Georgian Lakelands this week: Aug. 31, 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 this special
facilitated session to ensure the success of Ontario’s
green industry in the next decade. Click here for details, 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

Think Snow, Sept. 15
in Kitchener
The former Snow and Ice Symposium is now The Municipal and Contractor Fall Equipment Show. The Snow and Ice Sector Group of
Landscape Ontario, Ontario Parks Association and Municipal
Equipment and Operators Association are hosting the conference
and trade show program at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex on Sept. 15.
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. Register at www.fallequipmentshow.com.

Awards deadline TODAY for retail program
The Garden Centre Awards of Excellence Program deadline for submissions is today, Aug. 31. Enter online at www.loawards.com.

Growers’ tour going east,
Sept. 15

The 2011 Growers’ Summer Tour is going east, touring four fantastic
nurseries: Dutchmaster, Uxbridge, Ground Covers Unlimited and Kobes. Catch the bus at 6:55 on Sept. 15 at the LO home office in Milton, or
meet us at Dutchmaster Nurseries, 3735 Sideline 16 North, Brougham. Cost is $50 per
person. Deadline to register is Sept. 9. To register, or for more information, go to tour, or contact Kathleen
Pugliese at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 309, or fax 905-875-3942, or email
kpugliese@landscapeontario.com.

SIMA bidding workshops POSTPONED

The Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA) workshops being offered Sept. 12 in Ottawa and Sept. 14 in Kitchener have been postponed. We apologize for any inconvenience.

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.

Expo 2011 registration now open
What’s new at Expo 2011? Everything! New dates — Oct. 19 and 20. New show hours — 10-6 on Wed., 10-4 on Thurs. New building — North
Building of the Toronto Congress Centre, and much more. Don’t miss
Canada’s premier fall buying show for the green and floral industries.
Register at www.loexpo.ca.

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 promote Sales Success,
Financial Health, Operational Excellence, Customers for Life, Leadership
and Technical Education, the six pillars of the Prosperity Partnership. Check out this year’s seminars and see how you
can improve your pathto Prosperity.

Smart about Salt training opportunity
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. 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. 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.

Chainsaw training, Nov. 7-8

A two-day seminar on chainsaw safety meets the Ministry of Labour
requirements that all landscapers using chainsaws on the job be trained
on safe operation. Both classroom and outdoor instruction will take
place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., both days, at Allgreen Tree Service, 155
Union St., Elimira. For more details and to register, go to chainsaw
safety.

LO wage survey
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
Landscape architect Chris Clayton
will host four Wednesday evening events entitled Four Conversations on Design. Plan to attend Oct. 5, 12, 19 and 26, at Clayton’s home near the Lawrence subway stop, a five-minute drive from the 401.
The cost to participants is only $10 per evening. The event is suitable
for recent college or university graduates, as well as young garden
designers. Each evening is likely to span about three hours.
For more information, contact cjclayton@sympatico.ca.

MOL announces safety blitz

Throughout the month of October, the Ministry of Labour will conduct a
blitz on personal protective equipment such as eye, foot, head, hearing and skin protection. Join the ministry on Sept. 20, from 10 to 11:30 a.m.,
for a webinar about the legislative requirements regarding
personal protective equipment, and what MOL inspectors will look for
during a visit. To register, or for more info, go to personal protective
equipment.