LO this week: Dec. 28, 2011

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

Ornamental growers safety program

An Occupational Safety and Health Administration-compliant safety
seminar, aimed at ornamental growers, will take place on Jan. 30, from 9
a.m. to 12-noon at Iroquois Parks Sport Centre, Whitney Hall, 500
Victoria St. W., Whitby. This progressive risk management seminar will
engage owners using interactive training techniques to help employers
towards establishing a basic health and safety management program. To
register, or for more information, go to Growers Safety Program. Other
programs are scheduled in London and Vineland in February and March.
Lunch is not included.

Durham chapter meeting, Feb. 7
This event will feature Rory Sheehan, a highly
sought-after speaker specializing in conversational sales. He will
teach the non-traditional sales approach to increase
the likelihood of making a sale. This meeting begins at 10 a.m. at Quality Suites Hotel, Bloor St., Oshawa. Please RSVP by contacting Helen Hassard at
1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or hhassard@landscapeontario.com.

Seminars offered in Durham.

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

Georgian Lakelands Chapter exhibiting at Congress 2012

Kick off the New Year at Congress, Jan. 10-12, and make sure you stop at the Georgian Lakelands chapter booth, E23, to learn about our line-up of events, educational seminars, and meetings for 2012. If you register for LO Snow Day at Congress, you will have a chance to win your Snow Day Pass for free! See you all there.

Landscape Ontario Snow Day, Feb. 10, 2012
Georgian Lakelands Chapter is proud to host Snow Day 2012. Remember the fun you have when you spend a day skiing or boarding? This winter, discover it all over again with a great day at Craigleith Ski Club in Collingwood. Fresh snow, good friends, and a great day at skiing and boarding. Register for LO Snow day at Congress (Booth E23) you will have the chance to win your Snow Day Pass! Prices are $95 for adults, $75 for students and $50 for children under 8. Price includes breakfast, lunch, lift ticket, fun race, apres ski snack and prizes. Download registration form here. For more information, contact Lexi Dearborn or Jeff Lee.

Seminars right here in Georgian Lakelands

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

Mohawk
offers horticulture apprenticeship

Starting Jan. 2, Mohawk College is offering a horticulture technician
apprenticeship program. 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.

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

London Chapter meeting, Feb. 7

Join the Chapter for a buffet lunch at 12-noon, at Best Western
Lamplight Inn, 591 Wellington Road South, London, followed by a seminar
on website development and taking perfect photographs to showcase your
business. Cost is $25 per person, with lunch included. Pre-registration
is required. For more information, contact Carla Bailey at
cbailey@landscapeontario.com.

Seminars offered in London
London Chapter Facebook
London Chapter on LinkedIn

Ottawa Chapter this week

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

Ottawa Chapter AGM, Jan. 17
Registration is now open for the Ottawa Chapter 2012 Annual General Meeting. Join fellow members at 12 noon at the Royal Canadian Legion, 3500 Fallowfield Road. We are pleased to announce that the guest speakers for this event are the new president of Landscape Ontario Phil Charal and executive director Tony DiGiovanni. Your pre-registration includes lunch for you and your employees as well as a chance to win one of two pairs of 200 Level seats to an up-coming Ottawa Senator’s Game. For more information contact Martha.

GreenTrade Expo 2012: Registration now open!

Preparations are underway for the 19th annual GreenTrade Expo, eastern
Ontario’s premier green industry event. This year’s Expo will include
MTO contractors’ breakfast, business building, networking and new
products, along with educational opportunities, all under one roof.
GreenTrade Expo will take place Feb. 15, at the newly constructed CE Centre,
4899 Uplands Drive, Ottawa. Exhibitor applications welcome and
sponsorships are available. Registration for attendees is now open. More information may be found at GreenTrade Expo.

Are you Landscape Industry Certified?

Certification dates for the 2012 Ottawa/Upper Canada Chapters have
just been announced. Candidates will have the opportunity to take the
written tests on Jan. 31, at Algonquin College and Sept.
27 at Kemptville College, followed the next day with practical testing
at Kemptville. For more information or
questions about Landscape Industry Certifications, visit Certifed, or contact
certification@landscapeontario.com.

Winter seminars now online

The new schedule for Ottawa Chapter winter seminars is now available for
viewing and online registration. Opportunities include business
prosperity, social media, irrigation and much more. Safe and secure online registration is available. For more information, contact Martha
Walsh at mwalsh@landscapeontario.com.

Follow us on Twitter

Ottawa Chapter now has its own Twitter account. Follow the tweets on @LndscapONottawa for all the Chapter’s activities.

Ottawa Chapter now on Facebook

Join Ottawa Chapter the new Facebook page, where you can get all the most up-to-date news
and events relevant to the Ottawa Chapter. Don’t forget to LIKE us!

Toronto Chapter this week

Toronto Chapter meeting, Feb. 2

One of Toronto Chapter’s most popular meetings of the year is the annual
MTO meeting. It will take place at Sheridan Nurseries, 4077 Hwy. 7,
Unionville. More information will be added, as it becomes available.

Landscape Ontario Snow Day, Feb. 10
Georgian Lakelands Chapter is proud to host Snow Day 2012. Remember the
fun you have when you spend a day skiing or boarding? This winter,
discover it all over again with a great day at Craigleith Ski Club in
Collingwood. Fresh snow, good friends, and a great day at skiing and
boarding. Register for LO Snow day at Congress (Booth E23) you will have
the chance to win your Snow Day Pass! Prices are $95 for adults, $75 for students and $50 for children under 8. Price includes breakfast, lunch, lift ticket, fun race, apres ski snack and prizes. Download registration form here. For more information, contact Lexi Dearborn or Jeff Lee.

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

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

Upper Canada chapter meeting, Jan. 4
Join the Upper Canada Chapter at its first meeting of the new year. This event will host Fred Young of WSPS. In addition, important Ministry of Labour information will be available. WSPS
provides
industry-specific health and safety products, training and consulting
services to 154,000 businesses and 3.8 million employees in Ontario’s
agricultural, manufacturing and service sectors. The
meeting will take place at Strathcona Paper Centre, 16 McPherson Drive,
Napanee, from 7 to 9 p.m. Contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354,
or hhassard@landscapeontario.com for more information.

Horticultural Technician Apprenticeship

Loyalist College is offering the Horticultural Technician Apprenticeship
Level 2 in-class training. The course will be conducted at Connon
Nurseries, at 956 Old Highway 2, Quinte West. The class begins Jan. 9,
and concludes Mar. 30. To learn more about the program at
Loyalist, check out Apprenticeship. For more information, contact your
local Employment and Training Consultant, or John O’Rourke at Loyalist
College, 613-696-1913, ext. 2561, or jorourke@loyalistc.on.ca.

Seminars that take place in Upper Canada

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

Waterloo chapter meeting, Feb. 1
Join the Waterloo 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 the Knights of Columbus, Waterloo, from 7 to 9 p.m. Contact Rob Tester at rob@tntpropertymaintenance.com for more information.

Seminars that take place in Waterloo

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

Free photography workshop, Jan. 26
The Windsor Chapter invites you to attend its first meeting of the year, on Jan. 26, from noon to 3 p.m. at Dominion Golf Club, 6125 Howard Ave., LaSalle. The Chapter is bringing in Philip Bell of Shutter Studios to teach how to take amazing photos that will impress your clients, family and friends. For more information, contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or hhassard@landscapeontario.com.

Seminars that take place in Windsor

LO this week

Congress is right around the corner, Jan. 10-12

The premier industry networking event of the year is less than two weeks
away. Don’t miss your opportunity to see all of the new products, catch
up with colleagues and meet new ones. The conference program and
pre-trade show sector events are your best opportunities to sharpen your
skills and build a professional edge. Register at www.locongress.com
today to avoid line-ups at the door.

Landscape Ontario magazine online

The January issue of Landscape Ontario magazine is now online. This
month your association magazine features the amazing volunteer efforts to bring back St. James Park in Toronto, along with the latest news
on Congress 2012, a report by OMAFRA on the weed killer Fiesta, an
introduction of LO’s new president Phil Charal, an interview with green
roof specialist Terry McGlade, as well as all the regular monthly
columns. Remember, free subscriptions to the electronic version of
Landscape Ontario are available here.

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.

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
Native Trees and Shrubs: Expand your Knowledge, Jan. 24
Green Roof Design 101: Introductory Course, Jan. 25
Negotiating with the Savvy Buyer, Jan. 25
Getting Started in Concrete, Jan. 26
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
The Hardy Woody Plant, Jan. 30

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.

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.

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.