LO this week: Aug. 10, 2011

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

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.

Annual barbecue, Aug. 25
The
Durham Chapter’s annual summer barbecue will take place at T. Arnts Loam Supply, from 3-7 p.m. The
barbecue features 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.

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

Summer barbecue CANCELLED
The Georgian Lakelands Chapter summer barbecue planned for Aug. 18, has been cancelled.

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.

Heritage Trees: preserving our natural roots, Aug. 17

What is a Heritage Tree? Why is it important to protect them? Come hear
Edith George answer these questions and more on Aug. 17 at 7pm at the
Hillary House (15372 Yonge Street, Aurora). Learn how a tree can be
designated as ‘heritage’ using the toolkit produced by the Ontario
Heritage Tree Alliance. Edith will focus on how to identify a tree’s
historical and cultural significance. Edith is an advisor to the Ontario
Urban Forest Council and is a past director of the Weston Historical
Society. Seating is limited, please reserve your spot by contacting ahs@aurorahs.com.

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.

Check out Georgian Lakelands’ Facebook Page.

Golden Horseshoe Chapter this week

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

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.

Last Call For Golfers! Golf tournament, Aug. 17
Enjoy a social outing with fellow industry members at the Golden
Horseshoe Chapter’s Golf Tournament. The event will take place at
Willow Valley Golf Course, 8475 English Church, Mount Hope, on Wed.,
Aug. 17. Cost is $140 per golfer, and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Click here to view registration flyer. Contact Helen Hassard at
1-800-265-5656,
ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com for more information.

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

Worker shortage solutions, Aug. 18
Be part of the worker shortage solution at Fanshawe College from 8 a.m. to 12 noon on Thurs., Aug. 18. Ontario’s green industry will experience a shortfall of 87,000 workers in the next 10 years. Be a part of our human resources solution. The green industry needs your experience and knowledge to address recruitment and retention challenges. Landscape Ontario, in association with Employment Ontario, OPA and Humber College, is planning four facilitated sessions across the province to generate ideas and solutions! Please reserve your spot TODAY to participate.

London Chapter Golf Tournament, Sept. 9

Treat yourself to a great day on the links, support your association and
take a well-deserved break. The format is best ball scramble. Cost is
$125 per golfer, which includes golf, cart, lunch, dinner and prizes.
Dinner-only is available for $35. For further information, go to London golf.

Are you Landscape Industry Certified?

A Landscape Industry Certified test will be held at St. Clair College this fall. Sept. 30 will be the Technician Practical Test and all Certification designation written tests will be on Oct. 1. To register click here, or for more information contact Rachel Cerelli. To help prepare candidates for the test, Landscape Industry Certified pre-test day orientation will be held Sept. 9 at St.Clair College. RSVP to Rachel Cerelli.

Fanshawe College hosts written Certification test
There will be a written test for all Landscape Industry Certified designations at Fanshawe College on Nov. 5. Technicians, this was created to compliment your out-of-town practical exam that was held in Milton on July 22, and on Oct. 24, or at St. Clair College on Sept. 30. Click here for more information or to register, or contact Rachel Cerellli.

Ottawa Chapter this week

Add the Ottawa Chapter page and the LO events calendar to your bookmarks

Ottawa Chapter Golf Tournament supports the Ottawa Food Bank, Aug 26

Three weeks left until shotgun start! Swing into action and register for this year’s annual golf tournament in
support of the Ottawa Food Bank, Fri., Aug. 26, at the Canadian Golf
and Country Club in Ashton. Live food drive on the day of the
tournament. Register your foursome with online secure
registration and full details are available on the Ottawa Chapter page or contact Martha.

Eastern Ontario Premier Snow and Ice Event in Ottawa, Sept. 12-13

Registration now open for The Canadian Snow and Ice Expo,
Sept. 12-13 at Rideau Carleton Entertainment Centre, Ottawa. Eastern
Ontario’s premier snow event includes SIMA-instructed Build a Bid and
Beyond a Bid workshops on Mon. The trade show of outdoor
displays of some of the latest equipment and technologies for the snow
and ice control industry is Tues. Plan on attending this show if you have
anything to do with snow!

B&T MacFarlane 2nd annual open house and customer appreciation day
Mark Tues., Sept. 20 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. for B&T
MacFarlane’s second annual event. Barbecue lunch from 11:30 a.m. -1:30
p.m. provided by Lonestar BBQ. Bring your business cards to enter draws
for door prizes. Everyone welcome at 45 Slack Road, Nepean.

Toronto Chapter this week
Add the Toronto Chapter page and the LO events calendar to your bookmark

Heritage Trees: Preserving our natural roots, Aug. 17

What is a heritage tree? Why is it important to protect them? Come hear
Edith George answer these questions and more Aug. 17 at 7pm at the
Hillary House (15372 Yonge Street, Aurora). Learn how a tree can be
designated as ‘heritage’ using the toolkit produced by the Ontario
Heritage Tree Alliance. Edith will focus on how to identify a tree’s
historical and cultural significance. Edith is an advisor to the Ontario
Urban Forest Council and is a past director of the Weston Historical
Society. Seating is limited, please reserve your spot by contacting ahs@aurorahs.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, 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.

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

Canadian Snow and Ice Expo 2011, Sept. 12 and 13

The Rideau Carleton Entertainment Centre in Ottawa will host the two-day
Canadian Snow and Ice Expo 2011. The Snow and Ice Sector Group of
Landscape Ontario’s Ottawa Chapter is hosting this inaugural event. Day
one will feature build-a-bid programs, while the second day will
highlight conferences and a trade show. To find out more information on
the event, or to register go to Snow and Ice
Expo.

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

Waterloo Chapter Baseball Tournament and Summer Picnic, Sept. 11

Join the Waterloo Chapter for the annual baseball tournament taking
place at Breslau Community Centre (200 Woolwich St., Kitchener), starting
at 8 a.m. on Sun., Sept. 11. Only one team per company and teams must
have a minimum of eight players (two must be female). Cost is $150 per
team for the tournament and $10 per family for the picnic. For companies without enough people for a full team, we can assist in matching you with another group. For more
information, or to register a team contact Helmutz
Landscape & Interlock at 519-888-9536.

Nominate a champion tree
Three LO Waterloo Chapter members and professional
arborists, Phil Dickie, Mike Hayes and Greg Templeman, have revived the Champion
Tree Hunt of Waterloo Region for 2011.

The purpose of the hunt is to locate and identify champion
trees within the Region of Waterloo, and raise awareness of the value of tree
preservation. The hunt will close Sept. 30. The Chapter hopes the Champion Tree Hunt will generate an interest and
involvement from residents within the Region of Waterloo. For more information, go to Tree Hunt. In 1992, when the original Great Tree Hunt was held, a total of 430 nominations were received.

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

Windsor companies working to grant Olivia’s wish…
Thanks
to Garlatti Landscaping, and other local contractors, Olivia Klingbile
of LaSalle, will receive the gift of an accessible garden with lots of
outdoor activities she can enjoy. Read the full story here.

Windsor Chapter Awards of Distinction

Don’t miss your chance to be recognized for all your hard work. This
year’s Windsor Chapter Awards of Distinction entry form is now
available. The old format awarded gold, silver and bronze prizes; this year
there is the option for multiple winners in each category. In addition, four
new categories have been added: large water feature, small water feature, large
hardscape and small hardscape. The deadline for entries is Aug. 31 and the awards
presentation will take place at Top Grade Landscape and Garden Solutions
on Oct. 27. Windsor Awards of Distinction.

Golf tournament, Sept. 10, (early bird registration closes Aug. 13)
The Windsor Chapter will host its annual golf tournament
includes 18 holes of golf, hot dog and pop at
the turn, steak dinner and great prizes. Cost is $100 per golfer. There
is an early bird rate of $350 per foursome for those who register and
pay prior to Aug. 13. Click here to view the Windsor Golf Tournament flyer for more information, or to view sponsorship information.

Are you Landscape Industry Certified?

A Landscape Industry Certified test will be held at St. Clair College this fall. Sept. 30 will be the Technician Practical Test and all Certification designation’s written tests will be on Oct. 1. To register click here, or for more information contact Rachel Cerelli. To help prepare candidates for the test, Landscape Industry Certified pre-test day orientation will be held Sept. 9 at St.Clair College. RSVP to Rachel Cerelli.

LO this week

Urgent notice for growers
A new US regulation may have serious effects on the export of Canadian nursery stock into the U.S.

Advanced Green Roof Maintenance seminar, Aug 26

Created
to assist designers, contractors and facility managers with an
important, but often overlooked aspect of green roofs: maintenance. The
seminar examines design phase considerations; best practices for
planning, budgeting, and implementing maintenance procedures; and
approaches for rehabilitating green roofs that have been subject to
maintenance neglect. The seminar will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
at LO home office in Milton. Participants will receive a 100-page manual
with detailed case studies. Lunch is not included. Price for LO members
is $249, and for non-members it is $299. To find out more about the
seminar go to green roofs.

Sneak peek at next year’s garden superstars, Aug. 12
This year’s trial garden open house for horticultural professionals will take place at LO the morning of Fri., Aug. 12. Come for an advanced preview of the plants your customers will be asking for next year. A presentation on research into microbial soil additives, of interest to those planting both herbaceous and woody plants, will be followed by tours of the annual and perennial trial gardens. After the tour, take a minute to vote for your favourite garden performer. The program continues in the afternoon at the Guelph Trial Garden at the Guelph Turfgrass
Institute. Updates on turf research will be presented at the Guelph site.

The public are invited to view the LO gardens the following day, Sat.,
Aug. 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Guelph trials will be open to the
public on Wed., Aug. 17, from noon until 8 p.m.

To find out more about sponsorship opportunities available with the trial garden, contact Rodger Tschanz at rtschanz@uoguelph.ca or Kathleen Pugliese at kathleenp@landscapeontario.com.

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 and provides
general information and clarification on laws applying to farm equipment
and select provisions applicable to farm trucks. Also available as a downloadable pdf. http://www.horttrades.com/new-guide-for-farm-equipment-on-highways

Tour Cuddy Garden on Aug. 20
Fanshawe College is hosting another open garden event at A.M. (Mac)
Cuddy Garden. The Aug. 20 tour will feature one of the largest
collections of plants in Ontario with over 2000 species displayed in
dry, rock, woodland, perennial, rose and aquatic gardens. In addition,
several plants found in the garden are on the endangered species list
such as the indigenous cucumber magnolia and the yellow trillium. The
garden is located at 28443 Centre Road, Strathroy, and the tour will run
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come out and browse the plant sale, and bring a picnic
lunch, rain or shine. Admission is $5. For more information, contact
Lucas Michielsen at lmichielsen@fanshawec.ca.

Help solve the worker shortage
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!

Fall seminars now online
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 essentials training dates
Take a one-day explanatory course on this 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.

Support Legacy Garden at School of Horticulture
Donations and in-kind contributions are being sought to help create a garden at the Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture that will be a tribute to all those working in the horticulture industry. The garden plan’s official unveiling takes place at the OPA/NPC School of Horticulture 75th anniversary celebrations from August 19-21 at the School of Horticulture in Niagara Falls. More information available here.

Greenbuild International Conference in Toronto
For the first time ever, Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
will hold its annual convention outside the U.S. Toronto Metro
Convention will house the event from Oct. 4-7. The latest innovations in
green building will be enclosed within the convention centre. To find
out more about the conference go to Greenbuild.

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 a landscape design salon
Entitled Four Conservations on Design, landscape architect Chris Clayton
will host four Wednesday evenings, Oct. 5, 12, 19 and the 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.