Golden Horseshoe this week: Jan. 4, 2012

Golden Horseshoe Chapter this week

Add the Golden Horseshoe Chapter page and the LO events calendar to your bookmarks

Mohawk
offers horticulture apprenticeship

Mohawk College has announced its horticulture technician
apprenticeship program will begin Jan. 16. This is a Red Seal-recognized program taught by
industry professionals experienced in horticulture education. The
college is booking candidates for both Level 1 and 2.
To register, contact Jean Miller, Ministry of Training, Colleges and
Universities by telephone in Hamilton at 905-521-7579, or
1-800-668-4479, ext. 7579, jean.miller@ontario.ca, or for information, contact
Terry Murphy, 905-279-5147, tvmurphy@ca.inter.net. To access the course’s
website go to Mohawk.

Golden Horseshoe chapter meeting, Feb. 9
Join
the Golden Horseshoe Chapter for the first meeting of the new year. It will
feature a Landscaper Round-table Rant that will highlight various member
issues. The meeting will take place at Appleby Ice Centre, 1201 Appleby Line, Burlington, from 12 – 2:30 p.m. Contact Helen Hassard at Helen@landscapeontario.com for more information.

Seminars offered in Golden Horseshoe.

LO this week

Congress, Jan. 9-12: Kick-start a prosperous new year!

Join Canada’s green industry to kick-start the New Year right, and top-up your toolbox
at Congress 2012.
Save time and register today to avoid long line-ups; registration takes just a
few minutes at www.locongress.com. Pre-trade show events begin Mon., Jan. 9, and the
trade show and conference run Tues., Jan. 10 to Thurs., Jan. 12 at the
Toronto Congress Centre, 650 Dixon Rd., Toronto. Learn to
trim your costs, sharpen your skills and build your professional edge. Connect with your industry face-to-face, at Congress.

Earn eight CECs at IPM Symposium

Held in conjunction with Congress, the IPM symposium will be held pre-trade
show on Mon., Jan. 9, and attendees will be granted eight IPM Council of
Canada CECs. The 47th edition of the IPM Symposium will feature a
fantastic line-up of speakers, and includes lunch and a networking
session to cap-off the day. Cost is $110 per person. Register at
www.locongress to guarantee your spot.

Building Your Prosperity, Jan. 9

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.

Awards of Excellence Jan. 10: The winner is…

The Awards of Excellence ceremony for landscape construction,
maintenance and design will be held Jan. 10 at the Doubletree by Hilton
Hotel, 655 Dixon Rd., across the street from the Toronto Congress
Centre. The President’s Wine and Cheese Reception precedes the ceremony
at 4:45 pm. Tickets may be purchased at the door for $55 per person, or
at www.locongress.com.

Irrigation Conference and Luncheon

The Landscape Ontario Irrigation Sector Group will host The Good, the
Bad, the Ugly…and the Future of Texas Irrigation Licensing on Wed.,
Jan. 11, at the Toronto Congress Centre. Join your peers at this very
candid look at licensing from a seasoned expert. Also included is a
candid discussion about current issues affecting the irrigation industry
and highlights from the 2012 Water Conservation award-winning project.
Register for $75 for members and non-members at www.locongress.com.

Growers Group annual short course, Feb. 8
The annual LO Growers Group short course moves back to the Legion in Guelph. Over 12 speakers will make short presentations about current nursery management practices and research updates. Download a faxable registration form here. Pre-registration pricing is $65 for members, $75 for potential members and $25 for students. Onsite registration is $90.

Special-price Canada Blooms tickets: Great gift for staff and clients

LO members may purchase special bar-coded Canada Blooms tickets for $12 each; the regular ticket price is $20. Blooms tickets are a thoughtful gift for clients, staff, business associates
and family. The tickets come in packages of 20, and LO members will be
invoiced after the show, only for the tickets that were presented at the event. Ticket packages are available by downloading an order form, or from Kathleen
Pugliese at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 309, or kpugliese@landscapeontario.com.

Landscape Industry Certified dates announced
Are you Landscape Industry Certified? The 2012 Ontario Certification Dates are now available by visiting horttrades.com/landscape-industry-certified. Register early for early-bird pricing. January test dates include: Jan. 12, at Congress and Jan. 31, at Algonquin College.

Winter seminar series

On-the-Job Training, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1
On-the-job is where most of the learning in our industry happens, every
day, working side-by-side with a more experienced or knowledgeable
person. There is no doubting the skills of the trainer, but how many
people have ever had training on how to train? Designed as two-half
day sessions, participants will actually practice the training method in
class, just like the real thing. Participants will act as both trainees
and trainers throughout the day. During day two, participants will
review the method using the training moments they have prepared, and
learn from their experience in putting it in to action. To register for
the seminar, go to On-the-Job Training.

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

Chiseled in Stone: An Introduction, Jan. 23
Landscape Design – An Introduction, Jan. 23
Green Roof Design 101: Introductory Course, Jan. 25
Negotiating with the Savvy Buyer, Jan. 25
How to Use Dynascape, Jan. 26

Landscape Design – Above and Beyond, Jan. 27
Is there a Plant Doctor in the House?, Jan. 27

Simply Accounting-Next Step, Jan. 27

Chiseled in Stone: Intermediate, Jan. 30
Stuck on Annuals? Feb. 1

Intro-Sketchup Seminar, Feb. 2

Flagstone Fundamentals, Feb. 2
Trees and Shrubs: Establishment and Maintenance from the Ground up, Feb. 3
Retaining Walls from the Ground up, Feb. 3

OPA
Educational Forum

Join the Ontario Parks Association on Mon., Jan. 9 for the 56th
Annual Parks Educational Forum, ‘Turning Grey to Green, 75 Years of
Protecting Tomorrow Today.’ This full-day event features a parks,
politics and pancakes networking breakfast, sessions, a keynote
presentation and door prizes, being held in the Mississauga Room at
Doubletree Hotel Toronto Airport, 655 Dixon Rd., Toronto. There is early bird
pricing of $165 for members before Dec. 16. Register at
www.locongress.com. Contact Shelley May at OPA
shelley@ontarioparksassociation.com.

Are you looking for a job? Do you need employees?

Landscape Ontario’s Congress 2012 Job Board will connect employers with
potential employees and applicants with employers. New this year, we
are now accepting job postings and resumes for our job board on the show
floor in the LO Resource Booth # 41. For more information and
guidelines for your posting, visit job board.

Airblast 101 Workshop Series

Staring Feb. 27, four airblast workshops conducted by Jason Deveau of OMAFRA will begin at the first of four Ontario locations. Growers are invited to take part in one of the interactive
classroom workshops that will include hands-on demonstrations and
dialogue with an experienced airblast technician who will provide tips
on airblast sprayer calibration, maintenance and how to adjust your
sprayer to match your specific crops. Space is limited. To register call
Nancy at 416-622-9771. The $20 workshop fee is paid at door. To see which
workshop is closest to you, go to airblast workshops.

Survey to provide info on invasive species
The Invasive Species Centre is gathering information on the status of
activities in Ontario with respect to invasive species
education/outreach and invasive plant management. The survey contains 28
questions, mostly multiple choice. Once answers have been
tabulated, results will be posted online early next year. Landscape
Ontario is a member of the Invasive Species Council. The deadline for
responses is Jan. 12. Survey Link.

Permacon Industry Night, Jan. 10

After an inspiring opening day at Landscape Ontario’s Congress or Awards
of Excellence ceremony, enjoy a great evening that includes dinner,
casino games, prizes, music and more. It takes place from 5 p.m. until 1
a.m. at the Doubletree Hotel in the
International foyer. For more details, or to RSVP, contact
1-800-668-4805, or cs.milton@permacon.ca, or register at the event.

TRIECA conference early bird pricing ends Jan. 31

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and the Great Lakes Chapter of
the International Erosion Control Association Conference are co-hosting
the first annual TRIECA Conference on Mar. 27 and 28, at the
International Centre in Mississauga. Organizers anticipate it will be a
great event for networking and educating industry professionals. Early-bird pricing is in effect until Jan. 31. Any LO members interested in
participating as a sponsor or an exhibitor at the conference can find
more information, or register at TRIECA, or
contact Patricia Lewis, project manager, at 289-268-3903.

Webinar on prevention of musculoskeletal disorders

Throughout the month of February, the Ministry of Labour (MOL) will
conduct a blitz on musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). On Jan. 18, from
9:30 to 11 a.m., Public Services Health and Safety Association and MOL
will offer a webinar on musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in the public
sector. Learn about the legislative requirements regarding prevention of
musculoskeletal disorders, what MOL inspectors will look for during a
visit and more. To learn about the webinar, go to MOL Blitz.

Conservation group looking for sustainable projects
Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) is creating case studies on sites that
utilize green infrastructure: green roofs, bio-retention/bio-swales,
rain gardens, rainwater harvesting systems and permeable pavement. We
want to document in-the-ground projects, highlight some of the
features/benefits, the industries and partners involved in the project,
as well as discuss any challenges faced and the lessons learned. If
interested in participating, contact Chris Despins, Water Resources
Technician, at 905-670-1615, ext. 288, or cdespins@creditvalleyca.ca.
CVC has a website that contains its Strategies for Sustainability.