Georgian Lakelands this week: Aug. 24, 2011

Georgian Lakelands Chapter this week
Add the Georgian Lakelands Chapter page and the LO events calendar to your bookmarks

Worker shortage session in Thunder Bay, Sept. 9
Ontario’s
green industry will experience a shortfall of 87,000 workers in the
next 10 years. We need your knowledge and experience to address
recruitment and retention challenges in our industry. Attend one of four
facilitated sessions across Ontario to ensure the success of Ontario’s
green industry in the next decade. Click here for locations, dates, times and register today!

Georgian Lakelands Golf Tournament, Sept. 23

Registrations are being accepted for the annual Georgian Lakelands
Chapter golf tournament. Enjoy an afternoon of golf on the links at
Horseshoe Resort, Valley Course, 1101 Horseshoe Valley Road, Barrie, and
support the Chapter. Golf Day fees ($130 per golfer) include greens fees
for 18 holes of golf, shared power cart, use of practice facilities
(including range balls), barbecue lunch, and dinner buffet with steaks
and golf tournament prizes. Registration and lunch start at 11:30 a.m.,
with shotgun start at 1 p.m. To register, or for more information, call
Lexi Dearborn at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 317, or lexi@landscapeontario.com.

Are you Landscape Industry Certified?
The Landscape Industry Certified test in July was a great success, with over 40 candidates. On Oct. 24 and 25 we will be testing again, so register now to save your spot. To find out more or register, go to Industry
Certified. Already Certified? Volunteer to judge at the event, because
you need
CEUs to remain Certified! Contact Rachel Cerelli for more
information.

Check out Georgian Lakelands’ Facebook Page.

LO this week

Municipal and Contractor Fall
Equipment Show, Sept. 14-15
in Kitchener
The old Snow and Ice Symposium is now The Municipal and Contractor Fall Equipment Show. The Snow and Ice Sector Group of
Landscape Ontario, the Ontario Parks Association and the Municipal
Equipment and Operators Association are hosting the conference
and trade show program at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex.
In addition to a display of equipment, this year’s conference program
features many opportunities to help you make your operations more
efficient and cost effective.

August Horticulture
Review online

Read
the latest news of interest to Landscape Ontario members in the August edition of Horticulture
Review.
This month features articles about the National Tree Day, the annual Industry Auction, a special honour for a LO member, and much more. Click here to read the August
issue of Horticulture
Review. Anyone may sign up to receive a free subscription to the

electronic
version of HR.

SIMA bidding workshops set for Ottawa, Sept. 12 and Kitchener on Sept. 14

The Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA) offers its popular Build-a-Bid and Beyond-the-Bid workshops in two Ontario locations this fall. Sessions run from 8-4:30, with limited space available, so register now to avoid disappointment. For more information or to register go to Ottawa Canadian Snow and Ice
Expo
or Kitchener Municipal and Contractor Fall Equipment Show.

Special strategy meeting for garden centre owners, Sept. 21
A special meeting is scheduled for Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., for
garden centre owners. Sponsored by LO’s Garden Centre Sector Group, the
meeting on challenges and strategies for retailers will take place at the Milton home office. Renowned business
growth specialist Judith Guido will facilitate the session. There is space for only
100 people at this free meeting.

Email your confirmation to tonydigiovanni@landscapeontario.com as soon as possible, so we can order food.

Growers: MTO releases new guide for farm equipment on highways
Farm Guide: Farm Equipment on Highways is
an interactive tool, using a live table of contents, providing
general information and clarification on laws applying to farm equipment
and select provisions applicable to farm trucks.

LO Fall seminars now available
A list of Landscape Ontario fall seminars is now available. Courses are
divided into the six pillars with Prosperity Partners: Sales Success,
Financial Health, Operational Excellence, Customers for Life, Leadership
and Technical Education. Check out this year’s seminars and see how you
can improve your path to Prosperity.

Smart about Salt training dates
Take a one-day explanatory course on Smart about Salt, the innovative winter salt management program. Program covers risk management and record keeping, salt science, rates and calibration, materials and tactics, weather principles, storage and handling, and more. Two dates are offered this fall, Tues. Aug. 30 at Landscape Ontario home office in Milton and Wed., Sept. 28 at Waterloo Region Op’s Centre, 100 Maple Grove Rd., Cambridge.

New Landscape Industry Executive Program launched

The George Morris Centre of Guelph, an ag industry think tank, is launching The Landscape Industry Executive Program, a professional business
management program developed specifically for executives, managers, and
owner-operators who want to reach a heightened level of excellence in
their businesses. It is designed for the landscape, nursery and retail
garden centre sectors in Canada. Participants will use their own
business profiles in the learning process and application of principles,
including strategic, succession and operations planning and information
systems management. Module 1 will be offered Nov. 1-5 in Niagara Falls; space is limited to the first 20 qualified
registrants. For complete information on dates, cost, program
curriculum, instructor profiles and registration details go to executive program.

Greenbuild International Conference in Toronto
For the first time ever, Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
will hold its annual convention outside the U.S. The Metro
Toronto Convention Centre will house the event Oct. 4-7. The latest innovations in
green building will be showcased. To find
out more about the conference and exhibition go to Greenbuild. To view a slide presentation of green buildings go to Buildings.

LO wage survey needs your input
How do your pay rates compare to other Ontario green industry companies? Take LO’s wage survey to enter your pay rates, and see the 2011 averages for a range of horticultural specialties. Information may
be used for benchmarking, and also
helps in promoting the industry as a career choice. The surveys are
completely confidential; only aggregate numbers are reported. Click here to take part in the survey, and view the results here.

Argos offer discount to LO members
The Toronto Argonauts have created a discount offer for Landscape
Ontario members. Various price levels are available. To see more info on
the program, or to order ticks go to
Argonauts.

Attend Conversations on Design
Entitled Four Conversations on Design, landscape architect Chris Clayton
will host four Wednesday evenings, Oct. 5, 12, 19 and 26, at
his home near the Lawrence subway stop and a five minute drive from the 401.
The only cost to participants is $10 per evening. The event is suitable
for recent college or university graduates, as well as young garden
designers. In total, each evening is likely to span about three hours.
For more information, contact cjclayton@sympatico.ca.

LO members offered discount on CMT Festival

tickets
George Coito, Coivic Contracting, Hornby, is offering his fellow LO
members a 25 per cent discount on the purchase of tickets for this
year’s CMT Music Festival, Aug. 26 – 28. The festival is taking
place just north of Barrie, on Hwy. 11. The promo code “landscape” is
now up and running at Ticketmaster. To find out more about the event,
click on Festival.

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