November 11, 2022
2022 Chapter Reports
The regional needs of members are served through a network of nine chapters. Through monthly meetings and promotional activities, the chapters represent an ideal way for member companies to keep abreast of concerns regarding the profession. The two most sought after membership benefits — education and networking opportunities — are provided through the association’s regional chapter structure.
Jump to: Durham, Georgian Lakelands, Golden Horseshoe, London, Ottawa, Toronto, Upper Canada, Waterloo, Windsor
Vice President: N/A
Past President: Norm Mills
Treasurer: Carol Fulford
Secretary: Carol Fulford
Provincial Board Rep.: Christopher Muller
Directors: Bruce Cullen, Scott Lloyd, Janice Shingler
Greetings LO Community!
There isn’t a lot to report from Durham, we have been fairly quiet during COVID, and are actually looking forward to our first event in many moons at Windreach Farm in October 2022.
We thank Chris Muller for his many years of help with our Chapter as a member, and the board rep, and we wish him the best in his future endeavours. We have also lost our Student Rep Rebecca Carpenter due to her Graduation from Durham College, and a career choice outside of the industry.
Unfortunately, we are still struggling to get things going again after (during perhaps) COVID. The main focus over the winter season will be to reflect on the future of our Chapter. I hope to engage other Chapter Reps and President’s in similar positions, to strategize a plan and help our respective groups move forward with renewed energy.
I still love the idea of the “mega-guest” that presents at the same time to all Chapters, and hopefully we can keep that idea going, but time will tell.
If you would like to be a part of our executive, volunteer at our next event, or just want more information on our Chapter: Please reach out!!!
Respectfully Submitted,
Jon Agg
President, 2021- 2022
Vice President: Margot Byers
Treasurer: Ken Dutka
Secretary: Jordanna McCutcheon
Provincial Board Rep: Margot Byers
Directors: Don MacMillan
Past President: Laurie-Ann Stuart
Georgian Lakelands Chapter 2021-2022 year in review: It’s been a fantastic year of growth in our Chapter. With many new members and returning to in-person meetings, we hope to continue to grow. We were not able to complete as many Chapter events and meetings as we had hoped, but looking forward, we have some exciting events planned for 2022-2023.
September 2021
Putting Challenge - We were in the planning stages of our annual Putting Challenge in Collingwood but COVID concerns forced us to cancel the event.
October 2021
Annual BBQ - Again COVID concerns also prevented our annual summer BBQ.
December 2021
Awards of Distinction - This was a fun filled evening at Casino Rama where we were entertained with memories of the past as we celebrated our 25th Anniversary as the Georgian Lakelands Chapter. Around 100 people gathered to reminisce, network and celebrate the Award Nominees and Winners.
February 2022
Ski & Snowshoe Day - Our winter event was cancelled due to COVID concerns.
March 2022
MTO Meeting - The ever popular MTO (Ministry of Transportation) meeting was well attended with 100 registered to learn the rules of the road from MTO Officer Hank Dubee at Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club. We also held our AGM meeting with the election of the new Board of Directors.
April 2022
Designers Coffee Meeting - This meeting in Wasaga Beach was well attended with 14 Designers enjoying the day. There were a number of great speakers and lots of information. A great way to wake up our designers' creativity after the winter.
August 2022
Several of our board members had the great pleasure of attending Tony’s Farewell BBQ. Connecting with other members and listening to Tony play his gifted guitar with his band was an added bonus. We also toured the trial gardens with Roger Tschanz. A wonderful day all in all.
The Board of Directors continued to meet through Zoom in 2021 and 2022 and even managed a few in-person dinner meetings to continue planning events for our Georgian Lakelands Chapter.
Respectfully submitted,
Teresa Matamoros
Chapter President 2021-2022
Vice President: N/A
Past President: Fran MacKenzie
Treasurer: N/A
Secretary: N/A
Provincial Board Representative: Fran MacKenzie
Chapter Coordinator: Mary Thompson
Directors: John Bos, Dan Ebeyer, Jim Edmonds, Jeff Smith, Christopher Utter, Jacob Wallace, Fiore Zenone
The coronavirus pandemic has touched all our lives. For the Golden Horseshoe Chapter our first priority is the well-being of our members and doing what we can to limit the impact of the virus within our chapter. I would like to thank our LO COVID-19 Task Force for keeping us well informed.
Before I go into more detail on our chapter report for 2021/2022, I want to briefly outline our last event that took place on September 15 2022. It was our 30th annual chicken roast hosted by WPE. After a two-year break - what a night! - we had record attendance with over 400 people attending the event. It was great to reconnect with our chapter and their families. A special thanks to our board that pulled off one of our best roasts ever. Also, a very big thank you to the host sponsor WPE! Vince Borgdorff, Dan Vandenburg and their team really did an amazing job putting this event together. Their endless hours of coordinating the night really paid off, between the beautiful night and lots of activities it was a great success.
July 2022
The annual Chapter Golf Tournament took place this year at Southbrook Golf & Country Club
July 15 2022 . The 104 golfers and 125 attendees enjoyed the day at the golf course, a great meal and networking. The tournament was a success in large part to our amazing sponsors. Thank you for your support, it is truly appreciated.
November 9 2022
Chapter will be holding an all-members meeting on the implementation of Excess Soil Requirements and how this will affect all landscape contractors. We look forward to seeing our members in early November for this informative session at Vineland Research & Innovation Centre. Ontario is committed to setting clear rules supporting appropriate reuse of excess soils, and to working with municipalities and other law enforcement agencies to help put a stop to the illegal dumping of excess soil.
November 26, 2022
Our chapter will be entering a float in the Flamborough Santa Claus Parade.
Come join us for a night of wonder and magic as we light the way for Santa.
Respectfully submitted,
Chris Church
Chapter President 2022
Vice President: Greg Schaafsma
Past President: Peter Vanderley
Treasurer: Carla Bailey
Secretary: Mike Lavigne
Provincial Board Rep.: Pam Cook
Directors: Hunter Beamish, Egon Bieg, Bill Degraaf, Lauren MacKenzie, Ryan Marshall
Our 2021/22 season kicked off with the Garden Makeover Project to honour frontline worker Lisa Fernandes, an outstanding Personal Support Worker in St. Thomas.
Thanks to all of our volunteers for their time and generosity which quickly saw the evolution of the project to include regrading, sodding, garden rejuvenation, water feature installation and seating areas.
Chapter member Bob Allen organized a “One Bench | One Tree” installation at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital with the support of Beamish Landscape and Kettle Creek Landscaping. The organization supports hospital workers through the installation of a shade tree and bench in recognition of their dedication to our communities during COVID-19. Another installation through Clintar happened at London Health Sciences Centre-Victoria Campus in London.
We held a Holiday Social event in December at London’s, The Factory. It was well attended: what fun to see everyone in person again! There were all sorts of games, but I think most folks spent their time catching up with each other - a wonderful success regardless.
The 6th Annual Plant Symposium co-hosted virtually for the second time by London and Ottawa, was another big success with 210 paid participants, 19 schools and 500 students online. The Symposium has now become a Provincial function. We look forward to seeing what it can become with the wider platform and support of the whole organization. It’s great to see how ideas get shared and evolve within the group.
In February, an online Trivia night with the Kahoot platform was held: good fun and fierce competition!
Over the past couple of years, our chapter has been working with Indwell, a not-for- profit organization providing deeply affordable, supportive, sustained housing for those in need. We pledged to provide the money necessary for the installation of gardens at their new housing facility in London, Embassy Commons. We were able to turn donated goods and services into cash at a Charity Casino event. LO members have raised $140,785 for Indwell up to this point. We’re so proud of our members.
We were able to hold a recognition ceremony for our retired Regional Chapter Coordinator, Wendy Harry, with the unveiling of a tree planted in her honour at the Elevated Park in St. Thomas.
Our Baseball Tournament saw six teams competing on a hot, muggy June day for the honour of being the top team. Thanks to our sponsor Permacon for the great lunch!
Our chapter supported Women In Landscaping with their second annual “Touch a Truck” event that sees families with children able to explore machines like loaders, skid steers, bucket trucks, dump trucks and boom vehicles in the hope of encouraging more folks to enter the green industries.
I would like to acknowledge Hunter Beamish who resigned from the board due to time constraints. Hunter’s work on the board will be missed but he continues to contribute to the chapter. The London Chapter AGM saw the nomination of a new director to our board, Ryan Sandink from SiteOne. Welcome Ryan!
Thank you to my fellow board members, LO Head Office, the Provincial Board and associated committees for your continued dedication to our profession. Here’s to a fantastic 2022/23 season.
Respectfully submitted,
Cindy Buelow
President, 2021- 2022
Vice President:Cory MacCallum
Past President: Steve Neumann
Treasurer: Marc Carriere
Secretary: Michael Fulcher
Provincial Board Representative: Steve Neumann
Communications: Kim Kavanagh
Directors: Randi-Lee Bell, Ed Hansen, Thomas Hoyle, Joan Johnston, Stephanie LeBlanc, Steve Montcalm, Michael Willis
After a long absence and significant changes to the chapter’s structure, some events and charitable campaigns resumed in the 2021-2022 year.
In November 2021, several members got together to build the Frontline Heroes front yard landscape plan. Our appreciation goes to the volunteers and suppliers who helped make the project a reality but mostly to Elise and Marc-Andre, and all the heroes whose hard work and dedication saw our community through such a trying period.
Also in November 2021, the annual Day of Tribute was held at Beechwood Cemetery in honour of the Canadian Military and their families. It was a morning of maintenance on the grounds by volunteer members from the chapter to tidy, plant and prepare for Remembrance Day ceremonies at the cemetery. Many thanks to Pete Campbell and all the volunteers who uphold this long-standing Ottawa Chapter event.
Ottawa Chapter Meeting – December 2021. This was our first in-person chapter meeting since Green Trade Expo in February 2020. We were grateful to see more than 50 members register for the event and we were so pleased to see some familiar and new faces. Ugly holiday sweaters were worn, donations were raised for the Sharing & Caring Exchange and it was great to resume what felt like a regular event just ahead of the Omicron wave and holiday break.
In late December 2021, thanks to the hard work of Marc Carriere and the generous donations of members, over 80 families in the Ottawa area had access to the long-running program providing those in need with food hampers during the holiday season. Now in its 4th season as an Ottawa event, we hope to help over 150 families in 2022.
In February 2022, the Ottawa Chapter joined once again with the London Chapter to organize the virtual Plant Symposium. With numerous speakers, expert panels and record attendance, London’s long-running event was hugely successful and reached a wider audience than ever before. We are excited for the 2023 hybrid event and the opportunity to expand the international audience.
In March 2022, we finally saw the return of the Ottawa Home and Garden Show and with it, Living Landscapes. Many members came together to build one large, communal garden. With thousands of plants, bulbs, water features, walkways and arches, the event breathes spring life into the Ottawa community. We were again pleased to see new and returning faces at the breakfast AGM before Living Landscapes opening where members were able to get a sneak peak at the gardens before the general public.
In 2022-2023 the Ottawa Chapter hopes to see a return to regular events, including the annual golf tournament, chapter meetings, Day of Tribute, Sharing and Caring, Green Trade Expo, Awards of Distinction, Living Landscapes and other events that continue to strengthen the Ottawa Chapter of Landscape Ontario.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Stewart
Chapter President 2021-2022
Vice President: Garry Reisky
Past President: Jonas Spring
Treasurer: Wendy Ladd
Secretary: Daniel Domingues
Provincial Board Representative: Pamela Cooze
Directors: Paul Barker, Siamak Bay, Lori Di Monte, Jon Durzi, Matt Gove, David Hllady, Raffy Hanimyan, Aaron Harpell, Skai Leja, Christie MacFadyen, David Mceldon, Shada Morris
Thankfully this past year has seen our lives regain a large degree of normality. Having spoken with a lot of people working in different aspects of our industry, the landscape and horticultural trade has never been busier. It will be very interesting to see what the next year brings our way.
We managed to hold a couple of in person Shop Talks this past year at Black Lab Brewing. It is always great to see new people come out to this event, and share thoughts and experiences with others in the trade. I hope that we can do more of these talks in the future and in different locations.
The Toronto Chapter hosted a Winter Social on December 2 at Landscape Ontario. I unfortunately was not able to attend, but by all accounts it was a lot of fun.
Our Chapter AGM was held March 9 virtually. As part of the meeting, there was also a great presentation on trees in the urban environment. The speakers were very knowledgeable and really engaged all in attendance. On October 12, 2022 we will be having a virtual chapter meeting, with the focus being on soil health.
In mid May, we went back to Participation House to do a Spring clean up. It was so nice to see that all of the work we had done the previous summer doing the garden makeover had been successful. The plantings looked really good, and all the bulbs that were planted put on an impressive showing. Thanks to all of you who helped that day.
On July 7, we held our golf tournament for the first time since 2019. Attendance was really good and all who participated had a great day. Next year is already booked and we hope to see even more people come out.
The Chapter continued the bursary program. This year we awarded over $10,000 to many projects that promote, among other things, well being, environmental benefit and community growth.
Thanks to my fellow Toronto Chapter Board members. Your efforts are appreciated. We could not do what we do without the support of Landscape Ontario staff. Thank you! Finally, thanks go out to our Chapter members for supporting our events.
Respectfully submitted,
David Milne
Chapter President 2021-2022
Vice President: Logan Cole
Past President: Jesse Perrin
Treasurer: Rhonda Derue
Secretary: Pam McCormick
Provincial Board Representative: Terry Childs
Directors: Craig Williams, Jessica McGurn, Ryan Bostock, Chris Lamer
Plant Hope in 2021! Communities in Bloom and its affiliated partners declared 2021 as the “Hope is Growing” year and was often overheard being described as “Feeling like a big hug”. And we could all use a HUG! Many avid garden lovers, churches, municipalities and more planted yellow flowers, vegetables, trees and shrubs; with garden centers stocking the shelves with all the yellow they could find. Did you know that yellow is the international colour of hope? #hopeisgrowing
Our chapter kicked off the year in a big way with the much anticipated & long awaited golf tournament. On a beautiful sunny October day, Loyalist Golf and Country Club welcomed us back after a 2 year hiatus and it quickly sold out. Over 110 eager golfers spent the day celebrating their teams and fellow members successes. By the second hole, talk was already underway within the chapter executive about how to make next years even more successful!
It was at this event that I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Salemi face to face. He jumped right in to help us out and I knew instantly that he would regrow the Landscape Ontario organization into something bigger and better in the very near future with new faces & fresh ideas.
In December, Covid numbers were once again on the rise, and many chapter meetings/events/celebrations were being cancelled from day to day. Plans to attend Congress 2022 in person had to be put on hold and suddenly the event became virtual and online. Not an easy last minute decision for the organization and PIVOTING once again!
From our couch or office, we watched the 49th Awards of Excellence virtually on February 3, 2022 with several of our members being award winners in multiple categories! Congratulations to everyone who entered and special congratulations to our UCC winners: Lavish, Terra Vista Landscape Construction, Derue Designs and Lasting Impressions Landscape Group.
Of special note: the inaugural Neil Vanderkruk Award for Excellence in Design 2022 was given to Derue Designs for Serenity. Also receiving a Green Stamp Award for 2022 was Lavish for Stonehouse Wildflower Meadow.
March brought about the chapter AGM and elections. Our guest speaker was Sally Harvey from Workforce Development. She spoke to chapter members about various programs LO has to offer and how we as members can participate and/or become involved in. The UCC is looking to reinstate the apprenticeship program at Loyalist.
Many thanks to our outgoing executive and welcome to our new executive.
Our UCC is strong and in good standing, with plans underway to find a local project or two to champion in 2022. We have received several proposals from local organizations looking for help with their gardens or properties and we hope to fulfill the requests.
“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s Determination.”
— Tommy Lasorda
Respectfully Submitted,
Lisa Smith
President, 2021-2022
Jump to: Durham, Georgian Lakelands, Golden Horseshoe, London, Ottawa, Toronto, Upper Canada, Waterloo, Windsor
Durham Chapter
President: Jon AggVice President: N/A
Past President: Norm Mills
Treasurer: Carol Fulford
Secretary: Carol Fulford
Provincial Board Rep.: Christopher Muller
Directors: Bruce Cullen, Scott Lloyd, Janice Shingler
Greetings LO Community!
There isn’t a lot to report from Durham, we have been fairly quiet during COVID, and are actually looking forward to our first event in many moons at Windreach Farm in October 2022.
We thank Chris Muller for his many years of help with our Chapter as a member, and the board rep, and we wish him the best in his future endeavours. We have also lost our Student Rep Rebecca Carpenter due to her Graduation from Durham College, and a career choice outside of the industry.
Unfortunately, we are still struggling to get things going again after (during perhaps) COVID. The main focus over the winter season will be to reflect on the future of our Chapter. I hope to engage other Chapter Reps and President’s in similar positions, to strategize a plan and help our respective groups move forward with renewed energy.
I still love the idea of the “mega-guest” that presents at the same time to all Chapters, and hopefully we can keep that idea going, but time will tell.
If you would like to be a part of our executive, volunteer at our next event, or just want more information on our Chapter: Please reach out!!!
Respectfully Submitted,
Jon Agg
President, 2021- 2022
Georgian Lakelands Chapter
President: Teresa MatamorosVice President: Margot Byers
Treasurer: Ken Dutka
Secretary: Jordanna McCutcheon
Provincial Board Rep: Margot Byers
Directors: Don MacMillan
Past President: Laurie-Ann Stuart
Georgian Lakelands Chapter 2021-2022 year in review: It’s been a fantastic year of growth in our Chapter. With many new members and returning to in-person meetings, we hope to continue to grow. We were not able to complete as many Chapter events and meetings as we had hoped, but looking forward, we have some exciting events planned for 2022-2023.
September 2021
Putting Challenge - We were in the planning stages of our annual Putting Challenge in Collingwood but COVID concerns forced us to cancel the event.
October 2021
Annual BBQ - Again COVID concerns also prevented our annual summer BBQ.
December 2021
Awards of Distinction - This was a fun filled evening at Casino Rama where we were entertained with memories of the past as we celebrated our 25th Anniversary as the Georgian Lakelands Chapter. Around 100 people gathered to reminisce, network and celebrate the Award Nominees and Winners.
February 2022
Ski & Snowshoe Day - Our winter event was cancelled due to COVID concerns.
March 2022
MTO Meeting - The ever popular MTO (Ministry of Transportation) meeting was well attended with 100 registered to learn the rules of the road from MTO Officer Hank Dubee at Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club. We also held our AGM meeting with the election of the new Board of Directors.
April 2022
Designers Coffee Meeting - This meeting in Wasaga Beach was well attended with 14 Designers enjoying the day. There were a number of great speakers and lots of information. A great way to wake up our designers' creativity after the winter.
August 2022
Several of our board members had the great pleasure of attending Tony’s Farewell BBQ. Connecting with other members and listening to Tony play his gifted guitar with his band was an added bonus. We also toured the trial gardens with Roger Tschanz. A wonderful day all in all.
The Board of Directors continued to meet through Zoom in 2021 and 2022 and even managed a few in-person dinner meetings to continue planning events for our Georgian Lakelands Chapter.
Respectfully submitted,
Teresa Matamoros
Chapter President 2021-2022
Golden Horseshoe Chapter
President: Chris ChurchVice President: N/A
Past President: Fran MacKenzie
Treasurer: N/A
Secretary: N/A
Provincial Board Representative: Fran MacKenzie
Chapter Coordinator: Mary Thompson
Directors: John Bos, Dan Ebeyer, Jim Edmonds, Jeff Smith, Christopher Utter, Jacob Wallace, Fiore Zenone
The coronavirus pandemic has touched all our lives. For the Golden Horseshoe Chapter our first priority is the well-being of our members and doing what we can to limit the impact of the virus within our chapter. I would like to thank our LO COVID-19 Task Force for keeping us well informed.
Before I go into more detail on our chapter report for 2021/2022, I want to briefly outline our last event that took place on September 15 2022. It was our 30th annual chicken roast hosted by WPE. After a two-year break - what a night! - we had record attendance with over 400 people attending the event. It was great to reconnect with our chapter and their families. A special thanks to our board that pulled off one of our best roasts ever. Also, a very big thank you to the host sponsor WPE! Vince Borgdorff, Dan Vandenburg and their team really did an amazing job putting this event together. Their endless hours of coordinating the night really paid off, between the beautiful night and lots of activities it was a great success.
July 2022
The annual Chapter Golf Tournament took place this year at Southbrook Golf & Country Club
July 15 2022 . The 104 golfers and 125 attendees enjoyed the day at the golf course, a great meal and networking. The tournament was a success in large part to our amazing sponsors. Thank you for your support, it is truly appreciated.
November 9 2022
Chapter will be holding an all-members meeting on the implementation of Excess Soil Requirements and how this will affect all landscape contractors. We look forward to seeing our members in early November for this informative session at Vineland Research & Innovation Centre. Ontario is committed to setting clear rules supporting appropriate reuse of excess soils, and to working with municipalities and other law enforcement agencies to help put a stop to the illegal dumping of excess soil.
November 26, 2022
Our chapter will be entering a float in the Flamborough Santa Claus Parade.
Come join us for a night of wonder and magic as we light the way for Santa.
Respectfully submitted,
Chris Church
Chapter President 2022
London Chapter
President: Cindy BuelowVice President: Greg Schaafsma
Past President: Peter Vanderley
Treasurer: Carla Bailey
Secretary: Mike Lavigne
Provincial Board Rep.: Pam Cook
Directors: Hunter Beamish, Egon Bieg, Bill Degraaf, Lauren MacKenzie, Ryan Marshall
Our 2021/22 season kicked off with the Garden Makeover Project to honour frontline worker Lisa Fernandes, an outstanding Personal Support Worker in St. Thomas.
Thanks to all of our volunteers for their time and generosity which quickly saw the evolution of the project to include regrading, sodding, garden rejuvenation, water feature installation and seating areas.
Chapter member Bob Allen organized a “One Bench | One Tree” installation at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital with the support of Beamish Landscape and Kettle Creek Landscaping. The organization supports hospital workers through the installation of a shade tree and bench in recognition of their dedication to our communities during COVID-19. Another installation through Clintar happened at London Health Sciences Centre-Victoria Campus in London.
We held a Holiday Social event in December at London’s, The Factory. It was well attended: what fun to see everyone in person again! There were all sorts of games, but I think most folks spent their time catching up with each other - a wonderful success regardless.
The 6th Annual Plant Symposium co-hosted virtually for the second time by London and Ottawa, was another big success with 210 paid participants, 19 schools and 500 students online. The Symposium has now become a Provincial function. We look forward to seeing what it can become with the wider platform and support of the whole organization. It’s great to see how ideas get shared and evolve within the group.
In February, an online Trivia night with the Kahoot platform was held: good fun and fierce competition!
Over the past couple of years, our chapter has been working with Indwell, a not-for- profit organization providing deeply affordable, supportive, sustained housing for those in need. We pledged to provide the money necessary for the installation of gardens at their new housing facility in London, Embassy Commons. We were able to turn donated goods and services into cash at a Charity Casino event. LO members have raised $140,785 for Indwell up to this point. We’re so proud of our members.
We were able to hold a recognition ceremony for our retired Regional Chapter Coordinator, Wendy Harry, with the unveiling of a tree planted in her honour at the Elevated Park in St. Thomas.
Our Baseball Tournament saw six teams competing on a hot, muggy June day for the honour of being the top team. Thanks to our sponsor Permacon for the great lunch!
Our chapter supported Women In Landscaping with their second annual “Touch a Truck” event that sees families with children able to explore machines like loaders, skid steers, bucket trucks, dump trucks and boom vehicles in the hope of encouraging more folks to enter the green industries.
I would like to acknowledge Hunter Beamish who resigned from the board due to time constraints. Hunter’s work on the board will be missed but he continues to contribute to the chapter. The London Chapter AGM saw the nomination of a new director to our board, Ryan Sandink from SiteOne. Welcome Ryan!
Thank you to my fellow board members, LO Head Office, the Provincial Board and associated committees for your continued dedication to our profession. Here’s to a fantastic 2022/23 season.
Respectfully submitted,
Cindy Buelow
President, 2021- 2022
Ottawa Chapter
President: Mary StewartVice President:Cory MacCallum
Past President: Steve Neumann
Treasurer: Marc Carriere
Secretary: Michael Fulcher
Provincial Board Representative: Steve Neumann
Communications: Kim Kavanagh
Directors: Randi-Lee Bell, Ed Hansen, Thomas Hoyle, Joan Johnston, Stephanie LeBlanc, Steve Montcalm, Michael Willis
After a long absence and significant changes to the chapter’s structure, some events and charitable campaigns resumed in the 2021-2022 year.
In November 2021, several members got together to build the Frontline Heroes front yard landscape plan. Our appreciation goes to the volunteers and suppliers who helped make the project a reality but mostly to Elise and Marc-Andre, and all the heroes whose hard work and dedication saw our community through such a trying period.
Also in November 2021, the annual Day of Tribute was held at Beechwood Cemetery in honour of the Canadian Military and their families. It was a morning of maintenance on the grounds by volunteer members from the chapter to tidy, plant and prepare for Remembrance Day ceremonies at the cemetery. Many thanks to Pete Campbell and all the volunteers who uphold this long-standing Ottawa Chapter event.
Ottawa Chapter Meeting – December 2021. This was our first in-person chapter meeting since Green Trade Expo in February 2020. We were grateful to see more than 50 members register for the event and we were so pleased to see some familiar and new faces. Ugly holiday sweaters were worn, donations were raised for the Sharing & Caring Exchange and it was great to resume what felt like a regular event just ahead of the Omicron wave and holiday break.
In late December 2021, thanks to the hard work of Marc Carriere and the generous donations of members, over 80 families in the Ottawa area had access to the long-running program providing those in need with food hampers during the holiday season. Now in its 4th season as an Ottawa event, we hope to help over 150 families in 2022.
In February 2022, the Ottawa Chapter joined once again with the London Chapter to organize the virtual Plant Symposium. With numerous speakers, expert panels and record attendance, London’s long-running event was hugely successful and reached a wider audience than ever before. We are excited for the 2023 hybrid event and the opportunity to expand the international audience.
In March 2022, we finally saw the return of the Ottawa Home and Garden Show and with it, Living Landscapes. Many members came together to build one large, communal garden. With thousands of plants, bulbs, water features, walkways and arches, the event breathes spring life into the Ottawa community. We were again pleased to see new and returning faces at the breakfast AGM before Living Landscapes opening where members were able to get a sneak peak at the gardens before the general public.
In 2022-2023 the Ottawa Chapter hopes to see a return to regular events, including the annual golf tournament, chapter meetings, Day of Tribute, Sharing and Caring, Green Trade Expo, Awards of Distinction, Living Landscapes and other events that continue to strengthen the Ottawa Chapter of Landscape Ontario.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Stewart
Chapter President 2021-2022
Toronto Chapter
President: David MilneVice President: Garry Reisky
Past President: Jonas Spring
Treasurer: Wendy Ladd
Secretary: Daniel Domingues
Provincial Board Representative: Pamela Cooze
Directors: Paul Barker, Siamak Bay, Lori Di Monte, Jon Durzi, Matt Gove, David Hllady, Raffy Hanimyan, Aaron Harpell, Skai Leja, Christie MacFadyen, David Mceldon, Shada Morris
Thankfully this past year has seen our lives regain a large degree of normality. Having spoken with a lot of people working in different aspects of our industry, the landscape and horticultural trade has never been busier. It will be very interesting to see what the next year brings our way.
We managed to hold a couple of in person Shop Talks this past year at Black Lab Brewing. It is always great to see new people come out to this event, and share thoughts and experiences with others in the trade. I hope that we can do more of these talks in the future and in different locations.
The Toronto Chapter hosted a Winter Social on December 2 at Landscape Ontario. I unfortunately was not able to attend, but by all accounts it was a lot of fun.
Our Chapter AGM was held March 9 virtually. As part of the meeting, there was also a great presentation on trees in the urban environment. The speakers were very knowledgeable and really engaged all in attendance. On October 12, 2022 we will be having a virtual chapter meeting, with the focus being on soil health.
In mid May, we went back to Participation House to do a Spring clean up. It was so nice to see that all of the work we had done the previous summer doing the garden makeover had been successful. The plantings looked really good, and all the bulbs that were planted put on an impressive showing. Thanks to all of you who helped that day.
On July 7, we held our golf tournament for the first time since 2019. Attendance was really good and all who participated had a great day. Next year is already booked and we hope to see even more people come out.
The Chapter continued the bursary program. This year we awarded over $10,000 to many projects that promote, among other things, well being, environmental benefit and community growth.
Thanks to my fellow Toronto Chapter Board members. Your efforts are appreciated. We could not do what we do without the support of Landscape Ontario staff. Thank you! Finally, thanks go out to our Chapter members for supporting our events.
Respectfully submitted,
David Milne
Chapter President 2021-2022
Upper Canada Chapter
President: Lisa Purves-SmithVice President: Logan Cole
Past President: Jesse Perrin
Treasurer: Rhonda Derue
Secretary: Pam McCormick
Provincial Board Representative: Terry Childs
Directors: Craig Williams, Jessica McGurn, Ryan Bostock, Chris Lamer
Plant Hope in 2021! Communities in Bloom and its affiliated partners declared 2021 as the “Hope is Growing” year and was often overheard being described as “Feeling like a big hug”. And we could all use a HUG! Many avid garden lovers, churches, municipalities and more planted yellow flowers, vegetables, trees and shrubs; with garden centers stocking the shelves with all the yellow they could find. Did you know that yellow is the international colour of hope? #hopeisgrowing
Our chapter kicked off the year in a big way with the much anticipated & long awaited golf tournament. On a beautiful sunny October day, Loyalist Golf and Country Club welcomed us back after a 2 year hiatus and it quickly sold out. Over 110 eager golfers spent the day celebrating their teams and fellow members successes. By the second hole, talk was already underway within the chapter executive about how to make next years even more successful!
It was at this event that I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Salemi face to face. He jumped right in to help us out and I knew instantly that he would regrow the Landscape Ontario organization into something bigger and better in the very near future with new faces & fresh ideas.
In December, Covid numbers were once again on the rise, and many chapter meetings/events/celebrations were being cancelled from day to day. Plans to attend Congress 2022 in person had to be put on hold and suddenly the event became virtual and online. Not an easy last minute decision for the organization and PIVOTING once again!
From our couch or office, we watched the 49th Awards of Excellence virtually on February 3, 2022 with several of our members being award winners in multiple categories! Congratulations to everyone who entered and special congratulations to our UCC winners: Lavish, Terra Vista Landscape Construction, Derue Designs and Lasting Impressions Landscape Group.
Of special note: the inaugural Neil Vanderkruk Award for Excellence in Design 2022 was given to Derue Designs for Serenity. Also receiving a Green Stamp Award for 2022 was Lavish for Stonehouse Wildflower Meadow.
March brought about the chapter AGM and elections. Our guest speaker was Sally Harvey from Workforce Development. She spoke to chapter members about various programs LO has to offer and how we as members can participate and/or become involved in. The UCC is looking to reinstate the apprenticeship program at Loyalist.
Many thanks to our outgoing executive and welcome to our new executive.
Our UCC is strong and in good standing, with plans underway to find a local project or two to champion in 2022. We have received several proposals from local organizations looking for help with their gardens or properties and we hope to fulfill the requests.
“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s Determination.”
— Tommy Lasorda
Respectfully Submitted,
Lisa Smith
President, 2021-2022