Durham this week: March 30, 2011

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

Save the date for Chapter’s annual barbecue
The Durham Chapter has started planning its annual summer barbecue. This year’s event will take place at T. Arnts Loam Supply on Thurs., Aug. 25, from 3 – 7 p.m. This event will feature a supplier showcase, dinner provided by the Chapter and much more. If you are a supplier looking to participate, contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com for more information.

LO this week

Help LO improve its service to you

Landscape Ontario is always looking to improve services to our members.
To ensure our educational programs, Chapter meetings, seminars,
conferences, symposia and certification testing are fulfilling the needs
of your business, please assist by offering your input, by taking five
to 10 minutes to answer the questions that can be found at Improved Service. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Sally Harvey at sharvey@landscapeontario.com.

Final seminars of the season
ABCs of Irrigation Apr. 4
Fundamentals of Irrigation Design Apr. 5
Installation Steps, and Practices Apr. 6
Controllers, Sensors and Scheduling Apr. 7

Irrigation Component Troubleshooting Apr. 8

Quit hoping for Profit; Plan for it Apr. 11

Residential Irrigation Design Apr. 11

Low Volume Irrigation Apr. 12

Electrical Troubleshooting Apr. 13

Pricing Irrigation Projects Apr. 14

Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor (CLIA) Prep Seminar Apr. 19

To register or get more information, click seminars.

Building your prosperity seminar, Apr. 6

Landscape Ontario home office, 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton, will host the introductory Prosperity Partnership seminar, which is intended to help green industry
members clarify what they excel at and what components of their
business needs attention and improvement. A seminar workbook will be
provided. Take this online survey, to measure your strengths and weaknesses in the six prosperity pillars. Click here for more information, or to register.

Industry Canada business tools and resources

Industry Canada has created a web page that provides a number of tools
and resources for business, including a benchmarking tool, BizPal and
more. To access the page go to Business tools.


Soils
and Urban Trees Conference, Apr. 26 and 27 
A great line-up of professionals is coming to
the Toronto Botanical Garden on Apr. 26 and 27 for a comprehensive
study of soils and
urban trees. The Soils and Urban Trees Conference features
leading experts, William Bryant Logan, Paul Stamets, Olaf Ribeiro, Peter
Wild and James Urban, discussing the concepts of ideal soil structure
and biology. International Society
of Arboriculture Continuing Educations Units (CEU’s) are available for
attending this event. To register, download the conference brochure, or visit www.ufis.ca/news.php. More information is available by contacting 905-274-1022 or emailing info@ufis.ca.

What do your customers think about Green For Life?
Landscape Ontario and the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association need
your help! We would like to ensure that our Green for Life campaign is
reaching your customers the way we had intended. The initiative was
launched to promote the many benefits of landscape horticulture,
attracting new clients for you, our members. We have designed a survey
to gauge consumer awareness and help shape the campaign’s future in a
way that best suits your needs. Please help us by distributing this link
to your clients: www.surveymonkey.com/gflpublic.

Skilled
Trades and Career Fair, Apr. 28
The Options 2011 Skilled Trades and Career Fair is looking for
exhibitors to participate in a one-day free event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.,
where more than 4,000 high school students and community members will
be seeking information and interactive displays about the skilled
trades, as well as general information. As part of this event, more than
200 high school seniors will be competing in 13 Skilled Trades
Competitions. For more information contact Michelle Lariviere-Ranger,
Options 2011 Coordiator, larivim@algonquincollege.com, or Employer Registry, or 613-735-4308, ext. 6.

Ministry of Labour holding workshops

A one-day workshop at six locations across Ontario will feature
information about the hazards and safety measures that the Ministry of
Labour will be looking for in workplaces. Participants will also receive
prevention strategies and resources that can be used to keep employees
safe from injuries and illness and the business free from fines and
penalties. Learn how the MOL is planning to respond to the Tony Dean
panel recommendations about changes and improvements to the health and
safety system in Ontario. To find out more information about the
workshops, locations, or to register, go to Health and Safety.

Hire summer students

Businesses can apply to receive a $2-per-hour, per student hiring
incentive by contacting the nearest Employment Ontario Summer Jobs
Service agency. Visit the Employment Ontario website.