London this week: Sept. 21, 2011

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

Certification testing canceled
Landscape Industry Certified tests at St. Clair College on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 have been canceled. For more information, contact Rachel Cerelli.

Fanshawe College hosts written certification evaluation
There will be a written evaluation opportunity for all Landscape Industry Certified designations at Fanshawe College on Nov. 5. Technicians, this was created to complement your out-of-town practical exams held in Milton last July, or coming up in Milton Oct. 24 and at St. Clair College on Sept. 30. Click here for more information or to register, or contact Rachel Cerellli.

LO this week

Professional Development
Guide now online
LO’s Professional Development
Guide contains 60 pages of educational opportunities to meet ever
sector’s needs. Watch for the guide with the October issue of Horticulture
Review. You may also access the guide online by simply clicking Development Guide.

Early bird savings on Landscape Industry Certified tests

Don’t hesitate to register now for early bird savings to obtain Landscape Industry certification.
On Oct. 24 (practical test day) and Oct. 25 (written test day), we will
test at the LO home office in Milton, 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.

Attention all Ontario growers
CNLA, LO
and Vineland Research and Innovation Centre invite Ontario growers to join a visiting delegation of
German nursery growers for a morning filled with information exchange,
tours and presentations at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre,
Rittenhouse Hall, 4890 Victoria Ave. North. The tour will take place
Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and there is no charge to attend. Please
rsvp by Sept. 26 to Jane Leworthy at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 301. See flyer for more information.

Vineland open house highlights
innovation, Sept. 22

Vineland
Innovation and Research Centre is holding an open house to show
the latest science and technology innovations for the horticulture
industry. The event will feature Glen Hodgson, Chief economist for
the Conference Board of Canada, Mark Cullen, chair of the Centre for
Horticultural Research and Innovation, and Dr. Jim Brandle, ceo of the
Vineland Centre. Organizers ask that attendees rsvp by Sept. 16, to
Kathryn Goodish at 905-562-0320, or
kathryn.goodish@vinelandresearch.com.

Sheridan hosts farm tour,
Sept. 23

Sheridan Nurseries is hosting a farm tour at its
Georgetown location, 12302 Tenth Line, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The tour
will highlight the expansion of Sheridan’s new varieties program, growing
techniques, pot-in-pot container trees, state of the art water recapture
and retention system, and much more. For more information, contact
b2b@sheridannurseries.com.

Taking a Good Garden Centre and Making it Great
At
Expo 2011, Karl Stensson, president of Sheridan Nurseries, will share
what he has learned, and explore how to display plants and products and improve traffic flow through the store. Garden centres will learn
how to sell more products and increase average sales. This
networking event includes the Awards of Excellence Ceremony for the growers and garden centre programs and will take place
during Landscape
Ontario’s Expo 2011, on Wed., Oct. 19, at 7:30 a.m. Register before Oct.
7 for early bird pricing of $55 for members at www.loexpo.ca.

Oakville hosts Sports Turf
Association’s Field Day, Sept. 22

The 24th Annual Sports Turf Association’s Field Day is set for
Oakville’s Glen Abbey Community Centre, 1415 Third Line. Educational
sessions will include water conservation and irrigation control, weeds
be gone, fertility and fertilizer technologies. The speaker roster
includes Rob Cook, Rain Bird Canada Services; Pam Charbonneau, OMAFRA;
Dr. Eric Lyons, University of Guelph, and Constable Carla Draper, Halton
Regional Police Service. Three of the four sessions have been
accredited by the IPM Council of Canada for Continuing Education
Credits. To find out more go to
Sports turf day.

Business best practices offered at fall seminars
Landscape Ontario helps you navigate the path to prosperity with a wide range of practical fall seminars:
NEW! Sales vs. Marketing: What is the Difference? Nov. 7
Chainsaw Training, Nov. 7 and 8
Building Your Prosperity, Nov. 9
CLD- Equipped to Design, Nov. 10
Rain Gardens, Nov. 17
NEW! Intro-Sage Simply Accounting, Nov. 21
NEW! WSIB Claims Management Tips, Nov. 22
NEW! Rapport and Relationship Building, Nov. 23
Risk Management & the Law in Construction: Avoiding Problems & Getting Paid, Nov. 25
Dry Stone Walling 101, Nov. 28 and 29
NEW! Envirobond Certified Installer, Nov. 29
NEW! Close the Sale! Dec.5
Building Your Prosperity, Dec. 7
Great Landscape Contractors, Great Landscape Businesses, Dec. 12 and 13

Equipment education and golf forum, Oct. 6

The Ontario Parks Association is hosting an equipment education and golf
forum at the world-class Rattlesnake Point Golf Club. This will be a
day full of education, fresh air, and golfing! In addition to spending
the day at an incredible golf course, meet face-to-face with vendors and
learn about their products and how they can help you in your day-to-day
world as parks professionals. Go online now and sign up
at golfing, or if if interested in sponsorship opportunities.

Purchasing for sustainable
profit and competitive advantage

George Szewchuk, principal of Szewchuk and Associates, will share his
wisdom on how to ensure that your purchasing function is optimized for
increased and sustainable profit, as well as competitive advantage. The
presentation through SB Partners will take place on Sept 23, from 8 to
10:30 a.m. at Hilton Garden Inn, 85 Syscon Road, Burlington. There is no
charge for the presentation, but seating is limited. To register or learn more about the free information series go to SB Partners.

Smart about Salt training opportunity
Take a one-day explanatory course on Smart about Salt, the 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. Wed., Sept. 28 at Waterloo Region Op’s Centre, 100 Maple Grove Rd., Cambridge.

Annual jazz party helping cancer centre
For the eighth consecutive year, LO member Pathways to Perennials is
hosting its Charity Art and Jazz Garden Party to benefit the Southlake
Regional Cancer Centre. This year’s event is set for Sept. 29, from 6 to
9 p.m. Tickets are $40 each, or $75 per couple. Click here to locate
Pathways to Perennials. Guests can enjoy 11 acres of gardens along with the musical talents
of The Trilogy Jazz Project. International sculptor, Brett Davis will
showcase his latest pieces during a presentation of his European
inspirations. For tickets or more information, call 905-939-8680, or
email angie@pathwaystoperennials.com.

Special Award nominations are open
The Special Awards program is open for nomination until Oct. 3, at 4 p.m. Nominations are accepted in writing; email to awards@landscapeontario.com, in 800 words or less. Include reasons for the nomination, as well as your relationship to the nominee. You may not nominate yourself, or an employee of your company. A list of Special Awards can be found at www.loawards.com.

Workshop to help landscape
business owners

Entitled, ‘Close More Jobs!,’ Sandler Training Centre in Milton is
offering landscape business owners a one-day workshop hosted by Andrew
Wall. The workshop will take place on Oct. 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Seating is limited, so reserve early at workshop.
The cost is $50, plus HST, and includes lunch. All fees from
registration will be donated to the United Way of Milton.

Job Board at Expo
As a member of Landscape Ontario, you are exclusively entitled to post
employment ads. on LO’s Job Board at this season’s trade shows.
Take advantage of the job board, now. The deadline for Expo is Oct. 12.

Greenbuild International Conference in Toronto
For the first time ever, Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
will hold its annual convention outside the U.S. The Metro
Toronto Convention Centre will house the event Oct. 4-7. The latest innovations in
green building will be showcased. To find
out more about the conference and exhibition go to Greenbuild. To view a slide presentation of green buildings go to Buildings.

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 Conversations on Design
Landscape architect Chris Clayton
will host four Wednesday evening events entitled Four Conversations on Design. Plan to attend Oct. 5, 12, 19 and 26, at Clayton’s home near the Lawrence subway stop, a five-minute drive from the 401.
The cost to participants is only $10 per evening. The event is suitable
for recent college or university graduates, as well as young garden
designers. Each evening is likely to span about three hours.
For more information, contact cjclayton@sympatico.ca.