July 15, 2013
Upper Canada Chapter members donated their expertise and material to beautify the gardens at Hospice Kingston.
Upper Canada Chapter beautifies Kingston hospice
The Upper Canada Chapter of Landscape Ontario has taken on the job of beautifying Hospice Kingston, adjacent to City Park.
The garden takes up a prominent piece of the park. Initially constructed several years ago, it had fallen into disarray without proper maintenance.
On May 31, a group of Landscape Ontario members, along with hospice volunteers, started phase one of the project, softscaping the property with weeding, edging, pruning and general tender loving care. The property currently includes a garden, a seating area and The Walk.
The Walk is a commemorative walkway with engraved paver stones celebrating the memories and lives of those who have passed through the hospice.
Sian Pritchard of the Upper Canada Chapter Board, explained, “This is a very special place for a lot of people.” The group expects to complete the project in July with the hardscaping component of the project. In addition, the Chapter plans to assist the hospice with a long-term maintenance program to ensure the green space continues to thrive.
The garden takes up a prominent piece of the park. Initially constructed several years ago, it had fallen into disarray without proper maintenance.
On May 31, a group of Landscape Ontario members, along with hospice volunteers, started phase one of the project, softscaping the property with weeding, edging, pruning and general tender loving care. The property currently includes a garden, a seating area and The Walk.
The Walk is a commemorative walkway with engraved paver stones celebrating the memories and lives of those who have passed through the hospice.
Sian Pritchard of the Upper Canada Chapter Board, explained, “This is a very special place for a lot of people.” The group expects to complete the project in July with the hardscaping component of the project. In addition, the Chapter plans to assist the hospice with a long-term maintenance program to ensure the green space continues to thrive.
Education
Landscape Ontario will once again offer certification testing in the Upper Canada and Ottawa Chapters this season. The test days will take place at Kemptville College on Sept. 26 and 27. The Upper Canada chapter has been passionate about promoting and offering educational opportunities locally.Chapter relevance
Landscape Ontario’s second vice president Warren Patterson requested LO’s membership department to ask each of the Chapters to answer three questions. Some Upper Canada members’ answers concerning chapter relevance follow.What is working in your chapter?
The golf tournament, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) meeting and any community building projects. The best meeting each year is with MTO, so having relevant information is key. The members also enjoy the golf tournament, so any social and networking opportunities are great. Everyone also enjoys having the opportunity to come together, learn some new skills and network through community builds.How do you attract and retain members to events?
The Chapter has started doing advanced registrations for meetings and events; this has led to more registrations, helps the board plan, and informs the board if it needs to push harder to meet its goals.What do you feel is critical to running a successful event?
The event either must have a good social component, or relevant information. Every company has a different expectation from the board; some treat this as an extracurricular and others will come if there’s relevant information. The event needs a good combination of both to get everyone out.Upper Canada Chapter snapshot
Number of Members: 54Number of Active members: 39
Chapter Board
Neil Bouma, President
Andre Ypma, Vice President
Terry Childs, Past President and Provincial Board Rep
Judy Bell, Treasurer
Sian Pritchard, Secretary
Ken Dehaan, Director
David Gunn, Director
Pamela McCormick CLP, Director
Jason Partridge, Director