LO this week: February 9, 2011

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

Humber College job fair, Feb. 23
Humber College is working in partnership with Landscape Ontario to host a
job fair for students currently enrolled in Horticulture
Pre-Apprenticeship and Landscape Design programs. The students are available
for hire and eager to work in the summer and/or fall of 2011. The job
fair will run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 205 Humber College Blvd.,
Toronto. Employers planning to attend are asked to register with
Landscape Ontario’s Rachel Cerelli at rachel@landscapeontario.com, or Humber College’s Terrie Greco at terrie.greco@humber.ca.


Durham Chapter meeting, March 1
Join the Durham Chapter at the Holiday Inn, 1101 Bloor St., Oshawa, for the most popular meeting of the year! The annual spring MTO meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. Contact Helen Hassard at Helen@landscapeontario.com for more
information.

Permacon Spring Tour 2011

Permacon has announced the dates for its Spring Tour 2011 Seminars. For
Durham Chapter members, the closest event is on Mar. 3 at Markham Event
Centre, 95 Duffield Dr., Markham. The program includes educational seminars on
Sustainable Landscaping by Sean James, Pricing and Estimating for Profit
by George Urvari, Proper Installation of Polymeric Sand, Sealers, etc.,
and a keynote speech by Theresa Syer. The  is free of charge, and
also includes product workshops, lunch, gifts, a mini trade show and even
a chance at a door prize. Register here.

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

LO’s annual snow day, Feb. 11
Enjoy a day on the slopes with the Georgian Lakelands Chapter Annual Snow Day. The event will take place on the hills of Alpine Ski Club in Collingwood. Each year everyone raves what a great time they had at the snow day. To register, or for more information, contact Lexi Dearborn.

Georgian Lakelands Chapter meeting, Feb. 16
Join us for this daytime chapter meeting at Innisbrook Golf Course, 2957 Lockhart Road, Barrie. Ensuring the safety of
those who work or live in the vicinity of underground facilities and
protecting vital services is everyone’s responsibility. Our featured speaker from Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance (ORCGA) will discuss Damage Prevention/Dig Safe – Safe Digging Practices. Safety is and should be involved in all of our activities. Networking and registration starts at 1 p.m. with coffee, tea, and snacks served. There will be a cash bar. To register for this daytime meeting, contact lexi@landscapeontario.com, or 1-800-265-5656, ext. 2317. See a full brochure on the event.

Utilizing Dynascape,
Feb. 17
This Dynascape seminar is exclusive to the Georgian Lakelands Chapter.
The seminar will take place at Solty’s Garden Centre, RR 3 Cookstown,
starting at 9 a.m. and running to 4 p.m. DS| Design Solutions product
manager Len Hordyk will walk you through a hands-on, interactive
demonstration of Dynascape Design and Colour. All registered attendees
are able to receive an exclusive, free 30-day trial version of the DS|
Design software to install in their laptops, for use during and after
the event. Lunch is not included in this event. Cost to LO members is
$115, and non-members is $192. To register or for more information on
other educational opportunities in the Chapter,
go to Seminars.

Permacon Spring Tour 2011

Permacon has announced the dates for its Spring Tour 2011 Seminars. For Georgian Lakelands Chapter members, the closest event is on Mar. 3 at Markham Event
Centre, 95 Duffield Dr., Markham. The program includes educational seminars on
Sustainable Landscaping by Sean James, Pricing and Estimating for Profit
by George Urvari, Proper Installation of Polymeric Sand, Sealers, etc.,
and a keynote speech by Theresa Syer. The day is free of charge, and
also includes product workshops, lunch, gifts, a mini trade show and even
a chance at a door prize. Register here.

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

Due diligence training, Feb. 16

What is required from a company to be viewed as diligent under the law?
A one-day program that is designed for all owners and managers to
jump-start their health and safety program will take place at Copetown
Community Centre, 1950 Hwy. #99 Rd., Copetown, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Participants are encouraged to bring copies of their current programs,
as well as any relevant materials for discussion. Lunch is included in
the cost of $221. For more information, or to register, go to Seminars.

Golden Horseshoe Chapter meeting, Feb. 24
Don’t let a small mistake cost you your business or your life! Get
educated on locates at the Golden Horseshoe Chapter meeting on Thurs.,
Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. This lunch meeting will feature the Ontario
Regional Common Grounds Alliance. The meeting will take place at Copetown Community Center, 1950 Governors Rd., Copetown. Contact Helen Hassard at Helen@landscapeontario.com for more
information.

Safety essentials for foremen, Feb. 24

This program is designed to teach supervisors, safety committee members
and representatives of organizations their responsibilities under the
Occupational Health and Safety Act. It will take place at Copetown
Community Centre, 1950 Hwy. #99 Rd., Copetown, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. Participants will examine regulations that pertain specifically to
landscaping-maintenance and construction. In addition to this,
participants will examine their organization’s health and safety
standards in relation to the legislation. Lunch is included in the $221
cost.
For more information, or to register, go to Seminars.

Parks and Landscaping Equipment Safety Operations
A workshop to help the competencies
of experienced employees, and set the foundation blocks for
those being introduced to green space maintenance and
management, will take place from Feb. 22 to 25 at Gale Centre Arena, Niagara Falls, Click here for a map and directions. Participants will be introduced to best practices
and learn the skills required for safe operation of small hand tools to
large grass cutting and turf care equipment. Working safely in a parks/municipal environment requires a comprehensive
understanding of the tasks at hand and the equipment designed to
effectively and efficiently perform the work. The course is $881.40 for OPA members, and $1,000.05 for non-members. Click here to register online now.

Permacon Spring Tour 2011

Permacon has announced the dates for its Spring Tour 2011 Seminars. For Golden Horseshoe Chapter members, the closest event is on Mar. 1 at Carmen’s, 1520 Stone Church Rd. East, Hamilton. The program includes educational seminars on
Sustainable Landscaping by Sean James, Pricing and Estimating for Profit
by George Urvari, Proper Installation of Polymeric Sand, Sealers, etc.,
and a keynote speech by Theresa Syer. The day is free of charge and
also includes product workshops, lunch, gifts, a mini trade show and even
a chance at a door prize. Register here.

Peel Halton Job Fair, Mar. 30

Employers have the opportunity to recruit and interview potential
candidates on-site at the Peel Halton Job Fair at the International
Centre, Hall Five, 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga. The event begins at
10 a.m. and runs to 4 p.m. The one-day job fair serves the Peel and
Halton regions. For more information, go to Job Fair.

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

Job Fair, Feb. 16
Landscape Ontario members from the London Chapter are invited to take part in the annual Future Employment
Ontario Job Fair. This event is being held at the Carousel Room of the Western Fair in London, Ont., from 9:30 a.m. to 12-noon. For more information, contact Emilie Pilon-David at 519-850-2236, ext. 242, or emilie@acfo-ls.org.

CLP Strategic Planning module, Feb. 22

The strategic planning module session will review the process of
establishing a strategic plan for your business. The session will take
place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at TLC Professional Landscape, 2026 Oxford
St. E., London. It is strongly suggested that each participant read and
review the CLP manuals prior to taking each course and exam for best
success. Cost is $115 for LO members, and $192 for non-members. For more
information and to register go to London seminars.

CLP module overview, Feb. 25
The CLP module Risk, Contracts and Legal Requirements covers risk
management, contract law and business structures. This topic will help
the business owner to minimize day-to-day risk. The second part of the
day is geared towards the CLP module, Marketing and Sales Management.
Topics include pricing strategies, market research, promotion,
competitive bidding, contract negotiation, as well as customer service
and effective communication. The seminar will operate from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m. at TLC Professional Landscape 2026 Oxford St. E., London. Cost is $115 for LO members, and $192 for non-members. For more
information and to register go to London seminars.

Permacon Spring Tour 2011

Permacon

has announced the dates for its Spring Tour 2011 Seminars. For London
Chapter members, the closest event is on Mar. 1 at Carmen’s, 1520 Stone
Church Rd. East, Hamilton. The program includes educational seminars on Sustainable Landscaping by Sean James, Pricing and Estimating for Profit
by George Urvari, Proper Installation of Polymeric Sand, Sealers, etc.,
and a keynote speech by Theresa Syer. The day is free of charge and
also includes product workshops, lunch, gifts, a mini trade show and even
a chance at a door prize. Register here.

London Chapter meeting, Mar. 8

Chapter members will meet at Lamplighter Inn, Royal Palm Room, 591
Wellington Rd. S., London, at 7 p.m., following a social hour starting at
6 p.m. There is no charge for this meeting. For more information,
contact Wendy Harry at 519-488-0818, or 1-888-211-5606, ext. 2356, or wharry@landscapeontario.com.

Ottawa Chapter this week

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

One week left to register online for GreenTrade Expo

Mark your calendars and register to attend GreenTrade Expo on Wed., Feb. 16, at
Lansdowne Park, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Meet with over 75 exhibitors; attend free business education seminars;
visit the new product showcase to see our industry’s latest innovations.
Events include an MTO/snow contractors’ breakfast, and profit
builders’ luncheon, featuring Ottawa 67’s winning coach Brian Kilrea.
Only online registration gives the chance to win one of five great door
prizes. Don’t miss out on the limitless networking opportunities.
Register  online. For more information got to www.greentrade.ca, or contact Martha.

Portfolio Preparation workshop, Feb. 14

There are still spaces at a one-day workshop, Portfolio Preparations: Grading,
Drainage and Construction Details Technical drawings such as
construction details and grading and drainage plans have been stumbling
blocks for many CLD applicants. This workshop will
help CLD candidates have a better understanding on how to prepare these
drawings, and the information needed to create them. The instructor is
Beth Edney CLD, multiple award-winning designer. Lunch is not included.
Cost is $115 for LO members, and $192 for non-members. Please note the new location for all of this winter’s professional development seminars is Ottawa District Hockey Association, 1247 Kilborn Place, Ottawa. Register for the workshop, and check more info at Ottawa seminars.

Permacon Spring Tour 2011

Permacon

has announced the dates for its Spring Tour 2011 Seminars. For Ottawa Chapter members, the closest event is on Mar. 10 at 2011 Hampton Inn and Convention Centre, 200 Coventry Rd., Ottawa. Educational seminars include
Sustainable Landscaping by Sean James, Pricing and Estimating for Profit
by George Urvari, Proper Installation of Polymeric Sand, Sealers, etc.,
and a keynote speech by Theresa Syer. The day is free of charge and
also includes product workshops, lunch, gifts, a mini trade show and even
a chance at a door prize. Register here.

Winter seminars underway
Check out the Ottawa Chapter Winter course schedule here.

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

Humber College job fair, Feb. 23
Humber College is working in partnership with Landscape Ontario to host a
job fair for students currently enrolled in Horticulture
Pre-Apprenticeship and Landscape Design programs. The students are available
for hire and eager to work in the summer and/or fall of 2011. The job
fair will run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 205 Humber College Blvd.,
Toronto. Employers planning to attend are asked to register with
Landscape Ontario’s Rachel Cerelli at rachel@landscapeontario.com, or Humber College’s Terrie Greco at terrie.greco@humber.ca.


Toronto Chapter meeting, Mar. 3
Join the Toronto chapter at the Toronto Botanical Gardens, 777 Lawrence Avenue East, at 6:30 p.m.
for a panel discussion on What to Charge for Design and Build – Breaking
Out your Pricing?
For more information, contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com.

Permacon Spring Tour 2011

Permacon
has announced the dates for its Spring Tour 2011 Seminars. For Toronto Chapter members, the closest event is on Mar. 3 at Markham
Event
Centre, 95 Duffield Dr., Markham. The day includes educational seminars on
Sustainable Landscaping by Sean James, Pricing and Estimating for Profit
by George Urvari, Proper Installation of Polymeric Sand, Sealers, etc.,
and a keynote speech by Theresa Syer. The day is free of charge and
also includes product workshops, lunch, gifts, a mini trade show and even
a chance at a door prize. Register here.

Peel Halton Job Fair, Mar. 30

Employers have the opportunity to recruit and interview potential
candidates on-site at the Peel Halton Job Fair at the International
Centre, Hall Five, 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga. The event begins at
10 a.m. and runs to 4 p.m. The one-day job fair serves the Peel and
Halton regions. For more information, go to Job Fair.

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

Upper Canada Chapter meeting, March 9

Join the Upper Canada Chapter at the Strathcona Paper Centre in Napanee, for this highly anticipated MTO session, starting at 2 p.m. Two reasons
for attending: staying safe and staying compliant. Learn what’s new this
year in record keeping, load securement, general maintenance standards,
etc. This is considered the most important meeting of the year and will include elections for the 2011 chapter board. Back by
popular request is Frank Collins of Pro-Tech Transportation &
Industrial Safety Training Services. For more information, contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com.

One week left to register online for GreenTrade Expo

Mark your calendars and register to attend GreenTrade Expo on Wed., Feb. 16, at
Lansdowne Park, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Meet with over 75 exhibitors; attend free business education seminars;
visit the new product showcase to see our industry’s latest innovations.
Events include an MTO/snow contractors’ breakfast, and profit
builders’ luncheon, featuring Ottawa 67’s winning coach Brian Kilrea.
Only online registration gives the chance to win one of five great door
prizes. Don’t miss out on the limitless networking opportunities.
Register  online. For more information got to www.greentrade.ca, or contact Martha.


Portfolio Preparation workshop, Feb. 14

There are still spaces in a one-day workshop, Portfolio Preparations: Grading,
Drainage and Construction Details Technical drawings such as
construction details and grading and drainage plans have been stumbling
blocks for many CLD applicants. This workshop will
help CLD candidates have a better understanding on how to prepare these
drawings and the information needed to create them. The instructor is
Beth Edney CLD, multiple award-winning designer. Lunch is not included.
Cost is $115 for LO members, and $192 for non-members. Please note the new location for all of this winter’s professional development seminars is Ottawa District Hockey Association, 1247 Kilborn Place, Ottawa. Register for the workshop, and check more info at Ottawa seminars.

Permacon Spring Tour 2011

Permacon

has announced the dates for its Spring Tour 2011 Seminars. For Upper Canada
Chapter members, the closest event is on Mar. 10 at 2011 Hampton Inn and
Convention Centre, 200 Coventry Rd., Ottawa. Educational seminars
include
Sustainable Landscaping by Sean James, Pricing and Estimating for Profit
by George Urvari, Proper Installation of Polymeric Sand, Sealers, etc.,
and a keynote speech by Theresa Syer. The day is free of charge and
also includes product workshops, lunch, gifts, a mini trade show and even
a chance at a door prize. Register here.

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

Waterloo Chapter meeting, Mar. 2

Join the Waterloo Chapter at the Knights of Columbus, 145 Dearborn
Place, Waterloo, from 7 to 9 p.m. for an informative presentation about
locates by Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance (ORCGA). The Chapter
will also hold its elections for the coming year. For more information,
contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com.

Permacon Spring Tour 2011

Permacon

has announced the dates for its Spring Tour 2011 Seminars. For Waterloo
Chapter members, the closest event is on Mar. 1 at Carmen’s, 1520 Stone
Church Rd. East, Hamilton. Educational seminars include
Sustainable Landscaping by Sean James, Pricing and Estimating for Profit
by George Urvari, Proper Installation of Polymeric Sand, Sealers, etc.,
and a keynote speech by Theresa Syer. The day is free of charge and
also includes product workshops, lunch, gifts, a mini trade show and even
a chance at a door prize. Register here.

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

Windsor Chapter meeting, Feb. 24

Join the Windsor Chapter at Dominion Golf Course, 6125 Howard Avenue,
LaSalle, from 12 to 3 p.m. for a presentation by the Landscape Management
Network (LMN). Lunch is included. For more information contact Helen
Hassard at hhassard@landscapeontario.com.


Employer Day, Feb. 23
The St. Clair College Landscape Horticulture Club is hosting
Employer Day on Wed., Feb. 23, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Landscape Ontario member companies are invited to participate in order to help fill any
employment needs, and to also help the students with their own
employment decisions. Students will come prepared with resumes and
questions and employers will be asked to give a brief overview of their
operations. If you are interested in attending, please contact Jay
Terryberry at 519-972-2727, ext. 2874, or jterryberry@stclaircollege.ca before
Feb. 17. There is free parking and refreshments.

Permacon Spring Tour 2011

Permacon

has announced the dates for its Spring Tour 2011 Seminars. For Windsor
Chapter members, the closet event is on Mar. 1 at Carmen’s, 1520 Stone
Church Rd. East, Hamilton. Educational seminars include
Sustainable Landscaping by Sean James, Pricing and Estimating for Profit
by George Urvari, Proper Installation of Polymeric Sand, Sealers, etc.,
and a keynote speech by Theresa Syer. The day is free of charge and
also include product workshops, lunch, gifts, a mini trade show and even
a chance at a door prize. Register here.

LO this week

February Horticulture
Review
online
Read the
latest news of interest to Landscape Ontario members in the February
edition of Horticulture
Review.
This month features comprehensive stories on Congress 2011, details on the plans for the Green for Life garden at Canada Blooms, research into a possible new Canadian-found weapon against the emerald ash borer, Toronto Chapter’s project to assist Sick Kids Hospital, in
addition to all the regular columns and features.
Click
here to
read the February issue of Horticulture
Review. Anyone may sign up to receive the a free HR
online
subscription by
clicking
here.

Garden Inspiration 2011: Order your bulk copies!

Once again, Landscape Ontario is producing Garden Inspiration, a
64-page, all-colour magazine, featuring award-winning landscapes and
exciting new plants for 2011. Its unique flip format also features the
Canada Blooms Show Guide. Cartons of 100 can be shipped direct in
mid-March, or picked up at LO home office in Milton. Cost is $67 per
carton delivered, or $54 per carton picked up in Milton, both prices
include tax. Download an order form, or contact Angela Lindsay, alindsay@landscapeontario.com , 647-723-5305.

Building your Prosperity seminar, Feb. 17
The
introductory Prosperity Partnership seminar will get you started on to
the road of success. The next program is scheduled for Landscape Ontario
home office at 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton. It is intended to help
green industry members clarify what they excel at and what components of
their business need 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.

Landscape Lighting Symposium, Feb. 24
Internationally-known designer Jan Moyer will speak on
LEDs, and George Gruel will address how to
properly shoot photographs of night lighting projects at the Feb. 24
event. Last year, the symposium was sold out, resulting in a move to the
larger Grand Chalet venue in Milton this year. Register here and click here to view flyer.


Industry Canada creates SME benchmarking tool

Industry Canada has created a web page benchmarking tool which provides
background information on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The
program provides access to industry averages for income statement and
balance sheet items, financial ratios and information on profitability
for small- and medium-sized businesses, and features detailed financial
data on more than 600 industries across Canada, including more than 30
performance benchmarks to help small businesses determine how they
measure up to their competitors. To access the page go to
Benchmarking.

NEW employee handbook for garden centres

The Garden Centre Sector Group of Landscape Ontario has created a
template that all business owners can adopt and modify for their
business. This initiative was done to help you create consistency of
behaviour, training and job safety for garden centre employees. The
template is considered a guideline only, and employers are reminded to
make sure they are in compliance with up-to-date legislation. The
handbook template can be downloaded from Landscape Ontario’s website, Employee Handbook.