LO 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.

Georgian Lakelands Chapter this week
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Kick-off to spring barbecue, Apr. 20

Join the Georgian Lakelands Chapter for a special Sector Group
event, as landscape contractors are invited to a kick-off to spring barbecue hosted by by G.P. Masonry, 1319 Bayfield St.,
Barrie. You don’t want to miss this great kick-off to your spring
season.  Along with great barbecue, they will fire up the pizza oven.
There will be yard tours and suppliers will showcase their 2011
products, as well as a presentation from LO’s Landscape Contractors
Sector Group. Call Lexi Dearborn at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 2317, fax
705-733-1400, or email 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

Special MTO presentation, Apr. 7

Due to snow, not all interested members could
attend the March 24 MTO meeting. To make sure you and your crew are
ready to hit the roads this spring, we are offering a second chance.
This evening event will take place at Hamilton Builders’ Supply, 1067
Barton St. E., Winona, from 6 to 9 p.m. on Apr. 7. It features Ian
Walters of the MTO and a free barbecue dinner provided by Unilock and
Hamilton Builder’s Supply. Contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext.
354, or helen@landscapeontario.com.

Beautiful Edible Garden, Apr. 20

Hear about the latest in sustainable horticulture and incorporating edible
plants into your landscape with LO member Sean James, Fern Ridge Landscaping, at Centennial Hall, Central Library, 2331 New Street, Burlington.
Presented in partnership by Burlington Sustainable Development Committee and
the Burlington Public Library, the program is scheduled to take place between 7
and 9 p.m. To register, or for more information, call 905-639-3611.

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

Volunteers needed for Spring Home and Garden Show
The London Chapter will again enter a feature garden and booth at the
Spring Home and Garden show at the Western Fairgrounds. The event is a
great opportunity to promote LO members and the Green For Life brand. Volunteers are
needed to help build and man the booth: Set-up, Wed., Apr. 6, from 8
a.m. to booth completion, and tear-down, Apr. 11, from 8 a.m. to 12-noon. Lunch
will be provided both days. Booth schedule: Fri., Apr. 8, from 12-noon
to 9 p.m., Sat., Apr. 9, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sun., Apr. 10, from 11
a.m. to 5 p.m. Duty times are in increments of two hours. Admission and
parking at the show are free. Email Jason at jason@ruralrootslandscaping.com to add your name to the schedule, or find out the times still available.

Ottawa Chapter this week

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

WHMIS training, Mar. 29

Employers are required to provide annual WHMIS training for their
workers. This seminar at Ottawa District Hockey Association, 1247
Kilborn Place, Ottawa, outlines the requirements of this law.
Enroll your staff in this training, as they have the right to know
about hazardous products they deal with at work. For more details,
contact Sheila James at 613-253-7028 or email sjames@farmsafety.ca.
Note, firms must have WSIB coverage to attend this seminar. Cost to LO
members is $16, and for non-members it is $30. The seminar begins at 9
a.m. and runs to 11 a.m. To register go to WHMIS training.

New HortProtect broker in Ottawa
Bradley’s Insurance is the new insurance broker for CNLA’s HortProtect
program in Ottawa, sub-brokering for Marsh Canada. For further
information, contact Stacy Elliott.

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

Toronto Chapter meeting, Apr. 7
Join the Toronto Chapter at York Region Equipment Centre, 37 Esna Park Rd., Markham, at 5:30 p.m. for the supplier showcase Chapter
meeting. The event will include a light dinner and elections for next year’s
Toronto Chapter board. Note: if you would like to be involved with chapter events and initiatives, you need to attend this meeting. For more information or to register for the event contact Helen Hassard
at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com.

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

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

Waterloo Chapter meeting, Apr. 6

Join the Waterloo Chapter at the Knights of Columbus, 145 Dearborn
Place, in Waterloo for the last meeting of the season. Edith George will
present an illustrated talk on heritage trees. Doors open at 6:15 p.m.,
with the meeting at 7 p.m. There’s also a 50/50 draw, sub sandwiches
and lots of great networking opportunities. Edith George is an advisor
to the Ontario Urban Forest Council and is a past director of the Weston
Historical Society. For further information, contact Helen Hassard at
1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com.

Excavation seminar, Apr. 12

Learn about safe excavation practices from Phil Bruni, plant damage prevention field manager, Union Gas Limited, Hamilton-Halton-Waterloo
District. The seminar will take place at Knights of Columbus Hall, 145
Dearborn Place, Waterloo, from 9 a.m. to 12-noon. This seminar is
perfect for lead hands, foremen and supervisors. Owners are encouraged
to attend. Cost is $10 per attendee, and maximum $25 per company.
Register by email to lowaterloochapter@hotmail.com.
An invoice will be emailed. Payment should be brought to the seminar.
Cheques are payable to Landscape Ontario Waterloo Chapter. Coleman
Equipment is sponsoring the seminar, and is having an open house on Mar. 29.

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

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.