(Reprinted with permission from HortWest magazine)


Our long time friend, colleague and inspiration, Bryan Sutton, who recently celebrated his 84th birthday, will retire at the end of June from 47 years of dedicated service to our industry. Informally, he will continue to contribute as he carries on the documentation of our history.

     Bryan has been involved with the British Columbia Landscape & Nursery Association (BCLNA) since its inaugural meeting in 1953. Assuming the position of volunteer secretary for 13 years, he ensured that meetings were called and that board committees functioned as they were intended. He arranged annual conventions and seminars and worked on the original magazines. Throughout this time, he and Lloyd Smith operated The Garden Shop on West 4th Ave. in Vancouver. Following its sale to David Hunter and subsequent relocation to Broadway, Bryan worked for the new company.

     In 1972, Bryan changed his career when he accepted the position of Executive Director for the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) in Ottawa. He retired from this position in 1979, but remained in the association business by working on a part-time basis for the BCLNA as bookkeeper and associate editor of "Nursery Trades BC." In the late 80s, other staff assumed editorial duties and Bryan continued as our CanWest and BCLNA bookkeeper, meticulously documenting annually over $1,000,000 of revenue and a similar amount of expenditure.

     We invite you to join the industry and his wife Marg in celebrating Bryan's achievements on June 22 at the joint ceremony meeting at the Guildford Sheraton (details available soon). It is a privilege to show our appreciation to an individual who has contributed so much to the development of our provincial and national associations, and who has been a model of dedication and integrity for BCLNA staff.