Landscape Ontario - September 2016

September 2016 www.horttrades.com

ELECTRIC

RESULTS

Michael-Anthony Gucciardi’s maintenance crew uses green technology today

PM 40013519

Page 4

Tackle every chore with confidence.

4R Compact Utility Tractors provide you with topof-the-line features to take on any task. With 66 horsepower engines* and state-of-the-art features like SpeedMatch™ and MotionMatch capabilities, you’ll keep working strong —anytime, anywhere.

Whether it’s for your fleet, on the farm or on your property, John Deere 4R Compact Utility Tractors will increase your efficiency all season long.

4R Compact Utility Tractor • • • • •

43.1–65.9 hp* engine Turbocharged diesel engine PowrReverser™ or e-Hydro Transmission options available Cab or open station configurations available HitchAssist™, Aux Hitch Control and HST Controls

Huron Tractor HuronTractor.com

Hutchinson Farm Supply HutchinsonFarmSupply.com

Green Tractors GreenTractors.ca

Green Tech GreenTech.ca

Premier Equipment PremierEquipment.ca

*Manufacturer’s estimate of power (ISO) per 97/68/EC.

2 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2016

S’ LOGO

SUMERS’ RS’ LOGO , Website edia, etc.)

ON LOGO

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Are you covered in the event of an accident?

By Paul Brydges LO President

N

ow that summer weather is here, it seems as though we are all finally hitting our stride for the season.

We get busier every year, but it seems with the help of our team we are also able to take on a little more work without the stress of previous years. Oh, the joy of growth and expansion!

One of the biggest fears we all seem to overlook on a continuous basis is what happens if, and when, someone integral to our team gets injured?

Personally, I have dealt with this issue over the last three-and-a-half years due to what was thought at the time to be a minor car accident. The paperwork created for insurance and lawyers has been anything but minor. Between trying to figure out what information they are actually asking for and scheduling and attend-

September, 2016 • Volume 34, No. 8 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.

ISSN 1928-9553 Publications Mail Agreement No. PM40013519

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Department Landscape Ontario 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton, ON L9T 2X8 Canada Phone: 905-875-1805

ing both meetings and appointments, the time spent dealing with insurance far outweighs the time required to get better.

What I thought was adequate coverage in the event I was off work turned out to be totally inadequate. Since I am selfemployed, the compensation is almost impossible to collect. It seems as though my firm supposedly does not need me for it to run since money is still coming in, and therefore, I am not eligible to collect any money I paid towards my policy. Trying to understand the details of the policy itself and what it excludes is another skill all in itself.

In a nutshell, I have learned to question my limits and to question what I am actually eligible to collect as a selfemployed individual. All members of Landscape Ontario should do the same.

Please take some time to review your own coverage to ensure you and your family are protected when you may need it most.

The second issue I have witnessed with our labour force is an employee being injured; on or off the job. How does a company who puts years of training

Editor Robert Ellidge rellidge@landscapeontario.com, 647-722-5645 Assistant editor Scott Barber sbarber@landscapeontario.com, 647-478-3171 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 Publisher Lee Ann Knudsen CLM lak@landscapeontario.com, 416-848-7557 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO STAFF Darryl Bond, Amy Buchanan, Kim Burton, Myscha Burton, Rachel Cerelli,Tony DiGiovanni CHT, Denis Flanagan CLD, J. Alex Gibson, Jeff Hicks, Jane Leworthy, Heather MacRae, Kristen McIntyre CHT CEM, Kathy McLean, Linda Nodello, Kathleen Pugliese, Ian Service, Tom Somerville, Martha Walsh, Cassandra Wiesner

into an employee, keep or get back on schedule if that employee suddenly is not there? In some cases it means the owner of the company must now put the work boots back on. Even years out of the trenches does not deter most of us jumping back into the daily tasks previously handled by a foreman or even a crew worker. In some cases, it is the perfect way to show young, or new staff, that you know how to do what you ask them to do every day. It also helps to boost morale to see even the owner is willing to jump in to ensure the job is completed as promised to a client.

Losing an employee to injury is also a great opportunity for junior staff to step-up and help fill the void. Very often, young staff are looking for an opportunity to prove their skills and knowledge.

They won’t do the job the exact same, or as quickly as the senior staff, but they will get it done. Remember, that senior staff person was a junior when they started out as well. We often forget that we all had to learn somewhere — we just need someone willing to give us the opportunity.

In the heat of the season it is easy to forget how fragile we are. Please take the time to protect yourselves and your team as well as possible. Machines are nuts and bolts, but our team is what really makes all of our companies what we are most proud of.

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

4 5 6 15 16 18 23 30 30

FEATURES ALL-ELECTRIC MAINTENANCE HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AT CUDDY

ASSOCIATION NEWS EVENTS NEW MEMBERS INDUSTRY NEWS COLUMNS AD INDEX CLASSIFIEDS

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).

For subscription and address changes, please e-mail subscriptions@landscapeontario.com

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 3

International Landscaping launches electric maintenance crew

“As we tendered this contract we had an opportunity to further this (landscaping energy efficiency),” said Sutic. “We weren’t sure if any of the contractors would be able to step up.”

Bob Delaney, MPP for MississaugaStreetsville, and a tenant of the Meadowvale Business Park, was also on hand for the demonstration.

“There’s an adage in marketing that goes, ‘it’s good to be the best, but it’s best to be the first,’” he told the group of about 40 people in attendance. “In this case, the best practices being adopted

by Bentall Kennedy and demonstrated

by International Landscaping mark you among the first to do this. This is very attractive, if you’re a tenant. I know this because I used to know when the grass was being cut, but now, I haven’t a clue when the crews are working on the property; it’s a good thing.”

He also noted that while many places in the world use coal or oil to create electricity “Ontario has gotten carbon completely out of the electricity generating cycle,” and therefore electricity is truly the greenest solution.

The future looks promising for electric grounds maintenance. In fact, a number of major corporations have already called IL for quotes to go green with their properties.

International Landscaping has partnered Connections with forward thinking with real estate investment company Benproperty managers like Bentall Kennedy tall Kennedy to launch the largest, all-elecwill also make electric crews more feasitric, low-emission commercial landscape ble, he added. management program in Canada.

“It’s critical that the electric equipment Leaders from both companies gathered is as effective as a traditional mower, and at the 170-acre Meadowvale North Busithat’s what we now see,” Gucciardi said. ness Park in Mississauga, Ont., on June “Another benefit is the noise; this equipment is not as loud as gas equipment, 22 to celebrate and demo the state-of-theand that’s a real positive for both the crew art green equipment, solar technology and member and the people working in the electric charging systems. offices here.”

Michael-Anthony Gucciardi, IL’s environmental sustainability manager, spearVibrations, particularly important for headed the initiative. line trimming, are also reduced.

“Having worked in the landscape Nada Sutic of Bentall Kennedy says industry for 10 years, five in maintenance the partnership with IL shows both companies’ commitment to innovation. and five in construction, I know that one of “We think it is pretty exciting,” she told the biggest drawbacks was having to use Mississauga.com. “Sounds boring I know. gas powered equipment,” he said. “Every But where we see a benefit is on the cartime you use a piece of equipment you are bon footprint and pollution side of things. dealing with exhaust, and each time you That is the most obvious thing. But from a refuel you end up with gas on your hands property management perspective a thing or your clothes,” said Gucciardi. like the reduction in noise is huge.”

He offered a personal anecdote.

The real estate investment firm, an “During the week before I took on offshoot of Sun Life Investment Managemy current role, I can remember power ment, ranked first in its peer group by the sweeping, where we were cleaning a curb 2015 Global Real Estate Sustainability line with backpack blowers. I was at the Benchmark. end of the line and all of the emissions from each blower were blowing towards me. It’s like a warm, toxic gas that is unavoidable, and I thought ‘I wish this wasn’t happening and I wish this wasn’t there.’

And that’s something that a lot of people don’t really think about with electric equipment, and that’s the human health benefits.”

The environmental benefits are important, particularly when you look at the amount of landscape work being performed across the province and the country, Gucciardi acknowledged, but for green professionals in the field, electric equipment can make day-to-day work healthier.

As the battery life of electric mowers, trimmers and blowers grows, Gucciardi believes IL will be able to transition more of its crews off gas powered equipment.

The team from International Landscaping proudly displaying solar and electric grounds maintenance equipment.

4 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2016

Several high school students in London were given a unique learning opportunity at Cuddy Gardens.

High school students bloom in Cuddy Gardens Since 1991, Michael Pascoe has nurtured Cuddy Gardens in Strathroy, Ont. into one of the provinces most well-known and respected botanical gardens.

Home to over 2,000 plant species, comprising a gorgeous array of dry, rock, woodland, perennial, rose and aquatic gardens, Cuddy Gardens serves as a destination for horticulture enthusiasts as well as a training ground for Pascoe’s Fanshawe College students.

This summer, Pascoe teamed up with the London region’s Catholic and public school boards to offer high school students a remarkable learning experience.

“This summer we have hosted a group of young men and women from local high schools for a dual-credit course in horticulture,” Pascoe explained. “It’s been a crash course over a couple of weeks, and it has been busy. But at the end of the program these young folks will earn a high school credit along with a college level credit if they choose to pursue a degree in horti-

culture at Fanshawe,” Pascoe explained.

He added, “These students have had the opportunity to get hands-on experience here. They’ve done a lot of re-potting, they’ve taken a lot of cuttings, they’ve done different types of seedings, along with a variety of basic plant and garden maintenance activities.”

The introduction to horticulture program was designed to give the class a sense of the many facets of the green professions.

And watching the student’s faces light up as they worked in the gardens, it’s clear that many will be considering the field as a viable career path.

Justin Morris, a grade 12 student from the Strathroy area says after having such a positive experience with Pascoe at Cuddy Gardens, he plans to enroll in the hort tech program at Fanshawe this fall.

“My favourite thing has been trimming the rose bushes because I find it really calming,” Morris said. “My grandpa wasn’t a gardener, but he had rose bushes and

as soon as I started trimming the bushes here, I got a weird sensation, like he was watching over me.”

Sophie Parent, a grade 12 student at London’s St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, was also inspired by her time at Cuddy Gardens.

“I’ve really enjoyed learning new things about plants,” Parent said. “I’m graduating next year, and while I had been planning to study chemistry at university, this experience has shown me the benefits of being able to work outside.”

The roots of the A.M. Cuddy Gardens go back to the 1950s, when A.M. “Mac” Cuddy’s turkey farm business took off, eventually becoming one of the world’s largest producers of turkey poults and turkey hatching eggs. Always having shown a keen interest for horticulture, Cuddy tasked Pascoe with designing and building the gardens in the early 1990s.

Cuddy Gardens was donated to Fanshawe College in 2006, following Mac Cuddy’s passing. Officially selected to be a part of the Botanical Gardens Conservation International, Cuddy Gardens hosts students from Fanshawe as well as the public each year at numerous open house events.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 5

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Wright Landscape will celebrate 50 years of operations on Sept. 22.

Wright Landscape celebrating 50 years Fifty years ago, a young John Wright bought a truck and using his experience working in pest control in Toronto, started a one-man lawn care operation out of his acreage in Bloomingdale, Ont. In the evenings, his school-teacher wife, Ruth, helped with the books and the next day’s orders. Like all start-ups, passion, sweat and tears got the couple through the early years until they could begin hiring and expanding their business.

Flash forward 50 years, the business, Wright Landscape Services, is alive and well and now run by the couple’s son, Dave Wright. After teenage summers learning the landscape trade by toiling for friendly competitors, Dave graduated from the University of Guelph’s Landscape Architecture program. He moved on to the big leagues, consulting on major landscape projects across North America and Asia before landing at a Vancouver firm in the late ‘90s. In 2002, the family

6 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2016

business came calling and succession planning began.

Dave Wright has been president of Wright Landscape Services for the past ten years. Both John and Ruth Wright passed away in recent years. Following in his father’s footsteps, Dave is involved in Landscape Ontario as Second Vice President of its Provincial Board of Directors. He takes the industry motto Green for Life seriously, and has worked to transition the family business from its roots in lawn care and pest management to a prosperous landscape and maintenance portfolio.

“We focus on designing, building, maintaining and growing,” says Wright.

“That way our customers can experience the full circle; from the initial design to the point where everything is growing the way it was intended. It’s really satisfying to see a landscape mature.”

The company’s sustainability ethos

extends beyond the growing season; Wright Landscape Services was one of Waterloo Region’s first Smart About Salt (SAS) certified operators.

“Staying ahead of the curve is part of our success,” says Wright. “Small businesses have to be nimble and we have to have the trust of our customers. We try to make sure that our services match what they value.”

With multiple Platinum and Diamond Awards from the Record Reader Awards and the landscape industry’s top Dunington-Grubb Award, the company is poised for continued growth and excellence in the years ahead.

Members, clients, partners, industry friends, and neighbours will celebrate together on Sept. 22 from five to eight p.m. at their offices, located at 801 Sawmill Rd. in Bloomingdale.

For more information, contact Dave Wright at infoland@wrightlandscape.ca or 519-742-8433.

IN MEMORIAM – JES PETERSEN

Jes Kidholm Petersen, founder of Petersen’s Turf Farms, passed away peacefully at home on Aug. 12 at the age of 92.

The business he founded and loved posted a tribute on its Facebook page following Petersen’s passing.

“It is with full and heavy hearts we pay tribute to the founder of Petersen’s Turf Farms – Jes Petersen.

In 1969, he took a chance for his family and purchased what was then a small nursery farm. With hard work and perseverance, he grew it into one of the most prominent sod farms in eastern Ontario.

He created a place where he could teach his family work ethic, life skills and knowledge all while providing them with a more prosperous future. Jes’ drive and ambition gave this minimally educated Danish immigrant the ability to overcome all odds and create something from nothing. Through trial and error, mistakes and success, hunches and instincts he was able to develop the skills and knowledge to grow beautiful mineral turf grass.”

Friend and industry colleague, Joan Johnston said Petersen was “a great guy, a very generous supporter of our industry and community.”

In lieu of flowers, donations made to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute or the Winchester District Memorial Hospital would be most appreciated by the family.

IN MEMORIAM – JOSEF VERBANCIC

Landscape industry pioneer Josef Verbancic passed away suddenly on July 26 at the age of 79.

Verbancic established Verbancic Tree Supply and Landscaping in 1981 in Pickering, Ont. A skilled and passionate horticulturalist, Verbancic worked in the green profession for more than 50 years. The nursery and landscaping company continues to thrive today as a family business.

Industry colleague and friend Peter Braun says Verbancic was a leader in the green profession. “Joe was highly

Ad Size 4.625 x 9.875

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 7

ASSOCIATION NEWS respected and extremely knowledgeable,” Braun said. “He really had a touch for plants and he just loved it.”

Braun continued, “Not only did he have a passion for the plants, but he loved people. And everybody loved him as well. He’d come by our yard to the shipping office with a box of donuts and his smile and just turn everybody on. He was just that kind of an individual.”

Verbancic also had a knack for selecting the best products, Braun said. “He served his customers so well by being so observant and having such a high standard for quality plants.”

Verbancic was the loving husband of Ingrid and father to Joe (Hellen), Rob (Griselda), Michael (Jillian), and Grandfather to Tiffany, Brandon, Tylar, Alexandria, Alisha and Cole.

Donations in Verbancic’s memory can be made to any charity that improves the quality of our environment or to a charity of your choice.

e

The Anderson Parkette Biodiversity Garden in Oakville, Ont.

MEMBER RECOGNIZED FOR BIODIVERSITY GARDEN

LO member Sean James, owner of Fern Ridge Landscaping in Milton, Ont., was given special recognition by the Perennial

Plant Asssociation (PPA) during its annual symposium in Minneapolis, Minn. James received one of only five Honour Awards for his work on the Anderson Parkette Biodiversity Garden in Oakville, Ont.

Experience the effectiveness of a Metal Pless snow plow!

E

O

%

T Mobile steel trip edge, will use

up to 50% LESS SALT Call us now

1.866.362.1688 8 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2016

...and much more!

www.metalpless.com

James designed the garden entirely of native plants, to attract as many different species of life as possible, focusing on pollinators and other insects as well as birds.

The project was spearheaded by Kathy Kavassalis, co-president of the Oakville Horticultural Society, with help from the Town of Oakville and guidance from Conservation Halton.

According to Kavassalis, “The garden now contains over 50 plant species native to North America,” including butterflies, hummingbirds, rabbits, bumblebees, and goldfinches.

Sean James receiving his Honour “When winter comes, signs Award at the PPA symposium. of mice and deer finding refuge can be seen. Bundled children sit on the bench and enjoy the beauty of grasses glazed with ice. It is truly an oasis for life here in Oakville,” Kavassalis said.

BE SURE TO PLACE YOUR ORDERS FOR FALL DIGGING

WATERLOO CHAPTER FAMILIES STAY COOL

Landscape Ontario members and their families arrived at Bingemans Park in Waterloo, Ont. on July 17 for the Waterloo Chapter Family Fun Day. Over 70 attendees beat the heat of summer with access to the large wave pool, various water slides and full use of park facilities.

Organizers Trevor Gardner and Blake Sicard of the Waterloo Chapter board agree the event was a great success. “The weather couldn’t have been better and once again the Bingemans facility was the perfect venue for the event,” says Sicard.

“Everyone who participated had a great time enjoying the water park, mini golf, beach volleyball, bouncy castle and face painting. We stepped up the event from last year, and next year we hope to have even more people and more activities!”

Gardner commented, “It was a chance for the Waterloo Chapter to say thanks to our members. Our industry tends to demand long hours away from our families and this day was

Family Day attendees work off their lunch during a pick-up game of volleyball at Bingemans.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 9

NEED A NEW VIEW? CANADIAN ROOTS. GLOBAL REACH.

The CG&B Group

sharon_e_mitchell@ajg.com ajgcanada.com

GLOBALLY KNOWN. LOCALLY GROWN. Arthur J. Gallagher Canada Limited is part of Arthur J. Gallagher, the brand name for the international broking and underwriting division of parent company Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG).

Our Great Lakes Premium Coloured Mulches bring an exciting new aesthetic dimension to any garden or landscape project. Our Premium mulches are made from recycled clean wood mixture, which is hand sorted, double ground and screened to ensure product consistency and superior water absorption.

Recycled Premium Mulches

Premium™ Black Premium™ Brown

Premium™ Red Premium™ Gold

Pine Premium Mulches Premium™ Pine Premium™ Pine Black

Great Lakes Premium TimeFlow H2O Mulch

Utility hardwood and other varieties also available

Our Great Lakes Premium Mulch is the ONLY one with the Advantage and a organic mould resistance additive to ensure your mulch retains longevity.

TimeFlow H2O takes the natural water retention quality of wood mulch to and even higher level.

VISIT US AT THE UPCOMING CONGRESS SHOW – BOOTH 2634

Non-Treated Mulch

Manufactured locally in St. Thomas and Campbellville To locate a distributor in your area, or become a distributor of Great Lakes Premium Barks and Mulches, call us at 1-877-266-0636.

For full products details, visit us at www.glwp.ca 10 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2016

about bringing our families together. The highlight of the day was seeing the smiles on all of the kids’ faces.”

Among the new events this year was a raffle for kids featuring numerous prizes donated by local members and businesses, and a bouncy castle.

Organizers would like to thank Shannon Loney for helping with the event, the staff at Bingemans, Cailey Brammer of Blushworthy for face painting, and the following companies for their support: TS Benefit Solutions, UPI Energy, Vision Signs & Awnings, Home Hardware, Speare Seeds, Kuntz Topsoil Sand & Gravel, Greenhorizons Sod Farms, St. Jacob’s Country Gardens & Landscape Nursery, Bobcat, Creative Landscape Depot.com, Linzel, Unilock and Knell’s Door & Hardware.

MEMBER ASSISTS WITH LOCAL SCHOOL GARDEN PROJECT

LO member Mark Fisher of the Escarpment Company in Milton, Ont. was recognized in the Milton Canadian Champion in late June for his efforts in helping students at Sam Sherratt School to build an outdoor classroom.

Fisher, a graduate of the school, was recruited by another former graduate and friend, Brad Jenkins, whose class had made plans to construct the classroom.

Fisher gave the class some expert advice and even provided some plant material for the garden at a discount.

Jenkins and his class of eight students worked outside for many days in late June to construct the garden. With the help of a few other classes during the last few hours, they managed to complete the garden with just enough time left for a celebration on June 28 — the final day of the school year.

The celebration included the release of some butterflies the school had raised from caterpillar stage.

Funding for the outdoor classroom was provided from the Halton Learning Foundation in the amount of $5,000. The students in the class also helped in the application process for the grant.

IRRIGATION GROUP FORMS

LO members Bruce and Trevor Lively of Blue Jay Irrigation in London recently hosted a new peer group for irrigation contractors. Leadership was provided by green industry business management expert Jeffrey Scott. The group met to benchmark financials, share proven practices and experience a deep-dive, behind-the-scenes tour of Blue Jay’s

facilities and leadership team.

Trevor Lively said, “The meeting was very encouraging, challenging and motivating. We have a great group who care about each other and hold each other accountable. They continually pushed me and one another to develop and grow as business owners.” Interested professionals must bill at least $1 million in irrigation service, and must also perform openings and closings. Visit gettheleadersedge.com for information on joining.

AT T E N T I O N

LANDSCAPE / CONSTRUCTION

CHAPTER AWARDS BANTING BURSARY

Landscape Ontario’s Georgian Lakelands Chapter recently presented Banting Memorial High School student Nathaniel Brinkman with the chapter’s bursary award. The $250 award goes to the grade 12 student with the highest marks in workplace landscaping construction and maintenance. Brinkman is pictured here at left with chapter representative, Terry Kowalski.

SET YOUR

CREW UP TO GET THE JOB DONE!

Fran will put her 25 years experience to work for you.

Great products, great selection. Delivered to you, on your schedule, guaranteed.

FRAN MACKENZIE FLEET MANAGER

PHONE: 905•845•6653 CELL: 416•420•6455 fmackenzie@southoakvillechrysler.com

PROUD MEMBER OF LANDSCAPE ONTARIO

Large quantities always available

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 11

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Open house visitors tour the many changes made to the Milton site earlier this year.

TRIAL GARDEN OPEN HOUSE Over 90 industry members attended the LO trial garden open house on Aug. 18 to see new and exciting plant material and learn from a number of informative guest speakers.

The morning seminars included an update on the changes to the trial garden site by LO property manager, David Turnbull, and a presentation on Rain Garden Solutions for Water Management in Municipalities by Chris Denich and Sean James.

Event partner, the Ontario Parks Association (OPA), handed out awards to several municipalities for a floral display competition where municipal parks staff submitted photos that showcased their horticultural talents in several categories.

Serving the landscape industry for nearly 50 years

4765 Old Scugog Road Bowmanville, Ontario T: 905-263-8814 F: 905-263-4431 E: sales@kobesnurseries.com

www.kobesnurseries.com 12  LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2016

Plants were the stars of the show during the annual trial garden open house.

After an open forum to discuss various gardening topics, attendees headed outside for a tour of the gardens by University of Guelph trial garden manager, Rodger Tschanz. Armed with flags to vote on their favourite cultivars, visitors selected the following plants as the most popular:

Top annual: Zahara XL Fire Improved Zinnia, PanAmerican Seed.

Top perennial: Echinacea ‘Supreme Elegance’, Blooms of Bressingham.

Top rose: Livin’ Easy Floribunda rose (apricot), J.C. Bakker & Sons.

Top hydrangea: Hydrangea paniculata

‘Candlelight’, Van Belle Nursery.

The program concluded at Landscape Ontario shortly after noon and continued at the main trial garden site at the University of Guelph.

Over 27 years in business

Sales and leasing all makes, specializing in commercial vehicles

877-837-5674 • haltonautolease.com WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 13

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Charlie Wilson from Bruce Wilson Landscaping.

LO MEMBERS WIN BIG AT NATIONAL AWARDS OF LANDSCAPE EXCELLENCE

Landscape Ontario members took home four of five awards in the landscape categories at the 2016 National Awards of Landscape Excellence ceremony held in Kelowna, B.C. on Aug. 17.

The 13th annual ceremony was held in conjunction with the British Columbia Landscape and Nursery Association Landscape Awards of Excellence, with the who’s who in landscape horticulture in attendance.

National judges received over 50 entries in the landscape categories alone, where only five could be named national champions.

Winners in the five landscape

categories are: • B ruce Wilson Landscaping in Ontario, for the Caterpillar Award of Excellence in Commercial Landscape Construction/Installation • P ro­Land Landscape Construction in Ontario, for the Caterpillar Award of Excellence in Residential Landscape Construction/Installation • J oe Bidermann Landscaping Design in Nova Scotia, for the DynaSCAPE Award of Excellence in Landscape Design • O GS Grounds Maintenance Specialists in Ontario, for the National Award of Landscape Excellence in Commercial Maintenance • C edar Springs Landscape Group in Ontario, for the National Award of Landscape Excellence in Residential Maintenance.

Congratulations to all the winners for truly outstanding projects!

Harold Deenen was awarded the prestigious President’s Award for his years of service and dedication to the both the association and the industry as a whole. Donnie Burke accepted the Green for Life Community Award on behalf of Nova Scotia Lands and the other groups involved in the restoration of the Sydney Tar Ponds into the beautiful Open Hearth Park. Bradford Greenhouses Garden Gallery in Ontario was named Garden Centre of the Year. Van Belle Nursery took home Grower of the Year and will compete in the international competition next year.

MP Stephen Fuhr announced the contribution of $1.1 million to grow the domestic and international market for Canadian ornamental horticulture — a significant investment in Canada’s nursery and landscape sector. CNLA president Rene Thiebaud confirmed the funding will be used in a variety of projects dedicated to increasing market exposure of Canadian ornamental horticulture products.

Certification coming to Kemptville sept. 30 Green industry professionals in Eastern Ontario will have a chance to verify their skills at the upcoming certified landscape technician test day at Kemptville College on Sept. 30.

The Landscape Industry Certified program ensures professionals across Canada comply with current standards and industry best practices. For full details or registration information, visit landscapeindustrycertifiedtechnician.ca or contact Jason Young at 905-875-1399, ext. 8620 or jason@cnla-acpp.ca.

1150 Heritage Rd, Burlington, On. L7L 4X9 Tel. 905-336-3369

LandscapeStore.ca

Save up to 40% in the cost compared to the regular Overseed product.

BENEFITS • Quick to establish a soft, • Disease resistant • Drought tolerant lush thick lawn • Self repairing turf

14 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2016

CONTRACTOR PRICING • 10 lb bag

$27.95

• 55 lb bag

$139.00

FALL Fertilizer

25 kg bag 12-6-24

$28.75

EVENTS

Special hotel rates for attendees and an optional tour of the city are extended to those attending.

Learn how to improve your business and burn rubber on the road to success.

Visit horttrades.com/p2p.

Find full details and registration links at horttrades.com/comingevents

September 25

September 15

September 17

Ferrell Builders’ Supply, 1549 Rymal Road East, Hamilton This exciting social event features good food, family fun and entertainment. Tickets are $15 at the door. Children 12 and under are free. Contact Lee Rozon at lrozon@landscapeontario.com or see details at horttrades.com/goldenhorseshoe.

Sutton Creek Golf Club, Essex Register now, donate a prize, or promote your company as a sponsor. Details at horttrades. com/windsor.

Golden Horseshoe Chapter Chicken Roast

September 16

London Chapter Golf Tournament Echo Valley Golf Course, London Contact Wendy Harry at wharry@landscapeontario.com or visit horttrades.com/london.

September 16

Industry Auction

Dutchmaster Nurseries, Pickering Featuring live judging of the Grower Awards of Excellence and a live auction of the best nursery stock in Ontario. Hardgoods, supplies and silent auction items also available.

Visit industryauction.ca.

Waterloo Chapter Baseball Tournament

Bob Girard Memorial Golf Tournament

Breslau Memorial Park, 10 Joseph St., Breslau Play ball, cheer on a team or donate prizes for this fun-filled day. Details at horttrades.com/ waterloo.

September 30

September 21

National Tree Day

Promote the benefits of trees and your status as a green industry professional by organizing a tree planting event in your community. List your event or find one at nationaltreeday.ca.

September 22

Certified Landscape Technician test day

Kemptville College, 830 Prescott St., Kemptville For full details and registration, visit landscapeindustrycertifiedtechnician.ca.

November 4

Ottawa Chapter Day of Tribute

Georgian Lakelands Putting Challenge

Watch for details at horttrades.com/ georgianlakelands.

September 23

Peer to Peer Network in Ottawa

Les Suites Hotel, 130 Besserer St., Ottawa Learn to Manage Your Customer’s Experience of Everything, with Jacki Hart and Tim Kearney.

National Military Cemetery, 280 Beechwood Ave, Ottawa Help honour the Canadian Military and their families at this annual event that prepares the grounds for Remembrance Day. For information or to volunteer, contact Pete Campbell at 613-733-9585 or pete@geosyn.ca or Martha Walsh at 613-796-5156 or martha@landscapeontario.com.

SHEEHAN’S TRUCK CENTRE INC.

The Canadian Landscape Standard is: A single authoritative resource.

Applicable in all regions of Canada.

The benchmark standard for industry stakeholders.

$199 Digital

$199 Printed

$259 Both

To purchase, visit csla-aapc.ca/standard

Sheehan’s Truck Centre is one of Canada’s largest and most respected new and used truck dealers.

We specialize in new Volvo and Isuzu trucks.

SHEEHAN’S TRUCK CENTRE INC.

4320 HARVESTER RD, BURLINGTON ON L7L 5S4 905-632-0300 Fax: 905-632-4557 Call us toll-free at 1-800-254-2859 Email us at info@sheehanstruck.com

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 15

NEW MEMBERS Nicole Pattenden Landscape Design

DURHAM Captain Electric Inc

Nicole Pattenden 1454 Margaret Cres Penetanguishene, ON L9M 2B3 Tel: 705-549-7906 Membership Type: Active

Dutch Touch Landscaping Inc

Peninsula Out of Doors

Brian Wilson 267 - 1885 Clements Rd, Pickering, ON L1W 3V4 Tel: 905-683-4195 Membership Type: Chapter Associate Pieter Gjaltema 65 Nixon Rd, Orono, ON L0B 1M0 Tel: 905-983-6018 Membership Type: Active

Homestar

Dean Mandzuk 2 - 25 Munroe St, Cobourg, ON K9A 1B8 Tel: 905-377-5555 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

GEORGIAN LAKELANDS Aqua-Terra Canada Inc

Steve Holmes 375 Raglan St, Collingwood, ON L9Y 3Z1 Tel: 888-544-2877 Membership Type: Associate

Big D Landscaping

Darryn Minnings 5668 Couny Rd 9, New Lowell, ON L0M 1N0 Tel: 705-424-9824 Membership Type: Active

Intercity Lawn & Landscape

Jim Ettinger 5 - 1730 Regent St, Sudbury, ON P3E 3Z8 Tel: 705-523-1000 Membership Type: Active

Leading Edge Earthworks

Rob McHattie 1148 Snow Valley Rd, Minesing, ON L0L 1Y3 Tel: 705-725-9494 Membership Type: Active

McCann Brothers Concrete Inc

Denis McCann 42 Fraser St, Gore Bay, ON P0P 1H0 Tel: 705-282-7676 Membership Type: Associate

Mike Varey & Son Excavating (2181825 Ontario Inc)

Mike Varey 63 Draper St E, PO Box 424 Little Current, Manitoulin Island, ON P0P 1K0 Tel: 705-368-1799 Membership Type: Associate

Don Cameron 14 Budvet Rd, Box 1099 Lions Head, ON N0H 1W0 Tel: 519-793-3979 Membership Type: Active

Richview Lawn Equipment Ltd

Lisa Kalanj 290 Yonge St, Barrie, ON L4N 4C7 Tel: 705-722-8400 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

Telford Property Management

Darren Telford 2106 Elana Dr, Orillia, ON L3V 0C2 Tel: 705-323-9345 Membership Type: Active

TriStar Interior Contractors Inc

Dan Mogridge 8 - 287 Tiffin St, Barrie, ON L4M 4T7 Tel: 705-220-7097 Membership Type: Associate

GOLDEN HORSESHOE Ash Creek Property Maintenance Jordan Ducharme 16 Mckay St W, PO Box 44 Cayuga, ON N0A 1E0 Tel: 905-537-5661 Membership Type: Active

Bobcat of Brantford

Hendrik Scholten 585 Oak Park Rd, Brantford, ON N3T 5L8 Tel: 519-752-7900 Membership Type: Associate

Classic Landscapes (2473366 Ontario Inc)

Josh Brouwer 4363 Tamarac Dr, Beamsville, ON L0R 1B8 Tel: 905-329-3298 Membership Type: Active

Clean Slate Landscaping

Palfinger North America

Dragonfly Landscape Supply

Premium Fence and Landscaping

Marc Alves 104 Binhaven Blvd, Binbrook , ON L0R 1C0 Tel: 289-208-3747 Membership Type: Interim Heidi Gorter 117 Brant Rd 24, Paris, ON N3L 3E1 Tel: 519-448-1449 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

ForeverLawn GTA

Ken Hoover 4011 Millar Cres, Burlington, ON L7P 0R6 Tel: 905-635-6530 Membership Type: Associate

GoGPS

Greg McMillan 422 - 1100 South Service Rd Stoney Creek, ON L8E 0C5 Tel: 866-964-6477 x109 Membership Type: Associate

Habitats Landscape Corporation

Matthew Lehner 2161 Caroline St, Burlington, ON L7R 1L7 Tel: 905-320-8880 Membership Type: Active

Hysert Greens Inc

Mike Swaerdens 229 Hysert Rd, Grimsby, ON L3M 4E7 Tel: 905-979-2929 Membership Type: Active

Losani Homes

Fred Losani 430 McNeilly Rd, Stoney Creek, ON L8E 5E3 Tel: 905-561-1700 Membership Type: Associate

MQuip Group Inc

James Reid 5035 North Service Rd, Unit C2 Burlington, ON L7L 5V2 Tel: 905-315-1955 Membership Type: Associate

Mathew Desrochers Custom Homes Mathew Desrochers 1379 Caroline St, Burlington, ON L7S 1H5 Tel: 905-336-0078 Membership Type: Associate

Outdoor Lifestyles/Granite Land Design Ashley Chlebo 210 Concession 5 Rd E Waterdown, ON L0R 2H1 Tel: 905-338-1433 Membership Type: Active

Kristi Kraneyk 7942 Dorchester Rd, Niagara Falls, ON L2G 7W7 Tel: 905-374-3363 x248 Membership Type: Associate Anthony Continelli 275 Fourth Ave, Box 30087 St. Catharines, ON L2S 4A1 Tel: 905-988-1085 Membership Type: Active

LONDON Jansen Landscaping Ltd

Mike Jansen 557 Schaefer Side Rd, RR3, Delhi, ON N4B 2W6 Tel: 519-410-6453 Membership Type: Active

OTTAWA Agrodrain Systems Limited

Steven Slack 3976 Nixon Dr, Osgoode, ON K0A 2W0 Tel: 613-826-2388 Membership Type: Active

BB Truck Sales

Barry Birnie 121 Abetti Ridge, Ottawa, ON K2J 0Y6 Tel: 613-223-9817 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

Groupe Paramount

Liborio Argento 82 Brunswick Dollard des Ormeaux, QC H9B 1C5 Tel: 514-683-6644 Membership Type: Active InterRent Holdings Limited Partnership Jeffrey Gordon 207 - 485 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1Z2 Tel: 613-569-5699 Membership Type: Active

Mark Nesbitt Training and Consulting Mark Nesbitt 4 Apple Creek Cres Kanata , ON K2M 2M6 Tel: 613-402-5764 Membership Type: Associate

Openlot

Jesse Moon 1150 - 45 O’Connor St, Ottawa, ON K1P 1A4 Tel: 888-293-7885 x101 Membership Type: Associate

Proudly growing fine perennials

27 years

for over

PA L A C E P E R E N N I A L S • Over 1200+ varieties of perennials • Many unique and hard to find varieties • Fruits and succulents • Great fern, hosta and ornamental grass selection, premium tropical selection, hardy vines, Ontario Natives, clematis, herbs, and water plants

P: 866-843-0438 (sales) • 519-542-8353 • F: 519-542-1079 • sales@sipkensnurseries.com • Catalogue at www.sipkensnurseries.com

16 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2016

TORONTO Adeo Excavating & Grading Ltd Adriana Ortino 11904 Woodbine Ave S Gormley, ON L0H 1G0 Tel: 705-888-8392 Membership Type: Associate

All Canada Crane Rental Corp

Peter Wraight 7215 Torbram Rd, Mississauga, ON L4T 1G7 Tel: 905-795-1090 Membership Type: Associate

Andy deMan Contracting Inc

Andy deMan 1479 Mansfield Dr, Oakville, ON L6H 1K5 Tel: 905-599-9335 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

Beaver Landscape Contractors Ltd

Nelson Teixeira 439 Maybank Ave, Toronto, ON M6N 3S7 Tel: 416-473-3223 Membership Type: Active

Cut & Plow Property Maintenance Inc

John Theodore 1398 Gainsborough Dr, Oakville, ON L6H 2H6 Tel: 416-230-2694 Membership Type: Active

Design Turf Inc

Brandi Mccarthy 4 - 90 Centurian Dr, Markham, ON L3R 8C4 Tel: 416-546-6490 Membership Type: Active

FCA Canada Inc

Claude Malette 6500 Mississauga Rd N Mississauga, ON L5N 1A8 Tel: 905-821-6091 Membership Type: Associate

Floyd Preston Limited

Larry Preston 18444 McCowan Rd, PO Box 548 Mount Albert, ON L0G 1M0 Tel: 905-473-1921 Membership Type: Associate

Headwaters Construction Ltd.

William Dainty 6440 King Street, Caledon, ON L7C 0S1 Tel: 416-436-5488 Membership Type: Interim

Honda Canada Inc

Allison Grummett 180 Honda Blvd, Markham, ON L6C 0H9 Tel: 647-382-3598 Membership Type: Associate

Imperial Parking Canada Corp

Joseph Kiriaqus 178 Queens Quay E, Toronto, ON M5A 1B4 Tel: 416-369-1801 x5256 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

Jim Pattison Lease

Wendy Ladd 500 - 2700 Matheson Blvd E West Tower, Box 61 Mississauga, ON L4W 4V9 Tel: 866-616-4448 Membership Type: Associate

King Star Paving Inc.

Mary Montagnese 80 Tigi Court, Unit B, Concord, ON L4K 5E4 Tel: 905-553-7283 Membership Type: Associate

Natural Stone Traders Inc

Sandeep Tandon 74 Howlett Ave, Newmarket, ON L3Y 5S5 Tel: 647-287-7869 Membership Type: Associate

The Painting Hub

Trevor Wallace 711 - 105 Harrison Garden Blvd North York, ON M2N 0C3 Tel: 647-241-8732 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

Warburton Landscape Services

David Warburton 954173 7th Line, Mono, ON L9W 6E9 Tel: 519-939-0577 Membership Type: Active

Willboi’s Landscape

Tim Williams 15 Scott Cres, Hillsburgh, ON N0B 1Z0 Tel: 877-362-9242 Membership Type: Active

UPPER CANADA Complete Home and Lawn

Mark Tripp 15 Quigg Lane, Carrying Place, ON K0K 1L0 Tel: 613-827-1387 Membership Type: Active

WATERLOO

Alltree Services Dennis Winger 12 Mount Haven Cres Grand Valley, ON L0N 1G0 Tel: 519-928-5920 Membership Type: Active

Stam Nurseries Inc. 593836 Hwy 59, Burgessville ON N0J 1C0

Growing quality shade trees and evergreens P: 519-424-3350 F: 519-456-1659 info@stamnurseries.com

stamnurseries.com

Soares Landscaping Inc.

Michael Garcia 98 Huck Cres, Kitchener, ON N2N 0A4 Tel: 226-929-3492 Membership Type: Active

WINDSOR Aquascape & Distinctive Landscaping Inc Richard Drouillard 8 - 152 Lesperance Rd Tecumseh, ON N8N 1W1 Tel: 519-735-6390 Membership Type: Active

Nature Lane Farms

Roby Dyck, CET 1 Queen St N, Tilbury, ON N0P 2L0 Tel: 519-437-7463 Membership Type: Associate

Straitline Contracting Inc

Jeff Larsen 3765 Ladysmith Rd, Mooretown, ON N0N 1M0 Tel: 519-862-5621 Membership Type: Chapter Associate

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 17

INDUSTRY NEWS Accessibility requirements expanded for Ontario businesses Changes to the Customer Service Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act came into force July 1, impacting all organizations providing goods, services or facilities in the province.

Katie McNeill-Keller, a Toronto-based labour and employment lawyer, detailed the significant changes to the legislation: Service animals: Previously, the AODA required a note from a physician or nurse to certify a service animal. The legislation will be amended to include an expanded list of regulated health professionals who may certify a service animal, including psychologists, psychotherapists, audiologists, speech-pathologists, chiropractors, nurses, occupational therapists, physicians, optometrists, and mental health therapists, thereby facilitating easier access to such certification for persons with disabilities.

Training: Previously, under the old Customer Service Standards, only those persons who provided goods or services to the public or other third parties had to be trained under the AODA. Going forward, all employees, volunteers and other persons who provide goods, services or facilities on behalf of the organization, as well as all persons involved in policy development, must undergo AODA customer service training (along with all other

AODA training).

Support persons: Previously, an organization could require a person with a disability to be accompanied by a support person where necessary to protect health and safety. Under the amendments, prior to requiring a support person, the organization will be required to consult with the person with a disability and must consider and assess whether there is actually a health and safety concern associated with their being unaccompanied. Organizations will only be permitted to require the presence of a support person if there is no other reasonable way to ensure the health and safety of the person with a disability and/ or others on the premises. If a support person is required, the organization will have to waive any applicable admission fee or fare for that person.

Documentation: Given the change to the definition of “small organization,” private sector employers with less than 50 employees in Ontario will no longer be required to document in writing their customer service policy or make it publicly available, or to maintain training records.

If you fall into this category and already maintain such a policy and records, consider whether it may be a best practice to continue to do so.

Feedback: Under the amendments, existing customer service-specific feedback mechanisms will be required to solicit feedback on the accessibility of the process itself and any alternate means provided for under that process.

CELEBRATE NATIONAL TREE DAY SEPT. 21

Sept. 21 marks the sixth annual National Tree Day and celebrations are scheduled across the province and country to recognize the importance of trees and a healthy environment.

Spearheaded by Tree Canada, National Tree Day was officially created in March of 2011 when a private members bill motioned by MP Royal Galipeau received Royal Assent in the House of Commons.

Held on the Wednesday of National Forests Week each year, the event is designed to raise awareness about the many benefits trees offer; clean air, wildlife habitat, reducing energy demand, etc.

“Trees provide many benefits, creating healthier, more sustainable, and more beautiful communities,” Tree Canada explains on their website. “Here are just a few of the benefits of trees: trees provide food for people and animals (fruit, berries, and nuts); trees capture carbon and become carbon ‘sinks’ which reduce the greenhouse effect; trees’ root systems help prevent soil erosion, which prevents water pollution; properties with trees are generally valued higher in the real estate market; trees provide employment in the forestry field: foresters, arborists, lumber, research, tree workers, etc.; trees provide shade in the summer, which saves on air conditioning costs; conifers insulate homes in the winter, reducing

Cullen awarded Order of Canada

Mark Cullen

Gardening writer and personality Mark Cullen was named a Member of the Order of Canada on July 1. The selection committee wrote: “Mark Cullen is Canada’s most beloved gardener. Through his varied media appearances, radio programs, newspaper columns and books he has helped and encouraged countless gardeners and farmers to grow sustainable, healthy produce. ... Notably, he is the founding chair of the Highway of Heroes Living Tribute, a tree planted for each of Canada’s fallen in times of war since confederation.”

In his monthly newsletter, Cullen commented, “…thank you to my many friends who endorsed the idea of this award. Evidently, the process started about two years ago and has involved a lot of work on the part of the ‘applicants.’ Not to mention that it was a complete surprise to me.”

Cullen admitted he was “overwhelmed with excitement and thankful” for receiving the prestigious award and humbled by “all of the people who do great work in this country, but never get sufficient recognition.”

18 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2016

heating costs; trees shade asphalt, making streets and parking lots cooler and extending the life of the asphalt; trees planted in fields shield against wind and snow and help protect crops; trees beautify the landscape and block out unattractive views; trees provide shelter for wildlife; and trees provide health benefits, such as stress reduction, and speed the healing process.

For more information, and to find a local National Tree Day event, visit nationaltreeday.ca.

CONGRESS DETAILS AND REGISTRATION NOW ONLINE

Online registration for Congress 2017, Canada’s Premier Green Industry Show and Conference, officially opened on Sept. 1. The full conference line up and feature events are listed, and attendees who register before Dec. 18 can take advantage of special early-bird pricing.

The conference program kicks off Jan. 9 (one day prior to the trade show) with the IPM Symposium, Designers Conference and Peer to Peer Workshop. The trade show runs at the Toronto Congress Centre, Jan. 10-12 in conjunction with the

continuation of the conference program.

New this year is Garden Centre Symposium on Jan. 11. The full-day event features two talks by Tom Shay, author and business operations expert and includes lunch and presentation of Awards of Excellence for both the garden centre and grower programs.

The opening keynote on Jan. 10 will feature celebrity chef, Anna Olson and on Jan. 12 the keynote speaker is Becky Kellar, a four-time Olympic medalist for Canada’s women’s ice hockey team.

The very popular Hardscape LIVE! event that premiered at the 2016 show is back again. It will feature an interactive learning experience each day at 10 a.m. on the trade show floor.

The New Products Showcase continues to be another main attraction at the trade show in addition to the number of exhibitors and access to leading green profession experts from around the world.

Other popular events including the Awards of Excellence ceremony (Jan. 10) and Tailgate Party (Jan. 11) are also featured on the website.

Full details and registration can be found at LOCongress.com.

INDUSTRY TOURS LEADING INNOVATORS

Members of the International Plant Propagator Society (IPPS) Eastern Region met at Landscape Ontario’s home office on July 20 for a day of seminars and tours focused on learning from leaders in the growing sector and their challenges with introducing innovations into the workplace.

The morning seminars at Landscape Ontario offered engaging educational discussions on several innovations and how they’ve been implemented in the work place. Mark and Alex Verbinnen from Verbinnen Nurseries, discussed building a modern propagation greenhouse and the challenges that come with operating a new facility. Andrew Barbour also hosted a talk on the new systems recently implemented at Connon NVK nurseries.

After the presentations, members were given a guided tour of the LO trial gardens, led by University of Guelph trial garden manager, Rodger Tschanz who showed off new plant cultivars and noted the big changes for this year’s trial.

Following lunch, the tour traveled to Sheridan Nurseries’ Norval Farm. Established in the early 1900s, Sheridan has

LEWIS

Est 1941

lewismotorsinc.com

144798 Potters Road, Tillsonburg, ON N4G 4G7

P: 519-688-0437 • F: 519-688-6359 info@pottersroadnursery.com

Pottersroadnursery.com

YOUR AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR NAVISTAR AND ISUZU TRUCKS DOEPKER TRAILERS, AND STARKE FORKLIFTS WITH THE LARGEST RENTAL FLEET NORTH OF THE GTA! NEWMARKET 22 Bales Drive (905) 952 952--2855

COLLINGWOOD 40 South Service Rd. (705) 445 445--2634

BARRIE 76 Mapleview Dr. W (705) 728 728--3026

OWEN SOUND 2100 16th Ave. East (519) 372 372--2537

NORTH BAY 19 Hewitt Drive (705) 472 472--7220

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 19

INDUSTRY NEWS

The tour took a look at Sheridan Nurseries’ production facilities.

expanded to eight retail garden centres and farms over 900 acres of production area. At the Norval Farm, attendees got a first hand look at propagation methods and facilities. Several varieties of shrubs were housed in one of the propagation greenhouses that featured a timed mist system and a bottom floor heating system.

The next stop on the tour was GroBark Ontario, a local growing-media and mulch supplier. Their new mix facility gave attendees an in-depth view of a new, nine hopper in-line system, which has a capacity of 400 cubic yards per hour and delivers a consistent product each time. The attendees then got a look at Gro-Bark’s full site, including grinding, composting and mulch production processes, before getting an inside look at the new office building and current research trials.

The final stop on the tour was to Sheridan Nurseries’ main farm. Guests took a wagon ride around the container nursery before stepping inside to take a look at Sheridan’s new potting machine that has helped them increase productivity.

Also on demonstration was Sheridan’s B&B handling forks, GPS tracking, and

MARTEK

BUY DIRECT & SAVE Contractors in Ontario can now buy Avalanche® attachments direct from the Oakville plant Brand new equipment at dealer prices

SUPPLY

LANDSCAPE & CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS

We are excited to announce that our NEW WEBSITE has launched!

Including Optimus® series sectional edge pushers

Call now for a quote: 905-844-2229 avalancheplow.com 20 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2016

• View complete product line • Order products quickly • Pay invoices online

• Quote jobs at your convenience • Track orders • Review your order history

It’s all just a click away!

Register your account and log in to see your pricing

martek@marteksupply.ca 1-888-9MARTEK

in-house picture tag printing. A recurring theme at Sheridan Nurseries was increased efficiency. The nursery is constantly striving for improvement in both quality and profitability.

Sponsorship for the event was provided by Schlegel Poultry Compost, ICL Specialty Products, Kam’s Grower Supplies, Fafard, Plant Products and GroBark Ontario.

— Stephanie West

HIGHWAY OF HEROES LIVING TRIBUTE TEAM IS GROWING

The Highway of Heroes Living Tribute is pleased to announce the addition of Mike Hurley as Manager of Fundraising and Communications.

Hurley brings over 10 years of experience in the charitable world, previously acting as the Manager of MusiCounts — Canada’s music education charity associated with the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and the JUNO Awards. During his time with the organization, Hurley helped to put musical instruments into the hands of children who needed them most.

Hurley is excited to apply what he has

Scott Bryk (left) welcomes Mike Hurley to the Highway of Heroes Living Tribute team.

learned in his previous role to help grow the Highway of Heroes Living Tribute Campaign and is eager to connect with individuals and groups across Canada to plan and host fundraisers to support the Living Tribute. Hurley is looking to connect with various corporate citizens who share the Highway of Heroes core values of environment, remembrance and community.

In addition, Hurley will be collecting individual and family stories of service

and remembrance which can be shared via the HOH Tribute Facebook page, Twitter and website at hohtribute.ca.

Born, raised and living in Mississauga, Ont., Hurley has a deep appreciation for the outdoors. He is excited to use his skills and experience, coupled with his passion and patriotic pride, to help transform one of the most meaningful stretches of highway in the world.

BRAUN

CONTINUOUS WIRE BASKETS

BETTER DESIGN BETTER WIRE BETTER FIT

josh.sparks@expresswaytrucks.com

www.expresswaytrucks.com Expressway Trucks Windsor 3817 Essex Rd 46, Maidstone, ON. N0R 1K0

Expressway Trucks Waterloo 2943 Cedar Creek Rd, Ayr, ON. N0B1E0

Expressway Trucks London

WWW.BRAUNGROUP.COM 1-800-246-6984

125 Towerline Place, London, ON. N6E 2T3

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 21

INDUSTRY NEWS NEW SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWS NOW IN EFFECT

Employers in Ontario have new duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Act this month, as Bill 132 comes into force.

The legislation expands the definition of harassment in the OHSA to include sexual harassment and is designed to make sure workers know their rights as employees as well as their options for confidential reporting of abuse.

“In the past, the alleged harasser might have been disciplined behind closed doors,” explains Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS) consultant Paul Hartford. “You’ve probably heard the expression, ‘if you want justice to be done, justice has to be seen to be done.’” The new legislation ensures complainants have the right to learn the outcome of an investigation.

Bill 132 mandates employers to: • Develop, maintain and review a written workplace harassment policy and program in consultation with the Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) or health and safety representative. The Act does not specify what must be contained in the policy, but it’s a good idea to add the Ministry of Labour’s new definition of sexual harassment to the harassment policy and program.

• Set out in the program how the worker may report the abuse to another party if the abuser is the employer or supervisor.

The changes do not specify who will investigate, only that the investigation be appropriate under the circumstances. Bill 132 gives Ministry inspectors the power to order a third-party investigation in this situation.

• Provide information and instruction about the policy and program to workers.

• Investigate harassment complaints appropriately.

• Determine how confidentiality will be maintained during investigations.

• Ensure the complainant and the alleged harasser are informed about the results of the investigation, and any corrective action, in writing.

• Review the program at least once a year.

If a violence and harassment policy already exists, Hartford suggests you piggyback on what have already done. Start

with a checklist of things you need to do in order to be ready, and be sure to communicate what’s happening to all employees.

“It’s a perfect subject for your next safety talk,” says Hartford. “It can be as simple as telling workers what the law has enacted, that the company is reviewing its policy with your Joint Health and Safety Committee, and that more communication will follow in the coming weeks.”

Hartford offers the following suggestions on how employers can adapt their existing harassment policy and program to meet the new requirements: 1. D etermine who is responsible for doing the updating in consultation with the committee: the health and safety coordinator, human resources?

2. S it with your JHSC, look at what you currently have, and work backwards to fill gaps. Step one may be to update your definition of harassment to include sexual harassment.

3. R eview your program and make sure complaints can be addressed in the applicable manner.

4. I dentify who will carry out sexual harassment investigations and how they will be trained. Is it the same people who investigate other forms of harassment and workplace violence?

5. D etermine what reporting provisions you will put in place, and how you will guarantee confidentiality.

6. R eview your company’s antidiscrimination policy to confirm that it addresses sexual harassment.

“Look at this as an opportunity to reinstruct and re-engage your employees and your management team,” says Hartford. “It’s a reminder of expectations of workplace conduct and comments. It’s a reminder that there is recourse for those being bullied or harassed.”

For more information visit wsps.ca.

PROPAGATION TRAYS DESIGNED TO INCREASE TREE HEALTH AND GROWTH

Vineland Research and Innovation Centre is revolutionizing propagation systems for the nursery sector through a tray design supporting superior tree root growth.

There is an increasing demand for

22 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2016

This new tray will be distributed in Canada and the U.S. next spring.

container tree seedling production (plug trays) in North America and a greater focus on higher quality root architecture.

Many current propagation tray designs lead to root malformation, making seedlings less robust after transplantation and increasing tree mortality.

“We’ve been studying this problem since 2014 and have found containers with the largest cell volume and the highest degree of exposure to air resulted in superior results,” said Dr. Darby McGrath, Research Scientist, Nursery and Landscape, Vineland. “In collaboration with Kingsville-based A.M.A. Plastics, we’re developing a woody perennial air-pruning propagation tray that maximizes tree growth and limits root defects.”

“We are excited to partner with Vineland on this innovation. The propagation trays fit well with our strategic mandate and will help us increase our competitive edge,” said Rick Bradt, Managing Director, A.M.A. The new tray is designed for use in conjunction with the Ellepot system, a transplantable growing medium which A.M.A. produces for North American growers. The design of the tray, for which a patent protection is pending, allows the substrate to remain essentially free floating, maximizing air flow to the root system and promoting ideal root architecture while improving overall tree performance in later stages of growth.

EXECUTIVE DESK Apprenticeship: A gift for you Tony DiGiovanni CHT LO Executive Director

F

or over 27 years, whenever I ask members what their number one priority is, a perennial answer is “it is difficult to find good employees.”

This is the same answer across North America. Landscape Ontario has dealt with this issue since the beginning of its formation. Our pioneers worked hard to shape horticultural education and training. Many of us (including me) have been beneficiaries of their enormous effort. How? Landscape Ontario helped to develop: • The Ontario Diploma of Horticulture offered by the University of Guelph. (This was the first correspondence course available to professionals).

• The horticultural technician and technology programs across the province (starting with Humber and expanding to Algonquin, Niagara, St. Clair, Fanshawe, Durham and other colleges).

• The Specialist High School Major program. (Started as a pilot in Oakville and has spread to 28 high schools).

• The Green Industries Curriculum.

(Available in 80 high schools).

• Pre-apprenticeship, co-op and certificate programs across the province.

• Industry certification programs • The Horticultural Technician Apprenticeship Program

The vision and hard work of our earlier members made a huge difference and our present leaders continue their legacy. Even though all of the programs are excellent, the Apprenticeship Program stands out. The benefits for the employer and employee are so outstanding; I consider it a gift to our profession.

Employer benefits: • The program provides a structured way to train your own employees. This on-the-job process fits what employers already do. As a company owner, you

are responsible to “sign off” on a list of skills.

• It allows you to offer internship and career development as part of the job.

Career development and progressive advancement are huge recruitment tools.

• The Apprenticeship Program helps you retain good employees. Rather than laying employees off during the winter, the government will pay for your apprentices to go to school. It is an amazing deal. Even if you need your staff to be available for snow operations, “snow day” arrangements can be made.

• The program helps to develop the competency of your team. There is no downside to having more knowledgeable and skilled employees. It reflects well on you.

• A highly-motivated and skilled workforce will return greater profits.

• Your company’s professional image is enhanced because you can let your customers know you employ apprentices.

• If you are going to lay off employees anyway, why not register them as apprentices? They are way more likely to come back to work for you if you do.

• You can help change the lives of your employees by exposing them to the pride, enthusiasm and positive energy that comes from achievement.

• It demonstrates you are a caring employer.

• There are financial incentives available.

To me financial incentives are great, but the recruitment, retention and skills development benefits far outweigh financial incentives.

Employee benefits: • Knowledge and skill breeds enthusiasm, pride and positive attitudes which will make your work life more enriching.

• Apprenticeship gives you a challenging and rewarding goal. Achievement of the goal will enhance your professionalism.

• It gives you the ability to learn on-the-job while you are being paid. In winter, the program pays your wages while you take the in-school portion.

• Mastery of a skill is a huge motivator.

• Family and friends will seek the skills and knowledge you master because most people need good landscape and garden

advice. You will become known as the “expert.”

• Enhanced skills will make you more valuable, therefore positively impacting job satisfaction and security.

• Tool and travel allowances are available as part of the program.

• It provides a path to a rewarding career. As a horticultural technician, your knowledge and skills enhance society in many ways. You will be part of a profession that provides economic, environmental, social, recreational, health and therapeutic benefits. You will be in the business of enhancing lives and leaving a positive legacy through what you do.

The Apprenticeship Program is a gift to our profession and to you as an employer or employee. It helps to change the “I can’t find good employees” comment to “I have amazing employees because I am able to recruit, train and retain them using the Apprenticeship Program.”

Please contact Jeff Hicks at jhicks@ landscapeontario.com or myself to find out more. We are here to help.

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

Show your member pride!

Promote your company as a professional LO member with decals, window clings and more.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 23

PUBLIC RELATIONS

The Battle of the Atlantic Memorial at HMCS Prevost in London, Ont. The memorial receives a constant flow of visitors. Many are veterans with mobility issues, which makes access difficult or limited.

Touching the stones

By Denis Flanagan CLD Manager of Membership and Public Relations

Landscape Ontario’s London Chapter, in partnership with the Naval Association of Canada (London), is building a project of significant historical importance on the site of the HMCS Prevost, located at the forks of the Thames River in London, Ont. The design was created by Barry Murphy from Ron Koudys Landscape Architects and LO’s London Chapter has decided to support the project with funds, hardscape material, plants and countless volunteer hours.

To fully understand why this project will mean so much to thousands of Canadian families, here is an excerpt and photo from an article by David Lewis, Naval Association of Canada (London) titled, Touching the Stones.

T

he Battle of the Atlantic Memorial is a tribute to the ships and men of the Royal Canadian Navy, lost in the longest running battle of the Second

World War. It is a stunning and moving memorial, created with extreme gratitude for those who made the supreme sacrifice and whose final resting places cannot be marked by graves.

The memorial is built into the grass hillside at HMCS Prevost. A series of 25 blue granite stones traverse the hillside. Each stone is engraved with the name, image, hull number and date the ship was lost during the battle. There is also a stone honouring the sacrifice of the Merchant Navy.

The memorial rests in central Canada as the lost sailors represented here came from small towns and large cities from across the country.

As much as we remember the ships and the gallant names of Valleyfield, Alberni, Louisburg and others, it is not the steel and iron we commemorate. It is the sons and fathers, the brothers and friends, the grandsons loved and lost. It is their service and sacrifice which permeates this memorial.

The memorial remembers the 18-yearold sailor bundled heavily against the bitter cold, standing watch on the open bridge of an RCN Corvette. Around him is the freezing North Atlantic and in the moonlight are the many plodding hulls of the convoy he’s protecting. It remembers the blinding flash, being hurled into the air, and slamming down into the icy water. It remembers the

24 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2016

struggle to surface and the weight of the black arctic water slowly over-whelming. It also remembers the Sunday morning knock on the door, the telegram, the words “we deeply regret to inform you…”

As much as the Battle of the Atlantic Memorial has become a place of remembrance, it has also become a place of healing. It is a destination for those who, for over 70 years, have had no destination. No grave. No marker.

The stones touch those who visit, and those who visit touch the stones. Two sisters from small town Quebec had their great-granddaughter drive them to HMCS Prevost to visit the memorial. In November of 1944, their 19-year-old brother was lost with HMCS Shawinigan. Tears streamed down each face as their aged hands caressed the Shawinigan stone. There was an elderly gentleman who literally clawed his way up the hill to touch the Regina stone. He had been on Regina. And the 93-year-old gentleman in the Legion jacket, accompanied by three vans of family members, who wanted to see the Spikenard stone. He had been on another ship in the convoy and had witnessed the Spikenard, with his best friend, torpedoed and sunk.

With these memories and these visitors in mind, the Naval Association of Canada (London) has launched into an ambitious landscaping project. Where these visitors once struggled on foot, or walker, or wheelchair to get across the grassy lawn to their memorial, they will now have an even, level pathway. The slippery, dangerous grass hillside is being replaced with a safe and solid stairway. It is a huge undertaking, but it will truly enhance the accessibility to the site for generations to come.

Standing at the memorial and viewing these granite symbols of sacrifice, the words of Abraham Lincoln come to mind, “We cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.” His words ring true today. We do not know what constitutes ‘hallowed’ ground, but we do know that this grassy hillside at HMCS Prevost has changed forever.

The Naval Association of Canada (London) has set up a donation page for anyone who would like to participate in the improvements being made at the site. Visit gofundme.com/battleatlanticmem For more information or to get involved, contact Denis Flanagan at dflanagan@ landscapeontario.com or 905-875-1805, ext. 2303.

MEMBERSHIP The value of chapter meetings and events About two years ago, there was a lot of discussion about changing the format of chapter meetings and making them available online. We asked the following questions: Is there a better way to share information at a chapter level? If we changed to digital meetings, are we taking away from the value of face-to-face networking? Are you as likely to come to a meeting if there is the option of watching it from home? Would you get the same value out of a meeting held online?

We are constantly trying to address these challenges and questions. We continue to investigate the technologies that exist to make meetings available online, but also appreciate there is great value in meeting face-to-face. Each year, the benefits of personal meetings are highlighted at the social events hosted throughout the summer.

By Myscha Burton Membership and Chapter Coordinator

L

andscape Ontario is made up of nine chapters across the province.

Each chapter hosts at least five chapter meetings per year. Chapter meetings feature guest speakers, education and training opportunities, plus social events — many of which are family friendly. Each chapter has its own volunteer executive board, which works tirelessly to bring you these events. They know the challenge of balancing work and family and they appreciate your precious time.

Chapter meetings allow you to connect with local colleagues and suppliers, as well as offering unique opportunities for discussion and education on business topics. Our chapters continue to research the latest trends and topics to feature at meetings to make best use of your time. Chapters have been making changes to their meeting locations to reach out to members located throughout their regions. Both the Georgian Lakelands and Upper Canada chapters rotate where meetings are held in an effort to make travel time more balanced throughout the chapter.

team, Legendary Landscape and Stone.

After a year off, baseball returns to the Waterloo Chapter on Sept. 25 at Breslau Memorial Park. Space is filling up fast, so please register your team ASAP. Both London and Windsor chapter golf tournaments are coming up later this month, along with the Georgian Lakelands Chapter’s putting challenge. I hope to see you there! As with chapter meetings, these events offer you a chance to meet and connect with the LO community and fellow professionals, connect with suppliers, and build your staff’s camaraderie.

E-news keeps you informed

While the LO e-news is one of many emails you receive in a given week, it contains the latest information on upcoming events in your chapter. At the top of the e-news you will see a graphic that links to your chapter webpage with the most current event details and online registration. Of course, you are welcome to attend meetings in any chapter if the topic is of interest to you.

If you have a suggestion for a chapter meeting, or any questions about upcoming chapter events, please contact me directly at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 333 or email myscha@landscapeontario.com.

Great fun and networking events

Our Toronto, Upper Canada, Golden Horseshoe and Ottawa chapter golf tournaments are now complete. Despite the very warm temperatures, we had great turnouts and golfers were very generously supported by fantastic sponsors.

The Toronto Chapter also hosted a very successful baseball tournament in tribute to long-time tournament supporter, Hank DeJong, who passed away earlier this year. Congratulations to the winning

LO DUES INVOICES SENT OUT

LO dues invoices were mailed out in late August. Pay online at horttrades.com/dues or send in your payment today. Once paid, a complete member package will be sent out to you in the mail. If you did not receive your invoice, or for assistance, call 1-800-265-5656.

Now AvAilAble iN CANAdA ™

liquid FerTilizer ANd wATer mANAgemeNT sysTem

Reduce Watering, Reduce Plant Loss, Increase Profits!

Extends watering intervals • Increases percolation into root zone • Promotes root growth

To learn more visit arborjet.com/nutrirootcanada Find A distributor: www.arborjet.com/distributorca or call 781.935.9070

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 25

UNDERGROUND WORLD Garden centre liability: Is there any?

By Terry Murphy CLM

I

discussed a hypothetical situation with a large garden centre in Ontario about a year ago: If a homeowner purchases a tree or shrub from a garden centre and strikes an underground utility while planting the product, causing serious damage, injury, or death, is there any possibility the garden centre could be held accountable? I am not aware of any such case in the courts where legal action was taken, so we are only talking about a hypothetical situation.

If a situation like this ever went to trial, many questions would be asked that we probably have never thought about: What should the consumer know about planting a tree or shrub? Were any planting instructions given? Are there any laws governing planting trees and shrubs? What are the expectations of the consumer? Who is ultimately responsible for preventing underground utility hits by the public?

I can’t say for certain this situation will never happen. In this day and age, if there is a lawsuit in any area of society, everyone involved would be sued. When the issue is with a consumer product, the manufacturer, distributor, dealer and retail store (or installer) would probably all be sued for damages. Who would ultimately be held responsible? Is there any liability on the sellers’ part? Your guess is as good as mine. If there is some liability by the seller, to what extent? In this situation, the marketing chain of distribution goes from grower to garden centre, garden centre to a landscaper, or directly to the property owner for installation.

What the law says

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) in Ontario says whoever digs (breaks ground) has the responsibility for obtaining markings of any underground utilities before they dig. Does the person doing the digging know about ON1CALL? Do they understand best practices when excavating? Do they know about the tolerance zone? Do they understand hand digging?

Who has the responsibility of knowing these details, and is there any responsibility on the part of the seller (garden centre)

of the product? The answer, perhaps, is yes. Maybe the best approach is to assume the garden centre has some liability and then ask what you can do to mitigate this responsibility or transfer it totally to the person doing the planting. If you think there might be some responsibility on the part of the garden centre, then there are a number of things you can implement in order to minimize your obligation.

Signage and literature at checkout

Signage placed at the checkout counter displaying ON1CALL (1-800-400-2255) with the messaging that it is provincial law in Ontario for the person doing the digging to first get locates, would provide great education to your customers. You can also include Dig Safe literature at the checkout counter for staff to give to your customers to take home. This literature can be sourced from the Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance (ORCGA) below.

Placing similar signage where trees and shrubs are located would also help to educate your customers.

Staff training

Both people at the checkout counter, the sales staff and the purchaser, should know about locates, and who is responsible for doing what. If the homeowner is doing the planting, they must know it is their job to call ON1CALL for locates and that they should outline in white paint where they plan to plant their tree or shrub so the locating company can double check this area for underground utilities. If planting in the back or side of the property, a private locate may be necessary.

Discuss at monthly staff safety meetings

Discuss this subject at each staff safety meeting and it will reinforce the importance of the issue and remind staff to inform customers about underground damage prevention and their role in obtaining locates in the process. This will allow you to continue to educate your staff and give focus to this important subject and help minimize any liability. It’s just another form of good customer service to help them to avoid any potential problems that may reflect back on you in a negative way.

Join the ORCGA

Joining the ORCGA shows everyone you care about underground safety and damage prevention of the underground utility assets. The ORCGA’s purpose is to eliminate, or reduce, underground utility hits by the public and the excavating industry.

26 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2016

The ORCGA holds public Dig Safe events around the province to educate people about the dangers underground and the importance of calling ON1CALL for locates before digging. The ORCGA also uses Dig Safe events to educate people about the fact it is law in Ontario that the party doing the digging is responsible for getting locates before they dig.

Hold a Dig Safe event at your garden centre

To bring focus to this important area, and show your corporate responsibility, your garden centre can hold a Dig Safe event in the spring each year. The ORCGA can help you to plan this event and provide the appropriate literature and suggestions for the event.

The numbers

If we look at the statistics, the total number of underground utility hits by all groups in the province for 2015 was 4434. On average, 15 per cent of these are from the green professions (landscaping, fencing, irrigation, agriculture and waterways).

Twelve per cent are from the public. The four-year average for the public is 543 hits annually. Believe it or not, four out of

every 10 hits are because nobody called ON1CALL for locates. This begs the question, what are the chances there may be a serious accident resulting from one of these 543 hits because nobody called for locates? And what are the chances a garden centre who sold the product to the homeowner could then be sued for negligence? Your guess is as good as mine. As a minimum, I suggest posting signs or having literature or sales staff at the checkout remind customers about underground utilities and to call ON1CALL before they dig.

Hopefully we never have an underground hit by the public that creates the hypothetical situation discussed here.

Conclusion

By following the above steps, you can take responsibility for doing everything possible to make everyone safe. Think of it like an insurance policy in case of a lawsuit. Whether the garden centre has all, of or even part, of the responsibility on any liability due to a homeowner underground utility accident, we can’t say for sure. By considering the above, you are being proactive and doing the responsible thing for your customers and providing them with good customer service while showing your

It is provincial law in Ontario for the person doing any digging to first get locates.

expertise and responsibilities.

Please call 905-279-5147 or email tvmurphy@ca.inter.net if you wish to discuss this matter further.

CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE AND DESIGN ENTER PROJECTS FOR AWARDS UNTIL MIDNIGHT

October 1, 2016

SUBMIT ENTRIES AT:

LOawards.com

AN INITIATIVE OF

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM  27

APPRENTICESHIP

cessfully pass their final exam will gain a Red Seal designation which is recognized across Canada.

Registration support from LO

Companies reaping rewards of Apprenticeship Program

By J. Alex Gibson LO Eastern Ontario Apprenticeship Program Development Coordinator

O

ver the last few years, companies who were interested in the Apprenticeship Program faced a lot of misinformation and frustration. Whether it was dealing with the difficult registration process or not having an available in-class training institute, the effort to participate in the program seemed to outweigh the benefits. Over the past six months, Landscape Ontario has focused its efforts on increasing support and assistance for the Apprenticeship Program across the province. This energy has led to an increase in registrations and two new apprenticeship training institutes (Algonquin and Loyalist colleges), and a host of big and small companies who are re-energized with the program.

Our focus for apprenticeship is simple; to help anyone, company or individual, interested in participating in the program.

We provide support and assistance — from the registration paperwork to the final exam. With our support, a number of financial incentives, and the training benefits of the program, it’s no surprise more and more employers are taking time to invest in their staff and their company through apprenticeship.

What is apprenticeship?

Apprenticeship, offered through the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development (formally the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) in conjunction with the Ontario College of Trades, is a training and skills development program for your employees. The program is a mix of 20 per cent in-class training and 80 per cent on-the-job work experience. Employee apprentices work with your company trainers to complete the required on-the-job competencies log book for the program.

The two in-class training sessions are offered at five colleges across the province and are approximately 12-weeks in length (usually January through to first week of April). The apprenticeship takes approximately three to four years to obtain all program requirements, and apprentices who complete these requirements and suc-

Registration has never been easier for LO members. Our apprenticeship team will work with any company or person in the province interested in participating with the program; providing support and assistance from start to finish. As of Aug. 1, we have had a 100 per cent success rate with all applications submitted to the Ministry (who have also shortened wait times). We provide the following services: • On-location Apprenticeship Program information and registration sessions • Application paperwork review • Administrative reminders (financial incentives, in-class training, etc.)

Members in LO’s eastern region (Ottawa and Upper Canada chapters) are able to access the Apprenticeship Group Sponsor Pilot Program. Through this pilot, employers register with LO and we then provide the administrative piece of the program on their behalf (registering new apprentices, ensuring in-class training offers, Ontario College of Trade dues collection, etc.). Companies who have joined this pilot over the last six months have commented on the ease and simplicity of accessing the apprenticeship program.

For more information about the Apprenticeship Program or to register, visit horticulturetechnician.ca or contact Alex Gibson at 613-809-5093 or apprenticeship@landscapeontario.com.

What does it cost?

The Apprenticeship Program, by comparison, is one of the most cost-effective training tools available for employers and employees.

Employer costs

Apprentice costs

• Time and effort; ensuring apprentices complete their training log books.

• Allowing the apprentice to attend school in the winter months (once a year for two terms).

• Wages to apprentice while in school if employed year round.

Wages not required if employee is seasonal.

• While in the program, an annual Ontario College of Trades Membership fee of $67.80.

• In-class training session, approximately $650 per term.

(The Ontario Government pays the other 80 per cent of the tuition).

Employer rewards

Apprentice rewards

• $1,000 completion bonus for each apprentice that passes the final exam.

• A potential $2,000 tax credit per year for a registered apprentice.

• A workforce with a recognized designation.

• $4,000 in financial incentive grants throughout the program.

• Potential access to EI benefits while in school for qualifying candidates.

• Access to Apprentice Program Loans (Federal and Provincial).

• A Canada-wide recognized Red Seal Designation upon completion.

28 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2016

PROSPERITY PARTNERS Building employee loyalty

By Jacki Hart CLM Prosperity Partners Program Manager

B

y the time you are read this column, the heat of the summer and the intensity of the first half of the season should be waning somewhat.

Fall seems to be a smoother, yet very busy season for us all. By now, the ‘keepers’ amongst your team have become obvious, the kinks have been navigated in your systems, and things typically are a bit less intense. Dare I say, more manageable?

I thought this would be a good time of year to discuss the concept of Company Citizenship. To quote Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, “You can’t expect your employees to exceed expectations of your customers, if you don’t exceed the employees’ expectations of management.”

Read that again.

If I had a Loonie for every business owner and manager who has cried the “I can’t find good people” blues, I would be comfortably retired and kayaking all summer.

Here’s what I believe to be top priority recommendations when building a Company Citizenship guide: 1. Recruiting and hiring: Look for learners when you hire; the people who have a desire to grow. Hire people who are keen to take advantage of the resources your company provides them to excel. Bake this into your culture before they step through your door.

2. Benefits and incentives: Offer benefits, training, bonuses and perks when you can. Have a clearly defined policy, levels, goals and rewards, and communicate them. Create inviting career paths.

3. Onboarding: This new term describes how new employees acquire the knowledge, skills and behaviours to become effective organizational insiders.

Not to be confused with ‘orientation.’

Accept that it will take nine to 12 months

for a new employee to reach peak performance. The fact is, if you skip this process, you’ll lose approximately 60 per cent of your workforce within a year.

Provide orientation, create confidence, a trusted culture, ensure training, welcome questions and walk your talk.

4. Inclusive environment: A hallmark of Gen-Y is their desire to extract more intrinsic value out of their employers: Millennials want to connect. We are heading into an era of total complete transparency of information. Learn to embrace and shift your paradigm.

5. Frequent feedback: Give honest feedback in real time. Conduct assessments often, even if informal.

Highlight positive contributions — especially for Millennials.

6. Invest in employees: Many employees exit companies because they feel underused — engage their potential.

Without a clear career structure and proper socialization, new employees will disengage. Consider hiring ‘higher’ to lower your training and onboarding costs and inefficiencies.

7. Retention: Provide smart and focused goals, positive leadership, growth opportunities, autonomy and a collaborative environment. Put equal emphasis on personal development and professional development to ensure a work-life balance.

8. Separation: As more Millennials enter

the work force, they are changing the concept of turnover and career fluidity.

We have to work harder to retain talent and change the way we look at turnover. When Millennials inevitably leave, remember it is a part of growth — for both of you.

Celebrate and get excited for next steps.

Virgin Group founder, Sir Richard Branson, is renowned for saying, “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so that they don’t want to.”

We all know training is expensive, but the cost of not training well, including the company mind set, is even higher.

As entrepreneurs, our default mode it to simply do things ourselves and to keep tons of important information crammed in our head where no one else can access it. In order to properly train people and fully engage their true potential contribution on your team, you have to download much of your knowledge to the team and communicate it clearly to the right person at the right time.

Now that we are heading into the final segment of the 2016 season, why not carve out a couple of hours for a meeting with yourself? The agenda for this meeting is to review the eight areas listed above and assign a score for you or your company for each. Make some notes and file forward for November as a reminder this winter as to how and where you can best focus on building better loyalty.

Jacki Hart may be contacted at peertopeer@landscapeontario.com.

Next session: September 23, 2016 in Ottawa Join the Peer to Peer network, visit

horttrades.com/p2p-network Special note: Tim Kearney promises to give a guided tour of the National Arboretum on Saturday, Sept. 28, after breakfast, to anyone attending the session and staying for the weekend.

WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 29

CLASSIFIEDS

EQUIPMENT

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

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

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

A BLOOMING FUTURE, WITH A GROWING BUSINESS! GARDEN CENTRE FOR SALE IN LONDON, ONTARIO (Original Owner). Established 47 years, going strong on existing clientele. A 2.25 acre property on a busy street (traffic count 29,000 viewing) with 40,000 sq. ft. of greenhouses, an open sales area and a pretty indoor year round sales showroom and gift shop.

Consistent sales, long-term reliable staff and room to grow more income.

Contact: GARY ROBINSON, Broker of Record RE/MAX Advantage Realty Ltd. Brokerage 1-855-649-6001

NURSERY STOCK FOR SALE 2500 White Pine trees, 6’ to 14’ - All sheared and full from top to bottom. Can be used for Landscape or Christmas trees.

300 Meyer Spruce Trees, 3’ to 6’ - Slow growing, sheared and full to the bottom. Makes a great landscape tree.

2000 White Spruce Trees, 6’ to 16’ - All sheared. Can be used for Landscape trees or Christmas Trees.

TAYLOR TREE FARMS E-mail johnrklecker@gmail.com Cell 416-458-9289

Invest

in our future

Donate today — give a gift to the future. horttrades.com/OHTF

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE TAYLOR TREE FARM Solo Mist Sprayer – Will fog 40’ per pass.

Good for orchards, Christmas Trees, nursery trees, and grape vines.

Mitchel Christmas Tree drilling system for stands.

50, 42 Gal Grower Containers c/w handlesbrand new. Can be used for container trees or irrigation.

44cm Timms biodegradable weed prevention discs 2 cases Sajie Tree trimmers – Gas/ for shearing conifer trees. One operator can shear approx. 3000 trees per day.

Howey Tree Shaker – Model 150A Heavy duty - 4HP gas engine.

48” Seaforth Finishing Mower - Can be used for lawn or grass in rows. PTO. Portable Propane Infrared Heater Jet Spray Hot Chocolate Machines - In good working condition. (2) 90 Cup Coffee Makers (4) SS - 60 cup thermos Pizza Pal – Electric oven TAYLOR TREE FARMS E-mail johnrklecker@gmail.com Cell 416-458-9289

Post a job. Find a job.

landscape.jobs

Canada’s FREE online jobs website for the landscape profession.

ADVERTISERS Arborjet, Inc.

www.arborjet.com

781-935-9070 905-948-2672 www.braungroup.com 800-246-6984 www.connon.ca 888-775-2687 www.expresswaytrucks.com 800-558-7364 www.glenwoodtree.ca 905-855-8711 www.glwp.ca 877-266-0636 www.greenlifenursery.ca 613-692-3047 www.haltonautolease.com 877-837-5674 www.johndeere.ca www.johndeere.ca www.kobesnurseries.com 905-263-8814 www.ledexindustries.ca 905-844-2229 www.landscapestore.ca 905-336-3369 www.landscapestore.ca 905-336-3369 www.putzernursery.com 905-878-7226 www.marteksupply.ca 888-962-7835 www.metalpless.com 866-362-1688 www.newroadsleasing.com 416-587-1021 www.pottersroadnursery.com 519-688-0437 www.sheehanstruck.com 800-254-2859 www.sipkensnurseries.com 866-843-0438 www.southoakvillechrysler.com 905-845-6653 www.stamnurseries.com 519-424-3350

Arthur J. Gallagher Canada Ltd, (formerly The CG&B Group) www.ajgcanada.com

Braun Nursery Limited Connon Nurseries/CBV Holdings Inc. Expressway Hino Waterloo Glenwood Tree Service Great Lakes Wood Products Inc. Greenlife - Ottawa Wholesale Nursery Halton Autolease Inc. John Deere Corporate John Deere Dealers Kobes Nurseries Inc. Ledex Industries Legends Landscape Supply Inc. Lewis Motor Sales Inc. M Putzer Hornby Nursery Ltd. Martek Supply Metal Pless Inc. Newroads National Leasing Potters Road Nursery Inc. Sheehan’s Truck Centre Inc. Sipkens Nurseries Ltd. South Oakville Chrysler Fiat Stam Nurseries

30 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2016

Page 25 Page 10 Page 21 Page 7 Page 21 Page 26 Page 10 Page 11 Page 13 Page 32 Page 2 Page 12 Page 20 Page 14 Page 19 Page 9 Page 20 Page 8 Page 17 Page 19 Page 15 Page 16 Page 11 Page 17

Together we are Better + 600 exhibits + 60 session hours 105 event hours

with more than 12,000 Green Industry Professionals

Plan to join us at

Congress ’17

CANADA’S PREMIER GREEN INDUSTRY TRADE SHOW AND CONFERENCE Featuring Garden Expo and Fencecraft JANUARY 10-12, 2017

TORONTO CONGRESS CENTRE, TORONTO, ONTARIO Produced by

Register at LOCONGRESS.COM WWW.HORTTRADES.COM 31

Stay Yards Ahead Next Year With a Great Deal This Fall.

0% APR FOR 48 MONTHS

420 +

AND $

OFF

1

3

AN ADDITI0NAL

560 OFF

2 $ with GreenFleet™

Get $4203 off plus 0% APR for 48 months1 financing on any new Z920M Mower.

Maybe the season is starting to wind down, but a deal on a terrific ZTrak is just starting up. Right now, until October 28, we’re offering $420 off 3 any Z920M Mower plus 0% APR financing for 48 months.1 Better yet, if you’re a GreenFleet Platinum1 member, you can get an additional $560 off 2 instantly.

See your John Deere dealer today for a deal on the ultimate zero-turn mower.

Keep Mowing

JohnDeere.ca/MowPro

Offers valid from August 3,2016 until October 28, 2016. 1 0% APR purchase financing for 48 month on select new John Deere Commercial Mowing equipment. Down payment may be required. Taxes, set-up, delivery, freight, preparation charges and a $50 documentation fee will apply. Representative Amount Financed: $50,000 at 0% APR, Monthly payment is $1,041.67 for 48 months, total obligation is $50,000, cost of borrowing is $0. Monthly payments/cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed/down payment. MSRP cash price is $92,981 based on highest priced product in series as of June 24, 2016 (includes $50 documentation fee). Cost of borrowing based on Representative Amount Financed not MSRP cash price. Minimum finance amount may be required; representative amount does not guarantee offer applies. The charge for amounts past due is 24% per annum. A $50.00 documentation fee may apply. Payments and cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed and down payment. Minimum finance amount may be required. The charge for amounts past due is 24% per annum. Taxes, set-up, delivery, freight, and preparation charges not included. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Additional fees may apply. Subject to John Deere Financial approval. See participating dealer for details. Program subject to change, without notice, at any time. 2 Get $560 off on ZTrak Commercial Mowers with your GreenFleet account. To be eligible for the offer, purchaser must be or become a GreenFleet member and meet qualifying purchase levels. Amount shown above is based on level 1 savings. Qualifying levels and savings will vary depending on the quantity and combination of equipment purchased. See complete membership information and discount details at JohnDeere.ca/GreenFleet or a participating John Deere dealer. 3 Get $420 off the agreed upon purchase price of a new John Deere Z920M ZTrak zero-turn Mower. Attachments and implements sold separately. Some conditions apply. See your participating dealer for details. Offer subject to availability and may be discontinued or modified. Taxes, setup, delivery, freight and preparation charges not included.

32 LANDSCAPE ONTARIO SEPTEMBER 2016