The scope and mandate — and therefore the needs — of the industry sectors served by Landscape Ontario are distinctly different. The specific requirements of each of these groups are facilitated by the association’s sector group structure. The objective of each sector group is to respond to current concerns resulting from marketplace pressures and government legislation.

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Jump to: Garden Centre, Grounds Management, Growers, Irrigation, Landscape Contractors and Hardscape, Landscape Designers, Lighting, Turfgrass Management, Snow and Ice Management

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Garden Centre

Sector Group Members
Art Vanden Enden - Chair
Anne Kadwell
Diane Hutchinson
John Verna
Linda Lake
Michael Van Dongen
Perry Grobe
Phil deFlorio
Tanya Olsen
Kennedy Johnston
Margot Parker
Yang Liu

The year that just ended will be seen as a continuation of business opportunities and challenges from 2023. The challenges of staffing, onboarding, and filling employee vacancies continues to be a business priority.

The Sector Group expanded the online training modules to our members with great response. For 2025, we plan on expanding the program in partnership with the CNLA and Garden Centres Canada.
There is a steady supply of inventory for garden centres to draw from. Risks from strikes in shipyards is now a common consideration that members deal with.

Many garden centres have tightened their product lines to reduce risk of excess inventory and low margin sales in high end patio as well as seasonal Christmas products. Going with the more traditional product selection seems to be the priority with emphasis on live goods.

Cautious optimism seems to be the feeling for business in 2025. Most operators have their business in order, have a sense of normalcy going forward and look forward to the year ahead.

Events
March Town Hall Series - March 2024
Intro. Horticulture Training Series - April 2024

Respectfully submitted,
Art Vanden Enden
Garden Centre Sector Group Chair

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Grounds Management Group

Sector Group Members
Sarah Beckon - Co-Chair
Brad Paton - Co-Chair
Rodger Tschanz
Laurie-Ann Stuart
Steven Burgess
Morgan Roberston
Michelle Ludwig
Adam Novak
David McLaughlin
Andy Walker

The Grounds Management Sector Group is rebuilding after a brief pause following the pandemic. We are excited to have this group gain momentum and are continuing to recruit, so if you are passionate about this sector please join and help us to serve this community.

The hot topic and biggest issue facing our sector in the last year has been the possible ban or bylaws to limit the use of gas powered equipment, particularly in the city of Toronto. We held a panel discussion in August to share the experiences of those who have or have yet to transition and understand some of the barriers and benefits of battery powered equipment.

Skilled labour shortages are still a concern, as such we are aiming to provide educational and training opportunities in 2025 that can be scaled and shared across the province. To kick off 2025, we have two speakers lined up for the live stage at congress. Rodger Tschanz will discuss highlights of new and improved perennials and annuals from the trial gardens on Tuesday January 7, 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Brad Paton will present Awards of Excellence, Do’s and Don’ts on January 8, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Events
Battery Power Panel Discussion, August 15, 2024

Respectfully submitted,
Sarah Beckon and Brad Paton
Grounds Management Sector Group Co-Chairs

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Growers Group

Sector Group Members
Brent Vanderkruk - Co-chair
Philip Pieper - Co-Chair
Rob Albrecht
Todd Baker
Paul Britman-Rapai
Bart Brusse
Christi Garneau
Ben Kobes
Richard Suk
James Somerville
Case Vanderkruk
Rob Vanderkruk
Shane Way
Jeff Winkelmolen
Richard Worsley
Jeanin West
Cassie Russell

Events
Growers Fall Dinner - Nov 21, 2023
Growers BBQ  - Oct 5, 2024
Growers Short Course - Feb 7, 2024
Growers Tour - Aug 29, 2024

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Irrigation

Sector Group Members
Steven Hernandez - Chair
Michelle Von Roeder - Vice Chair
Trevor Lively
Steve Macartney
Kyle King
Zak Trimper
Steve Marysiuk
Chris Leconte
Don McQueen
Roy Neves
Paul Proulx
Patrick Sirrs
Gerad Vanden Bussche
Chuck Yates
Kevin Jensen
Paul Barker
Tyler Burnell
Kerri Raposo
Rick Malda
Jeremy Harris
Seamus Doyle

Events
Irrigation Conference - February 2024

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Landscape Contractors and Hardscape

Sector Group Members
Nick Lang - Co-Chair
Terry Childs - Co-Chair
Peter Guinane - Provincial Board Rep.
Shawn Giovanetti
Joe Santarossa Jr.
Annalee Rudi
Daniel Cornacchia
Ed Hansen
Frank Bourque
Jarrett Woodard
Jim Bender
Joe Morello
Ken Scott
Kurt Vanclief
Ryan Bostock
Jason Gaw
Darcy DeCaluwe
Thomas Blatter

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Landscape Designers

Sector Group Members
Beth Edney - Chair
Chris Lamer
John Bright
Laureen Woloszak
Ron Koudys
Audruana VanderWerf
Haig Seferian
Isabel Benjamins
Gabriel Roballo
Andrew Weddum
Welwyn Wong
Lexi Dearborn
Margot Byers
Marina Dimitriadis
Daniel Mazur
An Nguyen
Shawn Gallaugher


Even though 2024 seemed to whiz by the Landscape Designer Group was extremely productive. As usual we kicked off the new year with our annual Landscape Designers Conference. It was well attended and we had some new sponsors attend as well.

The Landscape Designer Group initiated a new certification process for the CLD. It was well received by the Provincial Board and we are in the process of implementing it with our national partner, CNLA.

Our Committee started a new tradition of quarterly Designer Coffee Meetings where we meet in person and have some suppliers provide useful information. Our first one was held at NVK Nurseries and we had members and non-members attend. We could have stayed all day to listen to the enthusiastic presentations given by the NVK staff, the great food thanks to NVK and the camaraderie of visiting with fellow Landscape Designers. We are currently planning one in the Georgian Lakelands for spring and eastward in the summer and a fall one at Fanshawe College. Thanks to Lexi Dearborn for being the initiator of this new event.

The Designers are starting another new initiative called Mentor Moments. These hour-long meetings will be held via Zoom so everyone can attend, no matter how remote they might be in the province. Stay tuned for dates and the presenters who will be leading these calls.

Our topic for the LIVE Stage presentation at Congress this year is titled: What Makes an Award Winning Design. We are thrilled to have speakers John Bright, CLD and Randy Tumber, CLD. You won’t want to miss their presentations of Award Winning Designs.

The Designers Sector Group pretty much meets every month. If you are a Landscape Designer and would like to serve on our committee,or participate in a sub-committee please reach out to Beth Edney, CLD.

Events
Landscape Designers Conference, January 8, 2024
Designers Coffee Morning, July 23, 2024

Respectfully submitted,
Beth Edney, CLD
Landscape Designers Sector Group Chair

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Landscape Lighting

Sector Group Members
Scott Sim - Chair
Carl Hastings - Provincial Board Rep.
Andrew Marshall
Gerad Vanden Bussche
Rick Malda
Seamus Doyle
Steven Hernandez
Tom Watson
Terry Childs
Conrad Montiero
Ken Martin
Don McQueen
Jeff McGee
John Higo
Kyle King
Cam Hansuld
Zak Trimper

Events
Holiday Lighting Technical Session, September 6, 2023
Landscape Lighting Conference, February 2024

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Snow and Ice Management

Sector Group Members
Gerald Boot - Chair
Ryan Hebel
Jon Agg
Andrew Strachan
Jamie Perras
Chris Lamer
Chris Morrison
Chris Thacker
Darren Murawski
David Wright
Dennis Chippin
Jason McWilliams
Jason Robertson
Jeff Wooldridge
Jeremy Kirkham
Jim Monk
John Talent
Jordan Robertson
Lee Gould
Lindsey Young
Luke Pallister
Matt Cowley
Nicole Xavier
Ryan Marshall
Shawn Collins
Scott Maxwell
Taylor Edwards
Teagan Shroeder
Terry Robertson
Tony DiGiovanni CHT

Since early 2023, the Landscape Ontario Snow and Ice Sector Group has contracted the Daisy Group to drive our agenda with the provincial government forward. A small but very mighty group has been representing the snow and ice management sector at meetings with provincial and federal government staff and elected representatives.

Overview of our ask of our provincial government
Landscape Ontario wishes to achieve the following goals through legislative reform and the establishment of technical standards:

• Create safe conditions for Ontarians while respecting the natural environment;
• Reform the liability system by balancing risk to all involved in site and snow management;
• Establish a regulatory framework for the procurement of snow and ice management in Ontario.

Regulatory framework

• Landscape Ontario – Snow and Ice Sector developed a curriculum and accreditation system for training employees to a high level of knowledge and competency that will offer a career path for the industry while improving safety, liability, and environmental concerns.
• The accreditation system will complement existing voluntary programs Landscape Ontario has championed such as Smart About Salt and the creation of a Canadian snow and ice management standard.
• Consumer protection will be enhanced by providing a way to hire professionals with demonstrated knowledge.
• Snow and ice operators will be required to undergo training and certification in order to receive limited liability relief that puts a higher onus on an individual to prove negligence for a slip and fall incident.
• The creation of an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) is an important component as it would provide ongoing auditing and inspection to ensure that best practices are used at all times.
• Owners and owners consultants will be required to develop site plans for each site using risk hazard analysis and register the site with the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). The intent is all who are involved have responsibilities and those responsibilities are overseen by an AHJ. This unique ask is intended to create fairness, improve safety and ensure respect for the natural environment.

Our work behind the scenes

• We hosted a day at Queen’s Park October 2023 to bring significant attention by the provincial government to the issues this sector is experiencing.
• We have made good relationships with environmental groups and had joint meetings to further our collective agendas.
• Development of a fulsome curriculum for all snow and ice management professionals.
• LO Snow and Ice Sector Group is now reviewing the Legacy Exemption process.
• Train-the-Trainer accreditation has begun. 12 people in Ontario are qualified as trainers.

Where we are now

• The small group of members has met with the following Ministries - in some cases several times:
  • Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks
  • Ministry of Agricultural, Food, and Rural Affairs
  • Ministry of Attorney General
  • Ministry of Red Tape Reduction
  • Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development
  • Association Ministry of Small Business
  • Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement
  • Premier’s Office
• After many Ministerial meetings, meetings with the Premier’s Office, and strategizing for our next set of moves we are at the point of finalizing our draft legislation to present to the Premier’s Office.

We met with MP Adam Van Koeverden (Parliamentary Assistant to Minister of Environment - federally)
On October 8, the Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority presented Landscape Ontario with their Distinguished Achievement Award for our work to reduce the industry’s use of road salt by seeking legislative reform.

We are continuing to push for legislative reform to make sure that professional snow and ice management contractors are not bearing the entire burden of liability.

Events
Snowposium - July 31, 2024

Respectfully submitted,
Gerald Boot
Snow & Ice Management Sector Group Chair
Past President, Landscape Ontario

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Turfgrass Management

Sector Group Members
Kyle Tobin - Chair
Alan White
Gavin Dawson
Brad Normand
Chris Lemcke
Chris Urquhart
Mark Schneider
Raunie Ratcliff
Rohan Harrison
Sara Stricker PhD
Tim Tripp M.Sc.

The past year has been a dynamic one for the Turf Care Sector, marked by progress, collaboration, and continued dedication to our industry. One of our standout events, the IPM Symposium, brought together 153 attendees, reinforcing the growing importance of Integrated Pest Management. This event provided invaluable insights and an opportunity for professionals to exchange best practices.

Our Sector benefited this past year from continued work and collaboration with the Guelph Turfgrass Institute. The outreach and support provided by Dr. Sara Stricker at the GTI amplified much-needed, and often neglected, science-based turfgrass messaging and education across both industry and public fronts.
We encourage all members to visit https://lawn.science and make use of the free resources available. These can be shared on your social media channels and incorporated into your business practices to help communicate the value of turfgrass to your customers and the public.

Our membership continues to evolve, with new voices joining us. However, we know there’s always room for more engagement. We encourage our members to step up and contribute by joining the Turfgrass Sector Group. Sharing your expertise, helping to shape our industry for the future, and growing your business,  will ensure the continued success and relevance of the Turf Care Sector. By doing so, we can amplify our collective impact and champion the critical role of turfgrass in our landscapes and the environment.

I want to extend a special thank you to Gavin Dawson, our past chair, for his continued guidance and mentorship. Gavin’s stewardship as Chair for close to 15 years has been instrumental in keeping the group focused and forward-thinking. I also want to acknowledge Alan White for his tireless efforts in promoting the value of turfgrass at the board level, both nationally and internationally, especially with the invention of the Clean Air Calculator. Your leadership is deeply appreciated.  These roles are ever- expanding, and we need more leaders to step up into these roles and assist.

A heartfelt thanks goes to the Landscape Ontario staff for their unwavering support in helping us navigate through this year’s activities. We couldn’t do it without you.

As we look ahead to 2025, the Turf Care Sector is committed to advancing the conversation around turfgrass's incredible environmental, public health and aesthetic benefits. We will continue to strongly advocate for recognition of the value of turfgrass in our landscapes, pushing for science and fact-based education, innovation, fairness,  professional recognition and sustainability in all that we do.

Events
IPM Symposium - 153 attendees

Respectfully submitted,
Your Turf Care Sector Group