While COVID-19 was notorious for closing doors, it actually opened one for Royon Bagnaut. When the pandemic began, he was working overnight shifts at Walmart, but like many others, was laid off during the first wave of lockdowns. He didn’t know what would come next, but knew he had time and had to make use of it. 

“I started cutting lawns during the day,” Bagnaut recalled. “At first it was just my own, and then it became the neighbours and then more people started asking.” With no formal background in landscaping or horticulture, Bagnaut began teaching himself online. He watched videos, looked up basic techniques and started asking questions. He enjoyed the work and liked seeing the results. It wasn’t long before he started thinking about how to take his newfound passion further. That’s when he came across the GROW program.

Learning the basics

Delivered by Landscape Ontario (LO), the GROW program offers hands-on and classroom-based training for people looking to start a career in the landscape horticulture trade. For Bagnaut, it was a turning point. “I saw an ad and it looked like something I could actually get into,” he said. “I looked at college courses, but I’m a bit older and I didn’t think going back to school full-time made sense. GROW felt more accessible.” 

Bagnaut enrolled and began his second career. “I expected to learn some basic skills, but what surprised me were all the small details I had not thought of before like soil treatment and how much it matters. Things like that stuck with me.” 

Throughout the training, Bagnaut gained more and more confidence. He learned the fundamentals of lawn care, plant health and safe equipment use. He paid close attention and when trainers needed help, he stepped in to support the other participants. That leadership came naturally.

From classroom to career

As part of the program, GROW staff help participants build their resume and connect with local employers. For Bagnaut, that connection happened quickly. “One of the job developers got in touch with a landscaping company near where I live. They called me and we had a conversation and that was it. I had a job before the program even finished.”

Bagnaut started working for Pristine Property Maintenance (PPM), a mid-size company based in Ajax with years of experience providing groundskeeping and landscape maintenance services throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Bagnaut was assigned to a crew working across downtown Toronto that services several commercial and residential areas. Before long, not only did Bagnaut fit in, he excelled and moved up the company ladder.

Today, Bagnaut is a crew lead, managing a team of four and overseeing its daily operations. His responsibilities include planning, quality control and ensuring safety on site. “All the stuff I learned in GROW, I still use,” he said. “How to cut grass properly, how to keep a lawn healthy, how to plan out the day. I still think about those details.”

Building leadership skills

Bagnaut continues to grow. With encouragement from his employer, he has also completed a supervisor training course through Landscape Ontario. “It was only a couple of days, but it really helped,” he said. “It taught me how to stay organized, how to communicate better with my team and with the company. I used to just keep everything in my head, but now I write things down and plan ahead. It keeps me focused.” 

Bagnaut also earned a CPR certification and has plans to enrol in the Horticultural Technician Apprenticeship Program with the ultimate goal of becoming a Red Seal Horticulture Technician.

Taking the plunge pays off

Bagnaut often reflects on where he started out and where he is now. When asked what advice he would give to someone considering GROW, his answer is clear. “Do it. Even if you’ve never touched a lawn mower. Even if you’re just looking for a change and you like being outdoors. The program gives you skills, but it also gives you confidence.”

For Bagnaut and other GROW grads, it also connects them to a community. He still keeps in touch with some of his former classmates using a WhatsApp group they started during their training. They can now share job leads and support each other. “Some people have moved on, but a few of us still check in. People share plant sales or events going on in the city. It’s nice to have that connection.”

Bagnaut didn’t expect to find a career in landscaping — he just wanted to keep busy when the pandemic hit. But the work suited him and the training allowed him to grow and create a path forward. “I never imagined myself doing this five years ago. Now, I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

More information about LO's GROW program can be found at growtraining.ca.

This Employment Ontario program is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.