Durham this week: Nov. 23, 2011

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

Oshawa school hosting career fair

On Dec. 6, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary
School in Oshawa will host a career fair for students in grades 9 to 12
(approximately 400 students). The SHSM students in landscaping class
hope to have a representative from the landscape industry book a table
at the fair. If interested in taking part, contact Joan McRae at
Joan.McRae@dcdsb.ca. The school’s address is 316 Conant Street, off
Ritson Road.

Seminars offered in Durham.

LO this week

Give
a day to get a day
Volunteer your time, or your staff’s time at Congress 2012 Conference
and you will receive one free day (six hours worked
will be considered one day) at Congress 2013. New for 2012 — Lunch is included each day.
Help is required with greeting attendees, session attendee scanning and
speaker introduction/thank you. Volunteers who are available for more
than six hours receive a complete conference admission pass for Congress
2013. Congress 2012 is from Jan. 10 to 12, at the Toronto Congress
Centre, 650 Dixon Road, Toronto. The trade show opens 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tues., and Wed., and 9 – 4 p.m. on Thurs. Conference sessions run 9
a.m., 10:45 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 2 p.m. Click here for the volunteer
registration form.
See the speakers and sector events in the new 40-page Conference Guide. Now in its 39th year, Landscape Ontario’s premier show
attracts close to 12,000 buyers. For speaker and session details, go to Congress 2012.

Feedback request on your member magazine

A mailed copy of Landscape Ontario magazine (formerly Horticulture Review)
should be in your hands. The new name and look reflect the efforts of
volunteer leaders from the Branding Committee, who envisioned LO’s Green
for Life marketing/identity initiative. In addition, its content was
reorganized. What is your take? Please answer a quick, three-question survey here.

Mark
Cullen guest speaker at growers’ dinner, Dec. 6

All are welcome at the LO Growers’ Group Fall Dinner meeting on Dec. 6 at
Grand Chalet, 324 Steeles Ave. E., in Milton. Guest speaker is Mark
Cullen on consumer trends affecting the nursery industry. After the
break, high priority issues for the sector will be discussed
such as stimulating demand for product, enhancing profitability and
forecasting production. Registration begins at 5 p.m. and the event ends at 9:30 p.m. Tickets, including meal, are $40/person. For more
information, and to download a registration form, go to Growers’ Dinner.
To RSVP, contact Kathleen Pugliese at kathleenp@landscapeontario.com by Dec. 2
.

Save money!

Don’t miss your opportunity to register for Congress at the early bird rates. Discounted pricing ends Dec.16.
Conference sessions and special events fill up fast – don’t be disappointed, register today at Congress.

Concrete paver installation course, Dec. 5-6
The Interlocking Concrete Paving Institute (ICPI) is holding its Concrete Paver Installation course at the LO home office in Milton. Participants will learn about job planning, estimating, contracts, correct selection and techniques for base preparation and edge restraints and about specialty products. For more information about the two-day seminar, click here, or call the ICPI at 703-657-6900. Download the registration form here. To take advantage of the LO member price, members are asked to contact Kathy McLean.

Fall seminar series

Risk Management & the Law in Construction: Avoiding Problems and Getting Paid
How can we protect ourselves through contracts? How do I know a bad
contract, when I see one? What are the types of insurance, and which do I
need for my business? How does the Construction Lien Act work? How has a
small claim court changed, and can the changes help me get paid? What
if I fail to follow the Occupational Health and Safety Act? What are my
obligations related to subcontractors? What are the unique legal risks
of supplying design services or estimates? What are the responsibilities
of a project manager or consultant? The instructor is a construction
lawyer and former landscape contractor.He will address these issues, as
well as others in this seminar for owners and managers, to help you
manage risk. Particular issues and interests raised by the group will
also be addressed.

For other opportunities to receive professional development, go to seminars for more details.

Dry Stone Walling 101, Nov. 28 and 29
NEW! Close the Sale! Dec.5
Building Your Prosperity, Dec. 7
Great Landscape Contractors, Great Landscape Businesses,Dec. 12 and 13

Building Your Prosperity, Dec. 7
Get started on to the road of success. This program is intended to help
green industry members clarify what they excel at and what components of
their business needs attention and improvement. The seminar will take
place at the LO home office in Milton, from 9 a.m. to 3:30
p.m. The cost to LO members is $115, and non-members is $192. Check out
the online survey, to measure your strengths and weaknesses in the five Prosperity Pillars. To find more information, or to register go to Building Your Prosperity.

Looking
to hire?

Recognizing the need for labour in all industry sectors, Landscape
Ontario is pleased to provide an Employment Board again this year for
our Active, Interim and Associate Members just outside the LO booth at
Congress 2012. For more information visit job board.

Time to join a Safety Group

The 2012 WSIB/Landscape Ontario Safety Groups Program helps industry firms develop a Ministry
of Labour compliant safety program for their workplaces. Firms will
select five WSIB safety elements at the start of the year, and then
initiate or improve upon them by attending at least three compulsory
meetings. Working with other members, the initiatives are put in place
by the end of the year. Along with an improved safety record, there are
financial benefits in the form of rebates from WSIB. For more details
and to participate in the 2012 program, go to Safety Groups.

New accessibility standards coming in January

As of Jan. 1, 2012, all employers in Ontario who provide goods and
services must be compliant with Accessibility Standards for Customer
Service issued under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities
Act. Employers will have a legislated obligation accommodate customers
with disabilities. The province has a
website explaining the new rules, while a number of companies are
providing seminars on the issue. Go to seminars to see dates and prices.

Greenroof
professionals meet in Philadelphia

Cities Alive 9th Annual Green Roof and Wall Conference takes place Nov.
30 to Dec. 3 in Philadelphia. The largest gathering of green roof and
wall
professionals in North America, this conference offers a number of
opportunities for education, networking and socializing. To find out
more about the event, go to Cities Alive.