Upper Canada this week: March 16, 2011

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

Upper Canada training session, Mar. 23
Come
out to 698 Station Road, Gananoque at 8:30 a.m. to learn about WHMIS, Bill 168, Lawn Care
Equipment Certification, Risk Assessment, Managing Compliance and
Hazard Recognition. Participants must bring their PPE, and everyone on site is
to have CSA footwear. Cost for both members and potential members is a
food bank donation. Lunch will be provided by the Chapter. To register
or learn more, contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com.

LO this week

Landscape Ontario greets visitors entering
Canada Blooms
Don’t
miss the LO garden at Canada Blooms,
running through Sunday in the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition
Place. Over 40 member companies came together in a co-operative building effort,
and the stunning result makes the festival and our industry proud! Opening day attendance filled the aisles as visitors took advantage of what’s new for this year’s gardening. For more
information, visit www.canadablooms.com.

Green for Life Survey: Find out what your customers think!

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.

Keep employees informed with e-news
Each week members of Landscape Ontario receive the latest and relevant
information on what is happening in their association and industry. But
many employees of members are not receiving this information because
they are not signed up for the LO e-newsletter. All it takes is a name,
email address and Chapter location. Send the information to LO This Week and start having your staff stay informed.

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.

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.

Erosion and Sediment Control Workshop, Apr. 6

Only 10 spots remain in a one-day interactive workshop will target
strategies to develop an effective Erosion and Sediment Control Plan for construction sites. The fundamental steps in
designing an ESC Plan will follow the industry’s guidelines and
integrate techniques that make the plan usable on a construction
project. The workshop will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the
Earth Rangers Building, The Living City Campus at Kortright, Vaughan.
Cost is $350, plus HST, and includes lunch and course materials. For
more information, or to register go to Erosion Workshop.