Toronto this week: November 10, 2010

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

Humber College apprenticeship program information session
On Nov. 23, Humber College is holding an information session on the Horticulture Technician program. Space is
limited, so to confirm attendance or find out more, contact Sally Harvey
or Rachel Cerelli at Landscape Ontario, 1-800-265-5656, ext.315 or 326, or
email sharvey@landscapeontario.com, or rachelc@landscapeontario.com .

Tree Portraits calendar is now available
The 2011 Toronto Tree Portraits Calendar is now available through the
Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation. Proceeds from the calendar are
directed towards preserving, enhancing and increasing Toronto’s trees
and urban forest. To learn more about the calendars, or to place an order, go to Calendar, or phone 416-397-5178.

 LO this week

November Horticulture
Review
online
Read the
latest news of interest to Landscape Ontario members in the November
edition of Horticulture Review.
This month features a comphrensive report on LO’s Expo, including the Garden Centre awards presentation, a story about the new sod growers’ certification program, 2011 WSIB rates, and lots of letters from readers, in addition to the regular columns.
Click
here to
access the November issue of Horticulture
Review. Staff members may sign up to receive the a free HR online subscription by clicking here.

Launch of the Green
Infrastructure Coalition on Nov. 22
Landscape Ontario, as part of the
Green Infrastructure Coalition, will help to raise awareness for our industry’s
value. Celebrate the launch of the Green
Infrastructure Coalition on Nov. 22, from 8:45 a.m. to noon, at 550 Bayview Ave, Toronto.
Registration is free, however, space is limited. Click on Green Infrastructure Coalition by Nov. 15 to
register. 

Cash prize for innovative project
Are you working on an
innovative project or do you have an innovative product?  You could win a cash prize through the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Program.
Applications must be in by Nov. 15. The awards program includes
the Premier’s Award (up to $100,000), the Minister’s Award (up to $50,000) and
up to 55 regional awards of $5,000 each. For more information, go to Innovation, or call 1-877-424-1300.

Paver Installer Course, Nov. 22 – 23
ICPI Concrete Paver Installer Course will take place on Nov.
22 and 23, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Peel Landscape Depot, 44 Armstrong Avenue, Georgetown. To register, go to Paver Course,
and refer to flyer for more information. This course is sponsored by
Techo-Bloc.

Is Canada ready for a designated TV channel on gardening?
Landscape Ontario
is reaching out to find out how gardening enthusiasts feel about the present
state of television offerings. The association has developed a quick,
four-question online survey on the possibility of a 24-hour gardening specialty
channel. The survey will run until Nov. 30. To access the survey, click on Garden
TV.

Professional development seminars in November 

Quit hoping for
Profit, Plan on it, Nov. 15
Skid Steer
Training, Nov. 16
Rain Garden
seminar, Nov. 18
Building your Prosperity, Nov. 18
Seal the Deal,
Nov. 18
Workplace of
Choice, Nov. 19
Quit hoping for Profit, Plan on it, Nov. 29

To register or get more information, click seminars.

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.

Building Your Prosperity, Nov. 18
The introductory Prosperity Partnership seminars will get you started on to the
road of success. This program on Nov. 18 at Landscape Ontario home office, 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton, 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. Cost of
workshop includes lunch. To register click here.
Take this free online survey, posted at www.horttrades.com.

Landscape Industry Certified written test, Dec. 3
At Landscape Ontario home office, Milton, written
tests in all categories of Landscape Industry Certified will take place
on Dec. 3. To access the new Ontario Test Application, click here.

Financial information session for nursery growers, Dec. 7
AAC
Farmers’ Financial is holding a complimentary information session on
how to use the advance payment program for nursery growers, lease
financing options and operations improvement tax credits. The session at the Best Western Beacon Harbourside, Jordan, runs from 7 to 9 p.m. To reserve a seat, email abenedict@accfinancial.ca. If you cannot attend, but want more information, contact ACC Farmers’ Financial at 1-888-278-8807.

New member applications
Express yourself in LO’s online forums