April 1, 2016
CNLA News April 2016
National Landscape Standard is here!
The Canadian Landscape Standard was launched at the Canadian Landscape Summit in March. This document shows your clients that your work meets a nationally recognized standard. Industry will be able to refer to the standard during the bid process. It is intended to be user-friendly, and available in both hard copy and digital formats. The Canadian Landscape Standard will be a living document that will continually be reviewed and updated to remain current. A subscription will keep users updated as new sections are available and revisions are made.Our vision is to have the Canadian Landscape Standard sit on the desk of every industry professional. It would include regional variations as supplementary sections, and maintain the high level of detail, authenticity and accuracy already established with the B.C. Landscape Standard. Contact the CNLA office to receive your copy.
How many national events promote landscape gardening?
If you answered one, you are correct! The only annual national competition is Skills Canada. Its mission statement is simple: “to encourage and support a coordinated Canadian approach to promoting skilled trades and technologies to youth.” In the words of Mike Holmes, “I don’t think anyone knows how important Skills Canada is…to me it is the beginning…to get kids into the trades.”To volunteer or get involved, contact your local provincial association. Learn more at www.skillscanada.com
Are you Red Seal Certified?
CNLA and the provinces are looking to create a national registry of all members that are Landscape Horticulture Journeymen with Red Seal designations. Due to privacy policies, provincial apprenticeship offices cannot provide us with your names; the only one who can do that is you! If you have a Red Seal designation, please send your name, contact information and details about your designation to Colin Vince at colin@cnla-acpp.ca, or call 1-888-446-3499.Congratulations to Dutchmaster
Congratulations to Dutchmaster Nurseries on taking home bronze in the finished plants and trees category at the 2016 AIPH International Grower of the Year awards ceremony. The award was accepted by Matthew Tillaart and Marlin Tillaart at the gala event held in conjunction with the IPM Essen trade show in Essen, Germany on Thursday, Jan. 28. This is the fifth time Canada has been invited to compete as a finalist in the International Grower of the Year awards.New program: St. John Ambulance
CNLA has partnered with St. John Ambulance to bring our members even more savings! The association has negotiated preferential pricing for your First Aid with CPR certification. St. John Ambulance is Canada’s largest and most trusted provider of regularly scheduled lifesaving courses. Revenue generated from CPR/First Aid training programs supports St. John Ambulance’s charitable work in Canada and around the world. Members receive an eight percent discount on first aid training and a ten percent discount on first aid kits.New benchmarking program for garden retailers
Thanks to funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program, Garden Centres Canada (GCC) has developed a tool that you can use to better understand your business. GCC worked with a software developer to create online benchmarking software that is simple to use, and more importantly, takes up as little administrative time as possible! The program is free to all members for the first year. Contact Julia Ricottone at CNLA, julia@cnla-acpp.ca, for more information.Pink Days in Bloom
Pink Days in Bloom is a fun, upbeat way to get customers through your doors and a very fulfilling way to support the breast cancer community (family members, friends, neighbours, coworkers, and customers). Pink Days in Bloom creator Linda Ryan, a breast cancer survivor from Newfoundland and Labrador, encourages all CNLA members to get involved in this unique fundraiser for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Events vary from association-to-association challenges and ball games, to tea-themed parties, art or how-to sessions and garden-themed contests and competitions. Contributions can be a percentage of sales during your event, or contributions can come strictly from monies raised through special fundraising activities or pledges. Visit the Pink Days in Bloom Facebook page to learn more about this meaningful initiative.New Faces at CNLA
If you have called the CNLA office lately, it is likely that you have spoken to one of our new staff. Teagan Giddings is part of the Member Services Team and helps administer all of the Member Savings programs. She is also the front line for all incoming calls to the office. Jason Young joined the Professional Development department and provides valuable assistance to the Certification and Human Resource teams. Both Teagan and Jason joined the association this winter and have taken on quickly to the fast-paced, energetic office. Please join us in welcoming our newest team members! To reach Teagan: 1-888-446-3499, ext. 8645, teagan@cnla-acpp.ca. To reach Jason: 1-888-446-3499, ext. 8620, jason@cnla-acpp.ca.Ask the Wellness Expert
The Investment Guild is happy to announce that businesses and their employees now have access to Ask the Wellness Expert, under the HortProtect Health and Life insurance program. Ask the Wellness Expert is an online feature for employees to ask questions around nutrition, fitness, as well as other health and wellness inquiries. Learn more at www.peoplecorporation.com/wellness.The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association is the federation of Canada’s provincial horticultural trade associations. Visit cnla-accp.ca for more information.