September 15, 2013
Golden Horseshoe Chapter helps students and communities
The Golden Horseshoe Chapter’s move to build community relationships was popular with the students at King’s Road Elementary School in Burlington. The Chapter organized a tree planting day as part of Arbor Day. In photo Chapter board members Fiore Zenone and Tim Cruickshanks are joined by the students and staff of the school along with Burlington mayor Rick Goldring and councillor Rick Craven.
Each year the Golden Horseshoe Chapter hosts a barbecue for its members, their employees and families.

The Chicken Roast has become the largest social event on the Chapter’s calendar. It’s a great opportunity to come together and celebrate the end of a busy summer.

Each year the event is hosted by a different supplier. This year’s Chicken Roast took place at Windmill Power Equipment in Dundas. Including member companies as the event host is a great way for suppliers to promote their company to Landscape Ontario members, and it helps the Golden Horseshoe Chapter to offer a high quality networking event.
 

Niagara College bursary

The Golden Horseshoe Chapter has always supported local horticultural partners, such as the Royal Botanical Gardens. Last year, the Chapter board decided to extend additional support to local education institutions within the Golden Horseshoe.

On Oct. 23, 2012, representatives of the Golden Horseshoe Chapter presented a cheque to Niagara College for $3,000. The money was to go toward students in financial need who were enrolled in the landscape and horticultural programs.

The Chapter has raised the funds to make this donation possible through its annual golf tournament and social events. Going forward, the Chapter would like to continue to support the education of horticulture students with additional funds when available.
 

Arbor Day

The Golden Horseshoe Chapter is always looking to build stronger ties to the community. One such project that the group has supported year after year is the annual Arbor Day tree planting. This year the Golden Horseshoe members were present at King’s Road Public School in Burlington.

The Chapter made a donation toward the trees that were planted on the site, along with providing each child with a package of tree seed nuts to plant at home (in partnership with the Stewardship Council). See Landscape Ontario magazine, June 2013.
 

Waterdown Blooms

The Golden Horseshoe Chapter is involved in an initiative of the Waterdown Business Improvement Area (BIA).

Known as Waterdown Blooms, this is a competitive planting program, with the goal of beautifying the BIA member business sections, the community of Waterdown and the surrounding area.

The program includes seven (with space for one more) area landscapers who have each created a 15- x 25-ft. planting bed on two public boulevards within the BIA area. The two boulevards, along Hamilton St. N., and Dundas St. E., are the two primary arteries within the community.

Participants in the Blooms’ program were encouraged to showcase their creative and landscape design skills in their planting beds. Waterdown Blooms encouraged participants to design their planting areas with follow-up years in mind. Any hardscaping could then be utilized in following years.

The beds will compete for two separate awards.  One is a People’s Choice Award, judged by the greater Waterdown community and the other is a Judges’ Award, from peers within the landscaping community. Gold, silver and bronze honours in both categories will be presented to the participants at the annual Flamborough Chamber of Commerce business awards gala.

Landscape Ontario members taking part include: Garden Grove Landscaping, Lynden Lawn Care, The Gardener Landscape Maintenance and Snow Removal, CR Lawns, Gelderman Landscaping Services and Meadowbrook Landscaping. Carruthers Landscaping is also taking part.

Golden Horseshoe Chapter snapshot

Number of Members: 344
Number of Active Members: 234
Chapter Board
   Fiore Zenon, President
   Jeff Smith, Vice President
   Bruce Wilson, Treasurer
   Tim Cruickshanks, Past President/Board Rep
   Fran MacKenzie, Secretary
   Andrew Barz, Director
   John Bos CLT, Director
   Paul DeGroot, Director
   Dan Grieve CLP, Director
   Dan MacLean, Director
   Rob Mendonca, Director
   David Pearce, Director