Ottawa this week: September 29, 2010

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

Lunch and Learn Chapter meeting, Oct.
26

The chapter is trying a new format for the first meeting
this fall and is asking for members’ support. Last year members said
that sunny days in October must be worked and a meeting took second
priority. The Chapter board is hoping that because one must stop for
lunch, even on the job, there is opportunity to come to a meeting, have lunch, listen to the speaker
and network with colleagues — and still be back on the job early in the afternoon! Mark
Burleton, manager of grounds and greenhouses at the Official Residences,
National Capital Commission, will speak on attracting and keeping employees in
the new economy. Meet and greet at the RA Centre is at 10:45 a.m.,
followed by the Chapter meeting at 11, lunch at 11:45 to noon, the speaker at
12:15, and back to work at 1. Tickets are available online for $21, up to
one week prior to the event. Members may also attend the meeting and lecture
only. Please click here to register,
or contact Martha Walsh at mwalsh@landscapeontario.com for further information.

Apprenticeship: Education for a career
Give someone an education for a career in the real world. As business
owners and members of Landscape Ontario, you understand the importance
of skilled tradespeople. The Horticulture Technician Apprenticeship
program at the University of Guelph, Kemptville Campus provides a
comprehensive program of theory, complemented by practical instruction.
To learn more about the program starting on Nov. 15th, go
www.kemptvillec.uoguelph.ca and register, or
contact the MTCU office at 800-387-5656.

LO this week

Marsh Canada named new HortProtect insurance carrier
Marsh Canada has been appointed as the exclusive insurance and risk management broker for the HortProtect Property and Casualty Insurance Program. The announcement came through the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA), with the changeover effective Sept. 15. For more information, contact Joel Beatson CLP, CAE at CNLA, 1-888-446-3499, ext. 8620. To read more, go to Insurance.

Salt application research study
The Snow and Ice Management Sector Group of Landscape Ontario has commissioned a research study aimed to develop an optimum and defensible standard for salt application rates for parking lots. The research team wants to extend the data collection outside the Waterloo area. Registration for the program is through Tony DiGiovanni, who may be contacted at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 2304, or tonydigiovanni@landscapeontario.com. The deadline for registration is Nov. 1. For more information, go to Research Study.

Early bird pricing for Expo ends Oct. 1
Register by Oct. 1 and save with early bird pricing for the Garden Centre Symposium, Landscape Designers’ Breakfast, Interior Plantscape Breakfast and the Expo trade show. Canada’s fall buying show for the garden centre and floral industries, formerly called Garden & Floral Expo, runs Oct. 19 ï¿½ 20. Pricing for all events increases after Oct. 1. Click on Expo for more information about all the great attractions coming up at the Toronto Congress Centre.

Awards of Excellence deadline, Oct. 4
The deadline for the 2010 Awards of Excellence Construction,
Maintenance, Design and Interior Plantscaping Program is Oct. 4 at 4
p.m. To register and/or submit entries, go to awards program. For more information on the popular awards program click here.

Enter proposal for garden at Canada Blooms
Reminders have
gone out that the application date for garden design proposals at Canada
Blooms is Oct. 15. Proposals will be reviewed by
the Design Review Committee and entries notified by email if chosen to proceed.
Click to view the layout
of feature gardens. Complete an application
and return it by email to info@canadablooms.com,
or fax 416-447-1567. Canada Blooms will take place from Mar. 15
to 20 at the Direct Energy Centre.

Great speakers at Garden Centre
Symposium
Interest is escalating for one of the most exciting lineup of speakers to take
part in Landscape Ontario’s
Garden Centre Symposium. It’s all set to come together on Mon., Oct. 18, from
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Berton Room at Toronto Congress Centre. To see
much more about this great event, click on Symposium.

Landscape Designers breakfast Oct. 19
Come out to the Landscape
Designer’s Breakfast at the Toronto Congress Centre.
Featured speaker is Theresa Syer of Syer Hospitality Group, one of today’s most
influential voices on creating memorable customer experiences. The event is
held in conjunction with Expo. Tickets start at $50. Register
today!

Interior Plantscape Breakfast, Oct. 20
Some of North America’s
leading interior plantscape companies will engage in a panel discussion at the Interior
Plantscape Breakfast on how the greening of indoor environments is changing.
The breakfast begins at 8 a.m. and goes to 10 a.m. at the Toronto Congress Centre. To find out more about the
breakfast and all the other great activities at Expo, go to www.loexpo.ca.

LO day October 15: Argos vs. Ti-Cats
Put
on your black and gold, or double blue, and celebrate Landscape Ontario
Day at the Rogers Centre for just $25, to see the Toronto Argonauts
play their rivals, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. LO has set aside a block of
tickets for our members to enjoy a fun day out and a great networking
opportunity. Open to all LO members across the province, Windsor to
Upper Canada. Buses will be available to bring in members from
surrounding areas, based on demand. Contact Helen Hassard, 905-875-1805 ext. 354, for sponsorship info.

Wanna be a TV star?
Tricon Films and Television is casting for a female garden landscape artist/designer to host a new outdoor show. The person must be between the ages of 25 to 38, with a strong portfolio of work. Television experience is preferred, but not a requirement. Send a headshot, resume, demo reel (if you have one), and a sample of your portfolio to saida@triconfilms.com. The deadline for submissions is Oct. 15.

Job board at Expo 2010

Employers and employees are invited to post job opportunities and resumes on LO’s Employment Board at Expo 2010. Only Active, Interim and Associate LO members are permitted to post help wanted ads. Advertisements and resumes are to be submitted to Rachel Cerelli by Oct. 14, to be eligible for posting on the board. Opportunities can also be posted for free on LO’s Online Job Board. Visit www.locc.ca and follow the instructions. Questions? Find out more information at Job Board, or contact Rachel Cerelli at rachelc@landscapeontario.com.

Irrigation seminars begin the week of Oct. 25
The schedule of fall seminars begins with the 2010

ABCs of Irrigation on Mon., Oct. 25, Fundamentals of Irrigation Design on Tues., Oct. 26, Installation Steps and Practices on
Wed., Oct. 27, Controllers, Sensors and Scheduling on Thurs., Oct. 28, and Irrigation Component Troubleshooting on Fri., Oct. 29.
For more details and to register
click here.

Free webinar on succession

SB Partners and Landscape Ontario are offering a series of free webinars on planning for succession. The first webinar, Reality Check, assesses where you are in your life plan, business career and future expectations is scheduled for Oct. 13. Each webinar runs from 4 to 5 p.m. Both the brochure and registration were included in the September issue of Horticulture Review. To view them online click on Registration Form, or to see the brochure, click on Succession.

Save money with Safety Groups

The 2011 Safety Groups Program is set to begin a new season. Designed to promote health and safety in
the workplace, this program provides mentoring, pooling of
resources and sharing of best practices between member firms, their
sponsor and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Member
firms can receive, along with improved safety records, financial
benefits in the form of rebates from the WSIB.
The Safety Groups Program is administered by the WSIB. It has received high approval ratings from
participating members.
For more information, and to download a 2011 Safety Group application
form,
click here.

Road work at LO home office
From
now to mid-November, there will be NO ACCESS to the LO site from
Steeles Ave. The LO home office is only accessible from Derry Road, on
the south. Please see the detour map. Signs are also placed along the detour routes.