Ryan Lachance, a board member of Landscape Ontario’s Muskoka North Chapter, has watched the local Drag-a-Tote campaign flourish.
For more than 12 years, the annual campaign has brought industry professionals and homeowners together at the home office of Futurescape Landscaping in Sudbury, Ont.
Held June 19, this year’s event featured expert-led talks, exhibitor booths, food and friendly competitions among attendees. For Lachance, the real win is that all food proceeds go toward the YMCA Fill a Bus campaign, which gives children facing financial barriers the opportunity to attend summer camp.
“I think most of us have a camp story: a summer where we made lifelong friends, built lifelong memories and grew in ways we did not even realize at the time,” Lachance said. “It is about access. It is about giving every child the chance to have those same meaningful experiences that so many of us were lucky enough to have.”
Lachance noted that because Landscape Ontario is headquartered in Milton, Ont., many speaking events are inaccessible to contractors in northern regions.
“Incorporating speaking sessions felt like a natural way to give the Muskoka North Chapter a stronger presence and give local contractors access to programming they do not always have,” he said.
The highlight of the day was the Drag-a-Tote Challenge. Lachance said the competition draws the largest crowds, as spectators watch participants harness up and haul a loaded tote weighing up to 300 pounds across the course. “This event draws on every bit of strength and determination they have,” he said. “It’s raw and it’s fun.”
Summer is a busy season for the landscaping industry, but after 27 years in the business, Lachance said he has learned to appreciate events that allow professionals to take a step back, breath and connect.
“When you bring a large group of like-minded people together, the conversations that happen organically are invaluable,” he said. “People share ideas, learn from each other and build relationships that carry forward into how they run their businesses.”
