Upper Canada this week: March 9, 2011

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

Permacon Spring Tour 2011

Permacon

has announced the dates for its Spring Tour 2011 Seminars. For Upper Canada
Chapter members, the closest event is on Mar. 10 at 2011 Hampton Inn and
Convention Centre, 200 Coventry Rd., Ottawa. Educational seminars
include
Sustainable Landscaping by Sean James, Pricing and Estimating for Profit
by George Urvari, Proper Installation of Polymeric Sand, Sealers, etc.,
and a keynote speech by Theresa Syer. The day is free of charge and
also includes product workshops, lunch, gifts, a mini trade show and even
a chance at a door prize. Register here.

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 Familiarization, 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.

Upper Canada Training Session, Mar. 24

Come out to 698 Station Road, Gananoque at 8:30 a.m. for skid steer
(bucket and forks) certification. Participants will receive laminated
certification cards. Participants must bring their PPE, and everyone on
the site must have CSA footwear. Cost is $125 for LO members and $150
for potential members. Lunch will be provided by the the Upper Canada
Chapter. Food bank donations are appreciated. To register or learn more,
contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, helen@landscapeontario.com.

Skid steer certification, Mar. 24
Come
out to 698 Station Road, Gananoque at 8:30 a.m. for skid steer (bucket and forks)
certification. Participants will receive laminated certification cards.
Participants must bring their PPE, and everyone on site is to have CSA
footwear. Cost is $125 for LO members and $150 for potential members.
Lunch will be provided by the chapter. Food bank donations are
appreciated. To register or learn more, contact Helen Hassard at 1-800-265-5656, ext. 354, or helen@landscapeontario.com.

LO this week

Canada Blooms opening night party, Mar. 15

Don’t miss opening night party at Canada Blooms at the Direct Energy
Centre, starting at 6:30. Enjoy special guided tours of the award-winning gardens, demonstrations by floral superstars Frank Ferragine,
Albert Graves, Neville Mackay and Paul Zammit, along with a special
salute to the 40th Anniversary of the JUNO Awards. There is also a
silent auction, wine tasting, a cash bar and free parking. Highlight of
the evening will be a special musical performance by JUNO Award winner
Carolyn Dawn Johnson. To order tickets, or to see more information, go
to Canada Blooms.

Horticulture Review online

Read the latest news of interest to Landscape Ontario members in the
March edition of Horticulture Review. This month features LO’s Canada Blooms garden project manager Tim Kearney on the team-build experience, the Growers’ Short Course, Chapter happenings, the new social media, a new landscape magazine launched by an LO member, and another member is a founding member of the Gleaners, as well as the regular columns and
features. Click here to read the March issue of Horticulture Review. Anyone may sign up to receive a free subscription to the electronic version of HR by clicking here.



LO Industry Night: RSVP ASAP!

Landscape Ontario’s invitation to Industry Night at Canada Blooms
requires an rsvp by Mar. 10. An invitation to the Mar. 17 event was
included in the February issue of Horticulture Review. The Landscape
Lecture Series features
well-known speakers Mark Hartley and Mark Bradley at 3:30 in Room 103. The 
Industry Night reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by the Canada
Blooms Awards Program. To RSVP, contact Kathleen Pugliese at kpugliese@landscapeontario.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.

Submit project for Greenbuild tour

Have you worked on a sustainable community project? The 2011 Greenbuild
Conference is coming to Toronto on Oct. 4 to 7,and is looking for
sustainable sites to place on its tour. Deadline for location
submissions in Mar.12. Click here to download the Proposals form.

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.

CLP Risk, Contracts and Legal requirements module, Mar. 10
The CLP module Risk, Contracts and Legal Requirements covers risk
management, contract law and business structures. This topic will help
the business owner to minimize day-to-day risk. The second part of the
day, on the CLP module Marketing and Sales Management, covers an
important component of your strategic plan and a major pillar guiding
healthy growth. The seminar will take place at the LO home office from 9
a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Visit www.clp.canadanursery.com, or call
1-888-446-3499 for more details. Cost for LO members is $115, and for
non-members it is $192. To register, go to CLP

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.