March 20, 2025
Rob Havery
Rob Havery levels up the trades with open communication
By Julia Harmsworth
If you have a problem, you can ask Rob Havery.
Havery is the Durham Chapter representative to the Landscape Ontario Provincial Board of Directors and vice-president of Durham Chapter. He advocates for open communication and community building through his roles on both boards.
“If you have a problem, ask,” Havery said. “I want to see an association that’s building up. I want to see the next generation come up and talk to me.”
Havery grew up on a farm in Brooklin, Ont., where he fell in love with the landscape trades after working a summer landscaping job for his next door neighbour.
He went on to attend Niagara College’s Landscape Technician Program, then worked for a couple of landscaping companies over the next 15 years before opening his own business in 2010.
R. Havery Landscaping is based just north of Oshawa in Blackstock, Ont.
Havery has volunteered on the Durham Chapter board since 2020. As an avid golfer, he helped organize the chapter’s inaugural golf tournament in 2023, which he said was “quite a success” and hopes to continue.
He also helps organize the annual Ministry of Transportation breakfast and regular open forums. His aim is to foster an environment where everybody feels free to talk about anything — whether it’s the universal struggles of winter or the need to get more young people in the trades.
Sometimes, the Durham board invites guest speakers to the open forums, followed by discussion. Havery wants to encourage people to connect with each other, become friends and share knowledge. For him, this is crucial to continuing to improve the trades’ public image — one of his biggest goals.
“We’re trying to get the industry back together,” Havery said. “It’s better for the industry. It builds peer groups. It also makes our industry look stronger to the general public. If we don’t talk as an industry, we don’t look professional.”
Together with Jon Agg, Durham Chapter president and a member of LO’s Snow and Ice Management Sector Group, Havery works hard to increase board meeting attendance. He said social media is a crucial part of the strategy, as it opens the door to the younger generation.
“Social media is great, because people are scared to admit what they consider failures or troubles [in person], but they’ll shoot you a text. They’ll send you a Facebook message. That’s where the next generation has been a lot better than what we had growing up,” he said.
Havery fosters this open environment by being honest and willing to have conversations. He said when he entered the industry in the 2000s, experienced professionals were less accessible than they are today. He wants young people to feel comfortable coming to him for advice; the more they learn, the better off the trades are in the future.
“[Young people] are the future of this industry,” he said. “Trades are hurting for numbers. I’m 44 and my working years are coming to an end. You’ve got to have the next round, the next generation. We’re better off to have better people than to just have people. The better the quality, the better the future.”
For Havery, the first step to achieving this quality is getting involved in the LO community and attending board meetings.
“The first step in bettering yourself is becoming an LO member,” he said. “If you’re active in the industry, you’re someone looking to better yourself, whether you’re a volunteer or just a member.”
Havery joined the Provincial Board in 2023 to further improve himself and be more involved in the bigger decisions that inform the association’s direction. It’s been “eye opening” so far, exposing Havery to sector groups and helping him learn how he wants to contribute to the trades long term.
He’s grateful for the warm welcome LO extended him, and looks forward to extending that same welcome to the next generation.
“People are very open, very positive, very receptive, very willing to help you in any way. That’s a nice feeling,” he said. “I’ve never had a bad experience, and that speaks wonders for what LO stands for. It’s been nothing but positives.”
If you have a problem, you can ask Rob Havery.
Havery is the Durham Chapter representative to the Landscape Ontario Provincial Board of Directors and vice-president of Durham Chapter. He advocates for open communication and community building through his roles on both boards.
“If you have a problem, ask,” Havery said. “I want to see an association that’s building up. I want to see the next generation come up and talk to me.”
Havery grew up on a farm in Brooklin, Ont., where he fell in love with the landscape trades after working a summer landscaping job for his next door neighbour.
He went on to attend Niagara College’s Landscape Technician Program, then worked for a couple of landscaping companies over the next 15 years before opening his own business in 2010.
R. Havery Landscaping is based just north of Oshawa in Blackstock, Ont.
Havery has volunteered on the Durham Chapter board since 2020. As an avid golfer, he helped organize the chapter’s inaugural golf tournament in 2023, which he said was “quite a success” and hopes to continue.
He also helps organize the annual Ministry of Transportation breakfast and regular open forums. His aim is to foster an environment where everybody feels free to talk about anything — whether it’s the universal struggles of winter or the need to get more young people in the trades.
Sometimes, the Durham board invites guest speakers to the open forums, followed by discussion. Havery wants to encourage people to connect with each other, become friends and share knowledge. For him, this is crucial to continuing to improve the trades’ public image — one of his biggest goals.
“We’re trying to get the industry back together,” Havery said. “It’s better for the industry. It builds peer groups. It also makes our industry look stronger to the general public. If we don’t talk as an industry, we don’t look professional.”
Together with Jon Agg, Durham Chapter president and a member of LO’s Snow and Ice Management Sector Group, Havery works hard to increase board meeting attendance. He said social media is a crucial part of the strategy, as it opens the door to the younger generation.
“Social media is great, because people are scared to admit what they consider failures or troubles [in person], but they’ll shoot you a text. They’ll send you a Facebook message. That’s where the next generation has been a lot better than what we had growing up,” he said.
Havery fosters this open environment by being honest and willing to have conversations. He said when he entered the industry in the 2000s, experienced professionals were less accessible than they are today. He wants young people to feel comfortable coming to him for advice; the more they learn, the better off the trades are in the future.
“[Young people] are the future of this industry,” he said. “Trades are hurting for numbers. I’m 44 and my working years are coming to an end. You’ve got to have the next round, the next generation. We’re better off to have better people than to just have people. The better the quality, the better the future.”
For Havery, the first step to achieving this quality is getting involved in the LO community and attending board meetings.
“The first step in bettering yourself is becoming an LO member,” he said. “If you’re active in the industry, you’re someone looking to better yourself, whether you’re a volunteer or just a member.”
Havery joined the Provincial Board in 2023 to further improve himself and be more involved in the bigger decisions that inform the association’s direction. It’s been “eye opening” so far, exposing Havery to sector groups and helping him learn how he wants to contribute to the trades long term.
He’s grateful for the warm welcome LO extended him, and looks forward to extending that same welcome to the next generation.
“People are very open, very positive, very receptive, very willing to help you in any way. That’s a nice feeling,” he said. “I’ve never had a bad experience, and that speaks wonders for what LO stands for. It’s been nothing but positives.”