnbull at davidturnbull@canadablooms.com, or 416-447-8655, ext. 7730.

Turnbull says to make Canada Blooms a success it requires industry sponsor support. Those making an effort for the 20th anniversary festival are plant sponsors: Connon AVK, Connon CBV,Connon NVK, Flora Holland, J.C. Bakker, Jill Jensen Botanicals, Medallion Plants, Mori Nurseries, St. Williams Nursery, Uxbridge Nurseries, Verbinnen Nursery, Slappendel Greenhouses and Terra Nova Plants.

Product sponsors are Brampton Brick, Exotic Garden Plants, Gro-Bark, Ogilvie Fixtures, Pick Ontario and Unilock

NEW & IMPROVED

FORMER LO PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT

Bob Allen, former Landscape Ontario president (1985) and long-time member of the Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation and Farm Safety Association, announced his retirement in November.

Owner and operator of RW Allen Horticultural Services in St. Thomas, Allen says after 41 years, it’s time to shut it down.

Although he has closed his business, Allen is not going to sit around. He will remain as a director on the Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation and a member of Landscape Ontario. “I’ve already paid for another year to belong to LO,” said Allen.

Another former president of LO, Tom Intven (2010-11), wrote in a letter of congratulations on Allen’s retirement, “Looking back over the past 40 years, you have had an amazing career, one of which you can be most proud. You have given so much to the community of St. Thomas, both professionally and personally. Your business has beautified countless homes and properties over so many years. Your involvement in the Down Town Development Board, and Communities in Bloom, has substantially contributed to the beautification of our city.

In your lifetime, you have contributed significantly to the advancement of the horticultural industry and its appreciation in St. Thomas.”

LO executive director Tony DiGiovanni says that Bob Allen is a safety pioneer at Landscape Ontario. “It’s great news that he will continue his work with the Foundation.

His service would be greatly missed.”

Allen established the Bob and Ruby Allen Scholarship in 2013.

SOCCER ASSOCIATION HONOURS CASEY VAN MARIS

The name Casey van Maris is well-known throughout Landscape Ontario as a founding member and his work to see the association and industry flourish.

On Dec. 4, York Region Soccer Association officially inducted Casey van Maris into its Hall of Fame under the Builders Category.

The Association honoured his contributions to soccer previous to his death in 1997.

Despite running a business and serving on the provincial board of directors for LO, van Maris found time to volunteer as a soccer coach. He eventually became the treasurer of the Canadian Soccer Association.

In between, van Maris served in various volunteer duties, which included York Region Soccer Association’s founding president in 1982; serving on the Ontario Soccer Association’s finance committee from 1987 to 1991 and treasurer from 1989 to 1991; instrumental in building The Soccer Centre in Vaughan; and from 1991 to 1995, van Maris was president of the Ontario Soccer Association.

Landscape Ontario each year honours Casey van Maris with an award in his name given to the project in the Awards of Excellence “for the highest marks for execution of unique and innovative design in landscaping.”.

LIGHTING CONFERENCE RETURNS TO TEATRO

The 7th annual Landscape Lighting Conference is scheduled for Feb. 8 at Teatro Conference and Event Centre in Milton.

Landscape Ontario’s Landscape Lighting Sector Group is host and planning committee of this event, and has worked hard to ensure the content for the day is geared to the seasoned contractor and not just for beginners.

Several exhibitors will have products on display. This is their opportunity to showcase new products for the coming season.

Highlights for the day will include two relevant and educational keynotes. The

Growers Short Course on Feb. 9 The Annual Growers’ Short Course is scheduled for Feb. 9, 2016, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington.

Keynote speaker is Dr.Heinrich Losing from Germany. He is a nursery specialist in IPM, and will also speak on production efficiencies.

There will be a small trade show area at the event. Main sponsor at the event is Plant Products.

For further information, contact Kathleen at kathleen@landscapeontario.com.

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ASSOCIATION NEWS keynotes will focus on importance and thought-process behind a quality landscape design and the real business of landscape design. Both are issues that affect even the most-seasoned contractor’s operations and success.

Tickets are $90 for LO members and $110 for non-members until Feb. 1. More details are available at LightingConference.ca.

Teatro Conference and Event Centre at 121 Chisholm Dr., is located right off of Hwy. 401. The venue will provide more space for this growing event, as well as an excellent catering team; lunch is included as part of the day.

LO MEMBERS OFFERED DISCOUNT ON CANADA BLOOMS TICKETS

Landscape Ontario members are being offered special bar-coded tickets for the 2016 Canada Blooms and National Home Show event from Mar. 11 – 20.

LO members may purchase packages

14 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY 2016

of 20 tickets for clients, staff, family, etc. to enter the show. LO members will be charged $12 (regular price $20) for those tickets handed in at the gate.

The theme at Canada Blooms this year is ‘It’s a Party.’ Canada Blooms will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year.

If you are interested, complete the following form at gfl.me/h2JR, and fax it to 905-875-3942, to the attention of Kathleen Pugliese, or email kpugliese@ landscapeontario.com.

IN MEMORIAM: LAMBERTUS ‘BERT’ HOGEVEEN

On November 28, 2015, Lambertus ‘Bert’ Hogeveen suddenly passed away while visiting his daughter in Michigan.

He was 79.

Hogeveen served as president of the Ottawa Chapter in the 1980s. He owned and operated Ottawa Valley Landscaping.

He is remembered by his loving wife Gerda Hogeveen (nee DeJonge). He

was the loving father of Henry (Anita) of Stittsville; John (Sylvia) of Manotick; Katherine Terpstra (Jeff) of Grandville, Michigan; Janet Noort (Derrick) of Winchester; Susan TerHorst (Harvey) of Winchester, and Betty-Ann VanVeen (Andrew) of Ingleside. He was the brother of Nan Budding (Hubert) of Toronto, Cor (Jetty) of Ottawa, Jane VandeSande (John) of Ottawa, Henk (Helen) of Kanata, John (Lettie) of Ottawa, Rita Hoolwerf (Bert) of Ottawa and Henny Hoogeveen (John) of Ottawa.

He had 34 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

The funeral service was held at the Williamsburg Christian Reformed Church on Dec. 5. Interment was at Capital Memorial Gardens.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Time for industry to co-operate Most growers, me included, have enough trouble solving dayto-day problems, or planning a couple years down the road. It’s why thinking about the horticulture industry in Ontario as a whole is not something we usually do. But it’s time for growers to collectively step back and take a real good look at what is in store for our industry, and to start working on a strategy to deal with our changing reality.

Perhaps readers will recall that a number of years ago Ontario growers got together to work out a marketing strategy. It was a move to remain competitive and sustainable, as larger factors were making the Ontario economy tough for growers. Unfortunately, few desired to implement a collective strategy.

As our industry continues to suffer, and traditional growers are shrinking and disappearing, it’s time for us to try again to get together to identify the problems and work toward solutions. It’s also time to realize that there is a time for competition and a time for co-operation.

Looking at the situation in 2015, I believe there are a few things that need to be done to move our industry forward in a profitable manner.

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The simple solution to any downturn in the business cycle is to try and increase the demand by limiting the supply. If that became a reality, we would all be successful. But how do we get there?

The first step is to understand exactly to whom the ‘we’ refers. It includes more than just the growers. It’s everyone who has a stake in this industry: pot and soil companies; plug and liner producers; wholesale growers of annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs; landscapers; retailers; landscape supply yards; and big box stores.

But what will it take to increase the demand? For starters, marketing. I’m not talking about the marketing that goes on now among wholesalers (all of us marketing to each other), I’m talking about collectively marketing to the end-user: the homeowner, business, corporation, city, green space provider. Of course, the marketing done by retailers is a start, but we need to do more. We need to change the narrative that our product is not just another commodity, because it isn’t. We need to be much more aggressive and coordinated in articulating this.

Think of the success of milk advertisements and its organized marketing campaign. If the dairy industry (with the help of the government) has strategically shifted the public’s imagination about how they think of this product, why can’t we do something similar with plants?

The timing is good with our new Prime Minister making big promises about reducing carbon and being environmentally conscious. This is an important moment where the good of our industry needs to be shouted from the rooftops. Plants are good for the environment. Plants consume carbon, conserve the water table, stop soil erosion, reduce pollution in cities by filtering the air, lowering the temperatures in cities, and buildup soil with compost. The list could go on.

Beyond the ecological benefits are obvious economic benefits: Plants are a great investment for any home owner. A good landscape increases property values anywhere between 10 and 15 per cent. In terms of public health, gardening is an excellent way to stay fit and healthy, both physically and mentally. What other commodity do you know that can deliver that sort of return on investment? We are sitting on the best products money can buy, and too few know about it.

We need to find a way to initiate a comprehensive marketing strategy that delivers this message to the people of Ontario. Again: just take a look at what the dairy industry has done to promote its products. They certainly discovered that marketing works. But they did not expect each farmer to go it alone. They worked collectively, co-operating for the good of all.

So how do we transfer their success to our industry? Through

co-operation and money. We know that money for marketing is difficult, but I’m afraid that the co-operation required will be even more difficult for us to achieve than getting a payment structure in place. We need a strong leader under the direction of Landscape Ontario who will work to get something done with all those involved in the industry, as well as local, municipal and provincial governments.

All stakeholders need to be able to commit a small percentage of our annual sales to promote our industry. We also need to get a handle on the supply. There is a reason we have marketing boards in this country. I am not and never will be in favour of them, but they are addressing a very real problem. With today’s technology and with a very concerted effort, we could start to get a handle on not only what we are presently growing, but share with the industry what we intend to grow in the future. This can be done in an anonymous way with all the information tabulated by an independent source and distributed back to the participants.

Finally, the leaders of our association need to take a much more prominent role in understanding and implementing strategies that will benefit us all. Get the production numbers and the sales volume information tabulated and back to the growers. Let’s look at what is causing the spikes in inventory. If any country is using our market to dump their surplus, we need to be able to stop this from happening. Get the word out to the people of Ontario and the different levels of government, that they need our industry.

I heard all kinds of talk this past election about jobs, environment, manufacturing and global warming, just to name a few of the topics that our industry addresses. Where is the voice of the horticulture industry letting the people know that we have what they need?

It’s been a tough few years for our industry, and the future looks like it will continue to be tough. But even so, healthy competition is good for business. However, competition works best when it takes place within a healthy environment—one where supplies don’t flood the market; where marketing doesn’t fail to fully explain the goods of the product; and where all concerned stakeholders are able to collectively step back and realize their common purpose. And by co-operating together, who knows, we might just be able to start creating such an environment and start turning things around.

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EVENTS

February 2

Durham Chapter meeting

Quality Hotel, 1011 Bloor Street East, Oshawa Join Durham Chapter for the first meeting of 2016, featuring all things social media with guest speaker Mike Pennington. The meeting begins at 10 a.m. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Rachel Cerelli at rachelc@landscapeontario.com, or call 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354.

Bookmark horttrades.com/comingevents for up-to-date event information.

February 3

Waterloo Chapter meeting

Lighting conference.

January 20

Upper Canada Chapter meeting

Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre, Belleville Join the Upper Canada Chapter to hear guest speaker Lexi Dearborn CLD of Dearborn Associates, at 1 p.m., discussing Landscape Design: From Conceptual to Completion. For more information, contact Rachel Cerelli at rachel@landscapeontario.com, or call 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354 January 21

Georgian Lakelands Chapter meeting

Innisbrook Golf Course, 21 Lockhard Rd., Barrie Great topics by these speakers: Battle of Bugs, Creating a Natural Yard with Pam Charbonneau; Photography with Fred Patterson; the issue of locates and Perennials of 2016, English Cottage Gardens — A Canadian Approach with Sean James. The day runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, contact Rachel Cerelli, rachel@landscapeontario.com.

January 21

Professional Practices

Ryerson University, Heaslip Building, 7th Floor, Bronfman Room Toronto Chapter is hosting a professional prac-

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tices series directed towards landscape designers. For more information contact Rachel Cerelli at rachel@landscapeontario.com.

January 26

Ottawa Chapter 2016 AGM

Royal Canadian Legion, 3500 Fallowfield Road, Ottawa Featured speakers are Landscape Ontario Executive Director Tony Di Giovanni and the new President of Landscape Ontario, Paul Brydges. Take advantage of this opportunity to receive great industry updates, networking with your peers, lunch, and new this year is a chance to win a pair of 100 bowl level seats to a Sens’ game. Contact Ottawa Chapter coordinator Martha Walsh at mwalsh@landscapeontario.com, or call 613-796-5156.

January 29

Windsor Chapter meeting

Dominion Golf, 6125 Howard Ave., Oldcastle Join the Windsor Chapter as we welcome Scott Sim from Turf Care as your guest speaker.

Lunch is 12-noon; free for LO members and staff.

You must RSVP for this meeting by Jan. 26.

26

for over

145 Dearborn Place, Waterloo Human Resources is a topic you should not miss. Learn to leverage resources to support development of staff. Save the date for Waterloo Chapter’s first meeting of 2016. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. Lunch will be served. Members are encouraged to bring a potential new member to monthly Chapter meetings. For more information, contact Rachel Cerelli at rachel@ landscapeontario.com, or call 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354.

February 8

Lighting Conference

Teatro Event and Conference Centre, 161 Chisholm Dr., Milton Join industry peers and learn about lighting industry specific issues and meet with suppliers to find out about new products and technologies at this annual conference.

February 10

GreenTrade Expo 2016

EY Centre, 4899 Uplands Drive, Ottawa Join industry members and attend the 23rd edition of GreenTrade Expo presented by the Ottawa Chapter, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, contact GreenTrade Expo manager Martha Walsh at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 2368, or visit greentrade.ca.

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NEW MEMBERS DURHAM Inline Landscaping Inc.

Cindy Richard 39 Notion Rd, Ajax, ON L1S 6K7 Tel: 905-420-7447 Membership Type: Active

Kawartha Lakes Landscaping

Allan Hancock 917 Kelly Blvd, Bridgenorth, ON K0L 1H0 Tel: 705-749-3803 Membership Type: Active

Secord Excavating

John Secord 183 Hwy 47, RR 3, Stouffville, ON L4A 7X4 Tel: 416-948-6938 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

SpecBilt Enterprises Inc

Ron Speath 3 Atkinson Crt, Ajax, ON L1S 5E4 Tel: 416-990-3965 Membership Type: Associate

Trenchside General Contractors

Daniel Lazaridis 1411 Old Forest Rd, Pickering, ON L1V 1N8 Tel: 647-388-2580 Membership Type: Active Geoffrey Schissler Membership Type: Horticultural

GEORGIAN LAKELANDS BM Welding

Robert Murphy 271 Ronald Rd, Minesing, ON L0L 1Y0 Tel: 705-796-6873 Membership Type: Associate

Blue Mountain Four Season

Marcus Philipp 795781 Grey Rd 19, Collingwood, ON L9Y 3Y9 Tel: 705-445-1497 Membership Type: Active

CHEB Management Services Inc Clinton White 1988 South Lane Rd, Sudbury, ON P3G 1C8 Tel: 705-688-2845 Membership Type: Associate

Hidden Hollow Woodworking

Paul Bistretzan Lot 9 - 588174 9th Sideroad, Ravenna, ON N0H 2E0 Tel: 519-599-6616 Membership Type: Associate

Keystone Granite Quarry

Tom Nunn 2451 Highway 60, Huntsville, ON P1H 2J6 Tel: 705-783-5532 Membership Type: Associate

Maacon Construction Corporation Dave Wright 45 Robillard Dr, Penetanguishene, ON L9M 1G9 Tel: 705-549-1066 Membership Type: Associate

McGowan Construction Services

Glen McGowan PO Box 269, Thornbury, ON N0H 2P0 Tel: 705-445-8076 Membership Type: Active

R, E. Morrow Electric Inc.

Robert Morrow 39 Lennox Dr, Barrie, ON L4N 9V7 Tel: 705-526-5666 Membership Type: Associate

GOLDEN HORSESHOE Custom Building Solutions (2270889 Ontario Inc)

Attila-Szilveszter Bauer 9 Meldrum Ave, Greensville, ON L9H 5L3 Tel: 905-923-7943 Membership Type: Active

Greentrail Landscaping

Tanner Slote 100 Summerlea Dr, Hamilton, ON L8T 4Y1 Tel: 905-746-3161 Membership Type: Interim

HDD Wholesale Decking

Tom Jacques 416 Ofield Rd S, Dundas, ON L9H 5E2 Tel: 905-689-4774 Membership Type: Associate

Lincoln Landscape & Construction Supply Inc Barry Makin 4169 23rd St, Vineland, ON L0R 2EO Tel: 905-933-3070 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

Moffex Enterprises Ltd.

Robert Moffat 216 Wilton St, Burlington, ON L7N 1V7 Tel: 905-407-7946 Membership Type: Active

Rustic Impressions

Blake Schonemann PO Box 87, Millgrove, ON L0R 1V0 Tel: 905-981-7151 Membership Type: Active

Shadeview Structures Inc.

Letitia Fluit PO Box 81165 Fiddler’s Green, Ancaster, ON L9G 4X2 Tel: 905-648-2229 Membership Type: Associate

Spicer Landscaping

Shaun Spicer 2211 Brant St, Burlington, ON L7P 0A4 Tel: 905-220-0862 Membership Type: Active

Trenchless Utility Equipment Inc Kurtis Street 2070 Queensway Dr, Burlington, ON L7R 4L9 Tel: 289-208-2458 Membership Type: Associate

LONDON Edwards & Sons Complete Property Maintenance Inc Chris Edwards Lambeth Station, PO Box 27, London, ON N6P 1P9 Tel: 519-652-0826 Membership Type: Active

Goodalt Landscape Designers & Contractors Ltd.

Eric Goodfellow 294 Main St S, Exeter, ON N0M 1S7 Tel: 519-235-4611 Membership Type: Active

OTTAWA Dave Wright Excavating Limited Dave Wright 6239 First Line Rd, Manotick, ON K4M 1A7 Tel: 613-692-3002 Membership Type: Active

Gifford Associates Insurance Brokers

Prosper with your peers!

Mark Lyons 346 Moodie Dr, Ottawa, ON K2G 8G3 Tel: 613-596-9101-x310 Membership Type: Associate

Ottawa Grass & Snow Masters Ltd

Phak Chin 285 Wesley Ave, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7A6 Tel: 613-282-5586 Membership Type: Active

TORONTO Bailey Nurseries

For further information, or to join the Peer to Peer network, visit

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Alec Charais 1325 Bailey Rd, St. Paul, MN 55119 Tel: 651-768-3404 Membership Type: Associate

Bancheri Bros Interlocking and Paving

Charlie Bancheri 49 Carmichael Ave, Toronto, ON M5M 2W8 Tel: 416-726-6947 Membership Type: Active

Bedrock Lawn Maintenance & Landscaping Ltd.

Vincenzo Bellissimo 3723 Teeswater Rd, Mississauga, ON L4T 2A5 Tel: 416-893-0997 Membership Type: Active

Expo Wall Forming Inc.

Marco Dias 53 Aishford Rd, Bradford, ON L3Z 3H9 Tel: 905-955-5156 Membership Type: Associate

First Pro Exterior Property Services

Guideon Polak 2 Sunnycrest Rd, Toronto, ON M2R 2T4 Tel: 416-454-7219 Membership Type: Active

Five Seasons Landscaping

Stefan Vystavil 17 Green Lanes, Toronto, ON M8Z 4V5 Tel: 416-417-5395 Membership Type: Active

Greenblock Property Services Sal Ditta 26 Dickson Hill Rd, Markham, ON L3P 3J3 Tel: 905-202-5743 Membership Type: Active

Jackson Pond Management Inc.

Phil Jackson 74004 - 260 Guelph St, Georgetown, ON L7G 4B1 Tel: 416-997-5543 Membership Type: Active

Northern Grounds Ltd

Paul Legg 962 Davecath Rd, Mississauga, ON L5J 2R6 Tel: 416-802-0120 Membership Type: Active

Pinewood Landscaping Ltd

Dennis Nolasco 33 Twenty-Fifth St, Toronto, ON M8V 3P5 Tel: 416-251-0008 Membership Type: Active

RC Gardening Inc

Rui Calado 94 Codsell Ave, North York, ON M3H 3W1 Tel: 416-520-3841 Membership Type: Active

TerraOne Solutions Inc

Kerry Keller PO Box 95016, Stouffville, ON L4A 7X5 Tel: 905-640-3694 Membership Type: Active

WATERLOO Cox Construction Ltd.

Regan Cox PO Box 427, Guelph, ON N1H 6K5 Tel: 519-824-6570 x222 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

WINDSOR Leo Mailloux Enterprises Inc. Leo Mailloux 1740 St. Clair Rd Stoney Point, ON N0R 1N0 Tel: 519-798-3110 Membership Type: Associate

INDUSTRY NEWS

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Glen Murray announce the provincial Climate Change Strategy.

Province announces climate change strategy Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change released Ontario’s Climate Change Strategy in late November, detailing their plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050.

“The recognition of green infrastructure as a major part of the solution to climate change in this report is a breakthrough. Now we need to convince policy makers to invest in green roofs, green walls, urban forests and other forms of green infrastructure to match words with deeds,” said Steven Peck, founder and president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.

The new strategy sets out the government of Ontario’s vision to combat climate change and achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. The plan’s goal is to establish a future where greenhouse gas reduction goes handin-hand with a growing, efficient, competitive and productive economy in the province of Ontario.

Lobbying efforts for the new plan

included Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, along with partners Landscape Ontario, Green Infrastructure Ontario and the Ontario Parks Association.

Glen Murray, Ontario Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, said, “The cost of doing nothing to fight climate change far outweighs the cost of solving the problem. Ontario is prepared to change and move forward because our future depends on the choices we make today...We must do it. We can do it. And we will do it, together.”

In 2016, a detailed five year action plan with specific commitments will be released.

MPP WANTS PROVINCE TO COMMIT TO GREEN LEGACY PROGRAM

Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott says the Minister of Natural Resources needs to commit to establishing an Ontario Green Legacy Program if it is to be up and running by 2017.

“On October 22, I brought forward a Private Member’s resolution calling upon

the government to establish an Ontario Green Legacy program to mark Ontario’s 150th anniversary as a province within Canada,” he said.

Arnott reminded MPPs in a statement in the Ontario Legislature on Dec. 7, “This initiative, which would be based on the County of Wellington’s Green Legacy Program, would seek to plant 150 million trees starting in 2017.”

The MPP’s resolution, which was passed unanimously by the Legislature, was inspired by the County of Wellington’s Green Legacy Program. The County established the program in 2004 and it now plants over 150,000 trees across the county each year. It has grown into the largest municipal tree planting program in North America.

“I want to again thank the many people who support my resolution, both in this House and outside of it,” he said. “I especially want to acknowledge the role of the County of Wellington, and in particular Scott Wilson and the late Brad Whitcombe, for their vision and leadership in establishing Wellington County’s Green Legacy Program.”

Since Arnott’s resolution was passed, support for his idea has continued to grow. Arnott has met with representatives from the Credit Valley Conservation Authority, the David Suzuki Foundation, Forests Ontario, and Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests. He has also met with representatives from the Highway of Heroes Living Tribute and Landscape Ontario.

MINISTRY PROPOSES CHANGES TO SAFETY REGULATIONS

The Government of Ontario has amended three regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).

The Ministry of Labour has developed three regulatory consultation proposals.

The ministry is examining three key regulatory changes for protection from hazardous exposures to noise, biological and chemical agents, and carbon monoxide released from internal combustion engines. The proposals reflect regulatory recommendations that were put forward by the construction industry’s Provincial Labour Management Health and Safety Committee (PLMHSC). The PLMHSC is an advisory committee to the Minister of Labour to provide advice on health and safety concerns in the construction industry.

The ministry is also proposing miscellaneous amendments to the ConstrucWWW.HORTTRADES.COM 19

INDUSTRY NEWS tion Projects Regulation to correct errors, omissions, and inconsistencies and update outdated references in the Regulation. A few of the proposed amendments are intended to provide clarity for stakeholders and improve enforcement by ministry inspectors.

If approved, the changes will come into effect in 2016.

NOISE REGULATION IN FORCE THIS JULY

The province is bringing in new regulations for workers exposed to noise.

The new rules will contain a maximum time-weighted exposure limit of 85 decibels over an eight hour work shift. It will also require employers to put in place measures to reduce workers’ exposure, which could include engineering controls, work practices, and the use of personal protective equipment in the form of hearing protection devices.

The noise protection requirements previously set out in these Regulations have been revoked and are now incorporated into the new Noise Regulation.

For more information on the new regulation, filed in December, go to ontario. ca/laws/regulation/r15381.

RISING COST OF ELECTRICITY HURTS SMALL BUSINESSES

Electricity rates are a key factor in keeping the province’s firms competitive in a global economy. Unfortunately, over the past three years, 85 per cent of Ontario’s small and medium-sized businesses have seen hydro rates skyrocket, despite level consumption and having implemented energy-efficient measures to control costs.

Nearly 60 per cent of business owners say that they have had to raise prices to cope with higher electricity bills, while nearly half have had to reduce investments in the business. Only 10 per cent say their energy consumption has increased over the same time period.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce issued a report entitled, Empowering Ontario: Constraining Costs and Staying Competitive in the Electricity Market. The report stated soaring electricity prices would cause one in 20 Ontario businesses to shut their doors within the next five years.

20 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY 2016

This year the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) called on the Ontario government to address the electricity troubles facing the province and to better align energy policy with the needs of small business.

CFIB recommends that the government help small businesses by enacting the following: • Review total compensation levels and cap the executive compensation (including salaries, benefits and

pensions) of all public sector entities in the electricity sector.

• Provide small businesses with shortterm relief from mounting energy prices by accelerating the elimination of the Debt Retirement Charge, removing the HST from energy bills and extending the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit past its expiry date to offset rising costs.

• Implement a rate system that does not penalize small businesses for not being able to shift their usage to low-peak periods.

• Better manage supply and demand to ensure small businesses and Ontarians are not paying other jurisdictions to take unused electricity.

Pick Ontario gave away 6,000 gerbera daisies at Union Station to brighten people’s day.

Flowers bring happiness and smiles to Union Station commuters Toronto commuters enjoyed a touch of brightness, colour and excitement on Dec. 10.

Pick Ontario gave away 6,000 gerbera daisies, provided by Bayview Flowers, at Union Station in an effort to brighten people’s day, while showcasing the importance of Ontario flowers.

“We wanted to spread floral happiness and encourage people to make flowers a part of their daily lives,” said Dejan Kristan, Marketing Director at Flowers Canada (Ontario). “Everyone should experience the happiness felt when they receive flowers, as well as the happiness they create when they give flowers.

From the smiles we saw, this was definitely the case.”

A recent study by Rutgers University in New Jersey showed that the presence of flowers triggers happy emotions, heightens feelings of life satisfaction, and affects social behaviours in a positive manner. The research findings concluded that flowers have an immediate impact on happiness and a long-term positive effect on moods.

“As part of the Pick Ontario campaign, this flower drop-off helped raise awareness, interest and demand for Ontario-grown flowers such as those from Bayview Flowers in Lincoln,” said Kristan.

EXECUTIVE DESK We are better together Tony DiGiovanni CHT LO executive director

L

andscape Ontario is run by members for members. The engine of our organization is generated by the volunteers who freely give their time to sit on the various boards, sector groups and committees. These are the wonderful leaders who direct and protect the profession. There are over 300 of them.

A couple of times a year they get together to share information and discuss ways to accelerate our vision of a prosperous, professional, ethical, recognized and contribution-oriented profession. Lexi Dearborn, president of Georgian Lakelands Chapter and chair of the Membership Services Committee, and her team organize these meetings. They are inspiring.

One of the best benefits of volunteering is personal growth. Formal education will never equal the learning that happens by engaging, participating and contributing. Here are some comments that came out of roundtable discussions about lessons learned by participating in an LO Group: “I learned how to chair a committee.”

“I had the opportunity to organize a successful trade show… where else could I have had that experience?”

“My personal and professional network has grown immensely. I have met so many wonderful people, who I can call on whenever I need some advice or want to bounce ideas off of.”

“I am not alone. As a business owner, it is important to be part of a community of like-minded people going through similar experiences.”

“Meetings must be productive and should be no more than two hours long.”

“Engagement is one of the most important drivers of benefit. You get out what you put in.”

“I learned to develop consensus.”

“Volunteering gets you out of your shell.”

“I have developed lifelong friendships.”

“It feels good to give back.”

“Passion inspires.”

“Much can be achieved through collaboration.”

“Everyone goes through similar experiences.”

“I learned how to run a better business.”

“It has given me confidence.”

“It encourages ideas.”

“I have learned to be a better public speaker.”

If you have not yet volunteered on one of LO’s many groups, consider doing so today. I will guarantee personal and professional growth.

Another very interesting roundtable topic was entitled We + Them= Us. I was not sure what to expect. The discussion was fascinating.

In our group, the consensus was that We are professionals who care about our profession and want to work with others to create a better world.

“We are individuals who want to be better people, run better businesses and participate in building better communities.” The emphasis is on the word better.

Them describes those that are not yet within our community, but who can derive benefit by participating.

In the ensuing discussion on how to get to ‘us,’ Scott Wentworth came up with a powerful, profound and welcoming statement.

“We need them to make us better,” or said another way, “We need you to make us better.”

We are better together.

the past. I want to take this space to acknowledge the amazing contributions of two former LO staff members who have helped to build our organization (I like to think of it as a family) into one of the most vibrant, active and contributionoriented groups of its kind. Thank you to Allan Dennis and Sarah Willis.

Sarah served Landscape Ontario very well for decades. She was the Editorial Director and Editor of Landscape Trades magazine. She captured and chronicled the many stories that give substance to our profession.

This is the last Landscape Ontario magazine under the editorial signature of Allan Dennis. Allan has also served the association well. His story telling will become part of our important history. He has generated a great deal of goodwill and fanned the flames of passion that pass from one generation to the other.

Although both have turned chapters in their life books, they will reappear from time to time on special assignments.

Tony DiGiovanni may be reached at tony@landscapeontario.com.

On a different topic

New years come with excitement, enthusiasm and hope for a better future. However, the future is always built on the actions, attitudes and contributions of those in

The roundtable discussions at this year’s Governance meeting resulted in personal growth for many in attendance.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 21

PUBLIC RELATIONS

All LO departments

As part of everyday work and various connections, all staff members have the potential to reach out to potential members. We will capitalize on those connections through publishing, education and trade show departments, as well as special events, IT and media.

Congress

Congress is such a vibrant meeting place for members and non- members, so we will be really focusing on messaging in order to explain the benefits of membership and provide opportunities for members to talk with potential members. After all, you are the best sales people for the association.

As staff, we will follow-up on any and all leads that come from the show. A results report will be published at the end of January for review.

Social media

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2016, and social media needs to be an integral part of our campaign. Again, Congress will be the launching pad. As we move forward, we will work on how chapters may utilize Facebook, etc.

Re-engage

Grout the giant gnome is ready for a starring role in 2016 with his team of LO membership department staff, from left, Cassandra Wiesner, Rachel Cerelli, Denis Flanagan and Myscha Burton.

Giant steps in 2016

By Denis Flanagan CLD Director of Public Relations

T

he photo in this article shows the giant LO mascot, Grout the Gnome, that we have launched for 2016.

The idea is to have Grout photographed at Congress, Canada Blooms and other events. This is our branding message that will be broadcast on social media thousands of times as part of our 2016 membership campaign.

Your provincial board of directors has set an ambitious target and challenge for the Association: A 10 per cent increase in membership numbers.

The people in this photo are your LO staff members who are primarily responsible for meeting the membership challenge,

22â&#x20AC;&#x192; LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY 2016

Before we move forward, we also need to glance back and make sure we have touched base with companies that have allowed membership with LO to lapse in the last five years. This will be a valuable learning experience, and again we will produce a report for review.

Utilizing Associate Members along with many other projects they are involved in over the year.

Rachel Cerelli will continue her focus with all Chapters to retain and increase membership at a local level, while Cassandra Wiesner ensures that companies applying for membership meet all the criteria. Myscha Burton will concentrate on a province-wide campaign to sign-up new members.

I believe we can meet the new membership challenge if staff and members work together to grow the association.

Here are some goals:

Membership Committee

As with all initiatives at Landscape Ontario, we will rely on feedback and direction from members. We will be consulting with and listening to the committees and sector groups to explore all avenues for membership growth.

Without question, this is one of the most effective ways to reach out to potential members. Suppliers to the industry have daily contact with the landscape industry.

We will continue our membership appreciation days at wholesalers, nurseries and supply yards, as a way of having face-toface contact with landscape companies.

Power of media

We have put a media plan together for 2016, so we may focus on two main subjects. First of all we will highlight and celebrate the wonderful community projects in which our members are involved. Secondly, we will promote the reasons why the public should hire a professional member of Landscape Ontario.

By continuing to promote the LO website to the media and public, we demonstrate just one of the many positive reasons to join a highly respected landscape association.

Contact Denis Flanagan at dflanagan@landscapeontario.com.

MEMBERSHIP Look at attending chapter meeting

By Rachel Cerelli Membership and Chapter Coordinator

F

eeding one’s mind is sometimes ignored when we get busy with work, family and life. It seems that happens more and more often.

Some may have the luxury of a little more time to yourself this time of year. If so, through Landscape Ontario there are a variety of options to help feed your mind. LO staff person Kathy McLean has done her research and coordinated a large variety of amazing seminars to suit everyone’s needs.

Your Industry’s Professional Development Guide can easily and conveniently be

found online at horttrades.com/seminars, or contact home office for a paper copy sent directly to you free of charge.

There are many seminars available to interest all requirements, from the eager staff person wanting to learn some new skills, to seminars for business owners and supervisory staff looking to better their skills. You can be sure if there is something you think you may want to learn or brush up on, your industry’s Professional Development Guide has something for you.

As members of Landscape Ontario you are entitled to attend any chapter meeting across this great province. To find out what is going on in your local area, we invite you to visit horttrades.com/(Durham, Georgian Lakelands, Golden Horseshoe, Ottawa, Toronto, Waterloo, Windsor, Upper Canada). Please feel free to connect with home office.

The majority of the chapters host a vari-

ety of meeting topics from October through to late March to early April. The meetings are sometimes geared towards specific sectors, but typically anyone no matter the stage of their career, may attend any one of these meetings and walk away with more knowledge and confidence than they did walking in. It is at these meetings where you will learn to overcome any obstacles you face with your business, as well as network with like-minded professionals.

Some people find that attending a meeting for the first can be a little over whelming. Yes, some of the members in the room have been going for years and know most of the people in the room. But, every one of these people also once went to their first meeting knowing few others in the room.

So take the leap, come out. Let me know you are coming, maybe I can help with making some connections, and it won’t be as scary as you think.

And, to those who have been going to these meetings for years, open your eyes, look around a bit, and welcome any new faces to the room. Give them a warm welcome.

For more information on how you can get involved in your chapter, contact Rachel Cerelli at rachel@landscapeontario.com.

SA VE TH ED AT E

February 8, 2016 TEATRO

Conference and Event Centre 121 Chishom Drive, Milton, ON

LIGHTINGCONFERENCE.CA

Join industry peers and learn about lighting industry specific issues and meet with suppliers to find out about new products and technologies at this annual conference.

An initiative of

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 23

UNDERGROUND WORLD Highlights from 2015

By Terry Murphy CLM

I

t has been an honour for me to represent the landscape and fencing sectors on the Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance (ORCGA) Board of Directors for the last ten years. I hope you have found this monthly column interesting and informative and that it assisted you with your underground damage prevention issues.

There was a consolidation of the provincial alliances across Canada this year, along with the introduction of a new best practises manual. My sole purpose in representing you is to keep you up-to-date on any legal or safety legislation changes; give field operation examples that have cost our members money in fines, hoping that you can learn from them; communicate key issues, and give you my personal opinion on damage prevention matters.

The founder of the ORCGA, Jim Douglas, retired this year, and was succeeded

by Ian Munro. Kevin Bowers (Union Gas) is the new chair of the board of directors.

Michael Jensen (Rogers Communication) is the new finance chair, while Tom Kidd (Hydro One) remains the governance chair. Jennifer Parent has joined our staff as membership coordinator. The office was moved from St. Catharines to Markham in December.

We are pleased to say there are currently nearly 500 members in ORCGA. The goal was to add 100 new members in 2015. We fell a bit sort on this goal, adding 60 new members this year. We encourage all landscape and fencing firms to join the ORCGA. Small excavation contractors can join for an annual fee of $125.

There was an increased presence of the Technical Standards and Safety Association (TSSA) and the Ministry of Labour (MOL) this year, with issuing more fines.

There were also heavy cost recovery charges from the gas utilities for repair of damaged lines. One contractor was invoiced $11,000 for damage on a two-inch gas line.

ORCGA sponsored many industry

24 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY 2016

events this year, which not only promoted damage prevention, but also helped to generate revenue. These include a golf tournament (250 golfers), an educational and trade show with three-day symposium (250 participants), a fall education seminar and a locate rodeo. Public Dig Safe awareness days this spring included presentations at 13 municipalities and another 40 events at major industry member firms. Help from the business community included public awareness days at some Tim Hortons outlets and also some Home Depot stores.

Damage prevention education is a very important function of ORCGA. The curriculum in the provincial government’s horticultural technician apprenticeship program includes lessons on underground safety and the importance of obtaining locates.

The spring’s Dig Safe damage prevention days provided home owners information on the importance of obtaining locates.

ORCGA’s Damage Prevention Technician Program offered technical training to industry professional locators this year, so that they can improve their skills in locating and marking underground utility lines.

New this year at Landscape Ontario Congress 2016 is Speakers’ Corner, which is dedicated to damage prevention education. This event will have three speakers a day, for each of the three days, on the floor of the Congress trade show.

Also in March, ORCGA and Ontario One Call will have an exhibit at the National Home Show/Canada Blooms to promote damage prevention to the public. ORCGA will also have an exhibit in the contractors’ area at Canada Blooms.

The Canadian Common Ground Alliance has all provinces represented. The provincial associations give us a unified Canadian presence. The Dig Safe brand will be promoted nationally. Each provincial association has a representative on the national board.

The ORCGA Best Practices Manual is now being used as the CCGA National Best Practices Manual. Any future changes that are incorporated will be approved by national committee, as a national standard in Canada.

Two key areas surfaced this year for excavating contractors. The first is working safely within the tolerance zone and

the other is back and side yard locate requirements. Many utility hit damages occur within the one metre tolerance zone, because of pointed or sharp-edged hand tools. Only dull or rounded tools should be used in order to not cut a utility line. Hydro vac (high pressure water) services are another important alternative and option for contractors who must excavate close to underground utility lines.

The other area of concern is understanding what a locate request to Ontario One Call covers. Locates from Ontario One Call only cover from the street boulevard into where the service enters the building. It does not cover back yards and side yards. Separate locates must be obtained for these areas. Whoever digs in the soil is responsible for having the locate done and having paperwork on site. These two issues resulted in several utility hits this year.

Online locate services are now available. With the approval of Bill 8 in the Ontario Legislature, the law supports locates being completed in five working days from when it is called into the call centre. Steve Waugh at Ontario One Call wants to hear from anyone who has waited longer than five days for locates.

This year has been relatively trouble free of long delays.

ORCGA Councils are similar to Landscape Ontario Chapters. There are three key responsibilities to support the Alliance.

They provide education and damage prevention awareness with Dig Safe sessions at local firms and municipalities. Councils are the information arm of ORCGA, keeping local members informed on current provincial issues. There has been a renewal in the Councils this year and that will continue to develop with the new membership coordinator. Each Council will have the goal of developing three new members.

All utility damages are reported into a central reporting system (DIRT) to track the number of utility hits and the root cause of these damages. This valuable reporting tool shows where we must improve safety efforts and to focus on improvements.

Reviewing this publication may allow you and your firm to improve safety training efforts on damage prevention.

Data shows great improvement has been made by both the landscape and fencing sectors. The landscape industry improved performance by 27 per cent, while fencing improved by 40 per cent.

Contact Terry Murphy at tvmurphy@ ca.inter.net with comments, suggestions or questions on activities in 2016, or any other underground damage prevention issues.

PROSPERITY PARTNERS Navigating the invisible parts of your business

By Jacki Hart CLM Prosperity Partners Program Manager

I

t’s a new year…Time for fresh ideas, new energy, renewed hope, refreshed goals. After 10 years of writing this column, I spent some time last fall reviewing highlights from each year’s articles, and the feedback I’ve received. Hands down, what seems to resonate the most are checklists and steps I’ve shared over the years. All were directed at making improvements and moving toward Prosperity in business.

So, now that 2016 is upon us and a new season is on the horizon, I offer you my prioritized list of business improvement steps. In my experience from mentoring hundreds of business owners, these steps represent the most direct route to sustained improvement for our Prosperity Partners members:

Clarify culture

Who is your company? This is not to be confused with what your company does or offers — see my column from Jan. 2013, featuring Start with WHY by Simon Sinek. What are the non-negotiable values in your business? What do believe in? What is unique about what happens behind the scenes, between staff and customers?

This is about defining your foundation; your culture. It’s a particularly crucial step to take if you’re having trouble attracting right-fit people, which is something you simply can’t do if you don’t have a clear definition of what right fit is.

Establish strategic focus

Why does your business exist, and what are you ultimately trying to create by being in business? Where is the company headed, and with which service and/or product offerings? By taking this step, you are setting the context for your business.

This becomes the filter through which vast information you take in (online offerings or information) is either discarded or adopted. Context is the way we process the information overload we wade through every time we go online to source resources, and become absorbed in irrelevant content. Time is money, and without intentionally defining your strategic focus, you may find yourself wasting many valuable hours of desk time trying to figure out what’s relevant and what’s not.

Create structure

Strategic focus will support and drive your strategy, not the other way around: Strategy drives structure. Strategy determines what fits (including people and positions) and what doesn’t. Structure is the implementation plan for your strategy.

Be careful not to create business strategies around personalities, or the talents (or lack thereof) of various employees.

The template we call structure is used to determine what positions to create and people to fill them (corporate structure), which should be driven primarily by your strategic focus. A plan or corporate structure may also extend past human resources to include facilities specifications, equipment complement, administrative planning, etc.

Align people

One of the most effective ways to increase productivity (and profit) is to reduce or eliminate unproductive friction. Use the Prosperity Partners planning work that you do as a result of our workshops, to establish your core values, company purpose and corporate vision, your strategy and its resulting structure.

It’s invaluable in helping you to seamlessly maintain and fuel alignment of people and purpose, and to engage the highest potential of individual passion and talent.

Improve productivity

Clarity and alignment, combined with the addition of accountability, will launch productivity to new heights. In order to

maximize productivity, it’s human nature to know what is considered good, bad and outstanding. By setting clear targets, goals and benchmarks, you can establish better team collaboration, alignment, and productivity. Make sure that your culture insists everyone checks their ego at the door, and watch them soar. Productivity can be remarkably improved when the company culture supports accountability, where people know when to step up and when to step back, when to own their mistakes, and their victories.

Attract right fit business

When you engage your valuable resources in wrong fit contracts, customers, markets, etc., you run the risk of wasted efforts which not only contribute to increased costs, but distract people and materials from more profitable work and potential. You will best gain forward momentum by engaging your team (and company advocates, which includes loyal customers, subtrades, suppliers, etc.) in a collaborative culture for mutual improvement and success. Get really clear on what right fit is, and go for it.

Ignore wrong fit. It took me years to learn to stand my ground so to speak, and realize that some work would turn out more profitable if not acquired at all. There have been memorable occasions in my career, when I’ve realized (and on occasion, articulated to a client) that the company would make more profit if it were to send staff and equipment home rather than engage with the customer’s project on their unreasonable terms. Know what you do really well, who you sell to that appreciates your offering, and do what you promise to, and when. That’s the right fit. And it’s profitable.

By considering an intentional plan for moving your business through these six important foundational phases of business improvement, it sets the stage for solid momentum to Prosperity, improved profit and growth.

If you’re looking for guidance on how to get started, email prosperity@ landscapeontario.com. We’d love to sign you up for our next session, and get you started (or re-started) on your road to prosperity.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 25

CLASSIFIEDS

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

All classified ads must be pre-paid by credit card. Rates: $50.85 (HST included) per column inch Min. order $50.85. 15% discount on ads run for entire calendar year. Box Numbers: Additional $10.

Confidentiality ensured. Deadlines: 20th day of the month prior to issue date. (eg: June issue deadline is May 20th). January deadline is Dec. 10. 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. Online advertising: Website only ads are available for $67.80 (HST included) for Associaton members and $90.40 HST included for non-members. Website ads are posted for 31 days. View ads online at www.horttrades.com/classifieds. Post employment ads for free at landscape.jobs.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

ESTIMATOR – WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND LANDSCAPE QUOTES Successful applicant must have a minimum of 5 years horticultural experience to perform duties of customer relations and garden centre sales.

This full time, year round salaried position starts March 1, 2016 with 40 hour plus work weeks (variant upon season) with some evenings and weekends as required.

HUMBER NURSERIES LTD. 8386 Hwy. 50, Brampton Email resume to jr@gardencentre.com

GENERAL FARM LABOURER Field labour in the nursery, minimum wage, full time. Duties: Weeding, hoeing, planting, digging, watering and pruning of trees and shrubs in fields and yard.

Seasonal – April to November Skills Required: Grade 12 diploma, work experience an asset.

UXBRIDGE NURSERIES LIMITED 8080 Baldwin St., Brooklin, ON, L1M 1Y6 Contact: Wilma Muhic wilma@uxbridgenurseries.com

Post a job.

Find a job.

MACUTO NURSERIES Experienced farm workers required to perform manual work. Hand cultivating, digging and tree planting. Hourly rate $11.25.

Seasonal employment starting April 1, 2016 to Nov. 30, 2016.

Job site Keswick, Ontario Fax resume 905 476-1534 or mail P.O. Box 284 Keswick, ON L4P 3E2 Tel: 905-727-3666 PAO HORTICULTURAL We are looking for experienced farm workers required to perform manual work. Hand cultivating, digging and tree planting. Hourly rate $11.25 per hour. Seasonal employment starts March 28 to December 2, 2016​. Based in Hornby, Ontario.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Please no phone calls. Fax or email resumes to: info@paohorticultural.com Fax: 905-875-1511

landscape.jobs

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905-845-6653

Page 13

Uxbridge Nurseries Limited

www.uxbridgenurseries.com

905-655-3379

Page 16

www.krausnurseries.com

905-689-4022

Page 15

Braun Nursery Limited Canadale Nurseries

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26 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY 2016

R ISTE REG DAY! TO

V. Kraus Nurseries Ltd.

Grow Youirn Business

2016!

Sure to be the BEST Expo Yet! GreenTrade Expo 2016 – With 100+ exhibitors, is your one-stop place to find the latest products, business-building ideas & valuable contacts.

Here’s a taste of what we’ve got planned…



The Second Annual Ottawa Chapter Awards of Distinction Gala & Casino Night – The

Second Annual

Ottawa Chapter is holding this event in conjunction with GreenTrade Expo 2016, the evening before the show.

This ticketed competition will recognize & inspire excellence among our members, stir their competitive spirit, and stimulate advancement, achievement & improvement.

Ottawa Chapter of Landscape Ontario

Following the Awards Gala we’ll present a ticketed, Vegas-style Casino Night. Finger food, good times & great fun will be had by all!

The Educational Workshops – The MTO  Contractors Breakfast and FREE business building seminars – something for everyone.

Great Industry Networking – Business-growth  ideas? New products? Just to reconnect? 1,400 attendees let you network to your heart’s content.

New & Exciting Door Prizes – To be eligible,  register on-line TODAY! And much, much more…  Register on-line TODAY for your FREE admission to GreenTrade Expo 2016…

February 10th Wednesday Brought to you by the Ottawa Chapter of

www.GreenTrade.ca

27 February 10th, 2016 • 9 am - 3 pm • EY Centre • WWW.HORTTRADES.COM Ottawa Airport

28 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO JANUARY 2016