January 1, 2016
Alberta Update - January 2016
Jeff Oostlander and Josh Van Hierden took home gold from the Skills Canada competition.
The newly formed NDP government of Alberta campaigned on a promise to raise the minimum wage from $10.20 per hour to $15.00 by 2018. Landscape Alberta consulted with PremierNotley and the Minister of Job, Skills, Training and Labour, Lori Sigurdson, on the impacts to our industry. Landscape Alberta sees the rapid elevation of the minimum wage as having an inflationary effect on wages. The first increase to $11.20 per hour took effect Oct. 1.
Landscape Alberta hosted a Soil and Compost Symposium on October 1. This session featured international experts Ron Alexander and Britt Faucette, Ph.D. who presented the latest research on the benefits of soil and compost quality.
Landscape Alberta was pleased to be bring Alberta’s largest Green Industry Conference to Calgary Nov. 19 - 20, 2015. We’ve hosted our annual fall conference and trade show in Edmonton since 1990, and in response to popular demand, we will alternate between Calgary and Edmonton annually. Conference attendees had access to two exciting mornings featuring more than 20 educational opportunities for every sector of the ornamental horticulture industry. Combine that with a 230 booth trade show, The Green Industry Show and Conference is an annual must-attend event. Join us in Edmonton in 2016.
The City of Edmonton has updated Zoning Bylaw 12800 to include additional provisions in the Landscaping section (55). The provision of landscaping is a condition of the issuance of a development permit, and every application will require submission of a detailed landscape plan.
The Landscape Alberta board recently approved a honorarium program for competitors in the Skills Canada Alberta event. Gold medal-winning teams are now eligible to receive $1,000, with the second and third place teams eligible for $500 each. The team advancing to the National Skills Competition will be granted an additional $1,000 to help cover lost wages and other expenses.
Two teams from Olds College competed in this springs provincial competition; congratulations to Jeff Oostlander and Josh Van Hierden from Infinity Property Care on their gold medal win. They moved on to the Skills Canada National Competition in Saskatoon, May 28 - 29, 2015, where they also took home gold. Landscape Alberta’s own Kyla Hardon also took home a gold medal for excellence in organization of the competition areas. Thank you Kyla for your great work!
The City of Edmonton continued with its public education campaign following the ban of all herbicides on City lands in 2015. Exemptions include eradication of provincially-regulated weeds in parks, athletic and golf facilities and for treating hard surfaces as required for infrastructure maintenance and safety.
Our annual Landscape Alberta Awards Presentation and Dinner was held March 11 in Calgary. Executive Choice Award recipients were Gord Koch from Olds College; George Yeaman from Lawn Doc; Barry Paxton from Alpha Better Landscaping; and Harold Voogd from Sunstar Nurseries. Retired Executive Director, Nigel Bowles, was also honoured as a Lifetime Member of Landscape Alberta.
The Landscape Awards program received 31 entries, with 27 awards handed out. Congratulations to Alpha Better Landscaping, Earthlings, Homescapes Complete Residential Landscaping, Julia’s Alpine Garden, JVR Landscape (2006), Salisbury Landscaping, Solid Landscape Construction & Design, ULS Maintenance and Landscaping and Year-Round Landscaping.
We would also like to congratulate those companies whose award-winning entries have been nominated for the 2016 National Awards of Landscape Excellence: ULS Maintenance and Landscaping, JVR Landscape (2006) and Salisbury Landscaping.