The garden centre at Canadale Nurseries consistently wins awards in LO’s Awards of Excellence competition through the hard work of the people in this photo, from left, Lesley Livingston, Connie Silcox, Adele Ashford, Jim Stinson, Tom Intven and Pauline Intven-Casier.
Family celebrates 60 years of growth at Canadale Nurseries Canadale Nurseries in St. Thomas is celebrating 60 years in business. From humble beginnings in 1955, the years have brought tremendous growth and recognition to the family-owned and -operated business. Now into the third generation of family members, it all began with Bill and Joan Intven, who emigrated from Holland in 1950. Five years later, the couple opened Canadale Nurseries on a former tobacco farm. The newly-arrived couple felt assimilating into Canada was very important, wanted a name to reflect their new country. The ‘dale’ was combined with the first few letters in Canada, as many streets surrounding the property of their new business ended with the word. The family’s second generation, Tom Intven and Pauline Intven-Casier, now oversee the business, which features an award-winning garden centre and nursery. Following his graduation in 1977 with a degree in plant biology from Queen’s University, Tom moved into the family business. Pauline began managing the garden centre after graduating from Uni-
versity of Western Ontario in 1984. Now the third generation is involved in the family business. Tom’s daughter Kate currently supervises the garden centre, while other children, nieces and nephews have worked in the garden centre over the past few years. Over the years, Canadale has received numerous awards for its plants, garden centre and business operation. One that holds great pride for the family was the The Better Business Bureau of Western Ontario Business Integrity Award. It was a proud moment for the family as Tom and Pauline joined their parents to receive the award. Another major award was Landscape Ontario’s Consumers’ Choice Award as Ontario’s Best Garden Centre. Bill Intven died in 2002, and Joan passed away in January 2015 in her 95th year. “I grew up in the business. When my parents began Canadale, I was three months old,” says Intven. Shortly after graduating from university, Tom Intven attended an International Plant Propagators’ Society (IPPS) meeting in Colum-
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bus, Ohio. “It really kindled a love of propagation in me,” says Intven. The meeting also saw him become very interested in the IPPS, in which he later served as president for three years. “It really allowed me to network with growers from the U.S. and around the world,” says Intven. He added that the process was a great benefit in evolving his wholesale business. In the early 1980s, Tom Intven became president of Landscape Ontario’s London Chapter. He eventually served on the provincial board of directors, and was named LO president for two years, 2011-2012. “I really enjoyed my time as president,” says Intven. He believes that the Association serves the important role of giving the industry a strong voice. “Our industry is better served by acting collaboratively rather than operating individually,” says Intven. Rapid growth also took place at Canadale Nurseries in the 1980s. Intven says that at the time Canadale developed a plan to create year-round employment. “We also developed an RRSP program and incentives to create loyalty among a core employee group,” says Intven. “This group all had a passion for plants, and we all shared the same vision.” Some of the people in the group continue to help Canadale maintain high standards. They include assistant man-