HortWest_2009-11

Growers Short Course program announced

Vineland gets boost from government, industry

FREE skills training for your team

Health Service Navigator new for members

2

Message from the President

Ruth Olde, President,B.C. Landscape & Nursery Association

Sustainability at homeI recently attended the opening of the new lab at the In-stitute for Sustain-able Horticulture (ISH) at Kwantlen, and was enthused by the many speakers’ level of commitment to

sustainability. Not that we need to be told. But many do.

Mike Harcourt, past mayor of Vancouver and past premier of BC, is much lauded for his involvement in creating sustainable living spaces. As keynote speaker at the event, he emphasized how we are basically ‘place based’. How the human instinct is to care more about where you live than

you care about other places. And I think that is true.

‘Local’ for the BCLNA and its members, is anywhere in BC. The association cares about creating the partnerships and the programs that will help members further the success of their businesses, and sup-port their communities in becoming more sustainable.

“British Columbians will be consulted on new statutory protections to further safeguard our environment from cosmetic chemical pesticide.” This is a direct quote from the Throne Speech on August 2009.That’s a big commitment. We can help! PlantHealthBC is the perfect fit for our industry to work with the government to make this happen—and the program is all

there—up and running! PlantHealthBC was created to strengthen and demon-strate our member’s ability to be on the leading edge of caring for the environ-ment.

We will work with government to assist them in attaining this mutual goal.

Mike Harcourt also said that too many innovative ideas die in the implementation phase.

Let’s not let that happen.

HortWestNOVEMBER 2009

MANAGING EDITOR Renata TriveriADVERTISING Barb NelsonPhone: (604) 574-7772Fax: (604) 574-7773

HortWest is the Newsletter of the B.C. Landscape & Nursery Association for the horticultural trade in Western Canada. For further information, contact us at:Suite 102, 5783 – 176A StreetSurrey, B.C., Canada V3S 6S6Telephone (604) 574-7772 Fax (604) 574-7773

HortWest is owned by the B.C. Landscape & Nursery Association, and is published 10 times a year. Views expressed inside do not necessarily reflect the attitudes of the Association but are those of the writer concerned. Material may not be reprinted from this magazine with-out the consent of the publisher.

All advertising and editorial material are to be received one month in advance of mail out date.

HortWest is mailed under Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement N. 0288608

This magazine is printed in Canada by Globe Printers.

On the cover: Clematis Vancouver™ Starry Nights, a new selection by Clearview Horticulture Products Inc. in Alder-grove, has just been released as a Monrovia® exclusive for 2010. This selection sports large eight-inch blooms that darken towards the centre; the mid-rib of its petals are dusted with gold, giving it a shimmery appearance. Hybridized by Fred Wein, Sr.

Kato.indd 1 2/2/09 4:07:39 PM

3

Board Synopsis

Monday, October 19, 2009Growers BCMAL and the Provincial Emergency Program have jointly declined to provide any funding for the winter damages. Over the next few weeks, we will be assessing our next steps to move this ahead including a request to change legislation.

Labour HRSDC is moving to limit the movement of temporary workers into Canada by increasing scrutiny of appli-cation requirements. It is also going to impose a four-year limit on the duration in which a SAWP worker can return to Canada.

Industry Development Council A ‘Pot & Poly’ recycling project is being proposed; because it has pan-agriculture benefits, it is hoped that the Agriculture

Environment & Wildlife Partnership fund-ing program will pay 100% of the cost.

Environment PlantHealthBC continues to seek member support; a meeting with the Ministry of Environment is planned.

A letter has been sent to the Resort Mu-nicipality of Whistler regarding its initia-tive to eliminate the use of bear attractant plants within the municipality, despite biodiversity concerns. Signees include BCLNA, several landscape architects, and registered professional biologists. The plant list of potentially excluded plants is extensive and mostly native. Members wanting more information should contact Environment Chair, Jeff Hicks of Pick-ett’s Nursery, or Hedy Dyck at BCLNA: (604) 574-7772 or [email protected].

Annual General Meeting The AGM is to be held on November 13, 2009. All members received due notification of the meeting, which included several special resolutions designed to update, clarify, and reduce risk present in the BCLNA bylaws.

Fundraising Auction BCLNA’s annual auction has been scheduled for February 9, 2010. Members are encouraged to both donate to and shop the auction for great finds, which will benefit BCLNA’s scholar-ships and various initiatives. A scholar-ship committee will meet in November to establish the framework for the new Jane Stock Excellence in Horticulture award. Anyone wishing to donate to either the auction or this specific scholarship should contact BCLNA.

4

BCLNA News Bulletins

Volunteers honoured by BC CiB Health Service Navigator™ added to group insuranceJoel Beatson, CNLAAn innovative health service and new to CNLA’s member benefits, Health Service Navigator provides plan members with integrated health tips and tools, medi-cal condition information, resources on how to navigate the Canadian health care system and access to world-class doctors for second opinions—all together, all the time. It’s easy to access, reliable, current and available with the click of a mouse or a simple phone call.

Just another second opinion?

There are currently no other offerings like Health Service Navigator in the Canadian group benefits marketplace. It is a unique product, offering compre-hensive health information for all health related concerns (not only serious or life threatening conditions) and a second opinion service that provides assistance for a number of serious conditions. Health Service Navigator is a valuable tool for plan sponsors who are:

Concerned with escalating benefit costs

Health Service Navigator augments our

Richard Desmarteau of Liard Horticultural Enterprises Inc. attended BC Communities in Bloom’s annual awards ceremony on behalf of BCLNA (Gold Bloom Sponsor) and the Industry Development Council in order to present the 2009 “Floral Design” award to the District of Kent.

In his presentation, Desmarteau commented on the strong financial support provided through the BCLNA’s Industry Development Council, which will allow CiB to offer additional training for judges, compensate out-of-region volunteers for expenses, cre-ate promotional ideas for communities, help promote the program to new communities, reengage previous participants, and increase staff capacity to administrate the program.

For BC Communities in Bloom, it was another successful year administering a program that helps communities make the most of their assets and take pride in their accom-plishments. The program recognized 30 participants; trophies were presented to the top 5-bloom winners within their respective population categories, and 14 Community Showcase entrants were recognized for a wide range of projects, of which their commu-nity and volunteers were justifiably proud.

Said Desmarteau of the banquet’s attendees, “It was refreshing to speak directly to many of the people who make these community projects happen. This largely volunteer body of citizens is entirely appreciative of the recognition given for the hard work they have invested, and for the hard evidence of the positive results everyone can enjoy.”

2009 BC CiB 5-Bloom WinnersVillage of Clinton (winner’s circle)Village of Harrison Hot SpringsVillage of FruitvaleDistrict of PeachlandDistrict of HopeDistrict of MissionCity of Kelowna (Mentor Community)

BC CiB Criteria WinnersTown of Kaslo, Heritage ConservationSun River’s Golf Resort Community, Landscaped AreasDistrict of Kent, Floral DisplaysDistrict of Sooke, Community Involvement

5

Final Approval

The BCLNA welcomes the following new members as of October 19:Amcore Enterprises Inc. Jeffrey Pan, Surrey, AssociateGerri’s Garden Design & Consulting Gerri Giffen, Maple Ridge, Active LandscaperIntegrated Office Systems Jeff Hardy & George Ramsay, Langley, AssociatePacific National Exhibition Colin Priddle, Vancouver, IndividualWhite Knight Landscapers Keith Hewitt, Kelowna, Active Landscaper

Tentative ApprovalThe following companies will become BCLNA members at the next board meeting unless a member provides a valid reason for not accepting the application:BTN Nurseries Pacific Inc., Jeff Olsen, Chilliwack, Active Grower (Interim)Foghorn Business Development Services Rick Cleghorn, Maple Ridge, Associate (Interim)Golden Spruce Nurseries (2009) Ltd. Sharon McGuin, Langley, Active Grower (Interim)Langara Landscapes, Robert Wilmott, Vancouver, Active LandscaperNicholson Landscaping Ryan Nicholson, Port Coquitlam, Active Landscaper (Interim)Claude Sevigny, Vancouver School Board #39, Vancouver, IndividualValley Landscaping Ltd., Dave Carmichael, Langley, Active Landscape

traditional health benefits program by giving plan members tool and resources to become better health care consumers. It’s an inexpensive but extremely valuable addition to your benefits program.

Interested in wellness promotionHealth Service Navigator provides a solu-tion that’s based on Canadian health care options. No other service provides the extensive health care navigation compo-nent in an integrated manner that lever-ages well respected information resources. The second opinion service is unlike that of other carrier, with a collaborative ap-proach that uses physician specialists from world-class hospitals and institutions.

Concerned about lost productivityWith the support of credible information,

Health Service Navigator helps employ-ees gain a better understanding of their situation. This can aid them in working through personal health challenges, and relieve them of stress and distractions that may affect their performance or personal lives.

Effective August 1, 2009 this is included for all employees of BCLNA member com-panies who participate in the endorsed CNLA group insurance plan.

If you have any questions please contact Michael Thomas, director of Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation and partner at The Investment Guild, en-dorsed provider of the HortProtect Group Insurance Program: call toll-free 1-800-459-8990 or email [email protected]. For more information, visit www.hortprotect.com.

McConkey.indd 1 10/28/09 2:36:47 PM

6

Recertification changes on horizonJulia Ricottone, CNLA

By now, all CHTs, CLPs, and CLDs should have received recertification letters outlining some changes that are happening with the renewal process. CNLA is transitioning to a two-year recertification process that will help its certification programs meet and exceed the industry’s best practices. This new system is being introduced for 2010, and will take full effect on January 1, 2012. Maintaining your Certification will now cost $78.75 every two years; less frequent renewals are required.

In order to maintain an active status, you will need to report 12 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by January 1, 2010. But, there is no need to panic. The number of CEUs you earn per event is now calculated differently, and this makes the requirements very similar to what you are used to.

Each seminar you attended at a trade show or conference, or through BCLNA, will earn you 1 CEU per hour. If you attended courses or seminars from outside of the association, contact CNLA to see if they can be counted toward your credits. If you need a little extra time to earn your total points, please let us know.

What if you were at a trade show, but didn’t make it to any seminars? Since this has been accepted as points in the past, CNLA will include time spent at a trade show as CEUs for this year only. Please note, that when you are collecting CEUs in the future, simply walking the trade show floor will not be accepted.

The basics:CEU (was 4 hours for one CEU)

CEU (was 4 hours for one CEU) CEUs are required by January 1, 2010 (was a range of 2 to 4 “old” CEUs)

GST

Submit your recertification forms by January 1, 2010 and your certification will remain active for two years, during which time, you will need to collect a total of 24 CEUs.

Questions? Please contact Julia Ricottone at the CNLA office, 1-888-446-3499, ext. 8615 or [email protected].

Landscape Clippings

Candidates without bordersOnce in a while, eager candidates from other provinces or the United States make the trip to BC to complete their CHT designation. This fall, three individuals made the trek from Washington, and we are pleased to report that their trip was worth it—all three individuals passed. Moving forward, BC Administrator Krista Manton says she will extend communication with Washington Association of Landscape Professionals (WALP), to foster more cross-border testing opportunities. BC candidates should know they are also welcome to test in Washington State.

To assure BCLNA adheres to international testing standards, an out-of-province evaluator visits annually to critique our systems and performance. This summer’s evaluation resulted in a perfect score, for which BC’s committee, volunteers, and staff should be proud!

Order your FREE copies for distribution, and look for them at all public garden events!

Ideal appreciation gifts for:

and more!

Available in small lots or by the case. Contact Ina Chang for yours:

(604) 574-7772 or [email protected].

Healthy Garden Guide 2009

Now in print!

individuals for successfully completing 20 CHT designations this fall:

Hardscape InstallationRobert Turner, CHT, Beneath Your Feet Landscaping Ltd.David Muzylowski, CHT, Pacific Garden DesignTatum Curtis, CHT, Elliott Bay Landscape DesignKip Hanson, CHT, Elliott Bay Landscape DesignRobyn Boniface, CHT, Para Space Landscaping Inc.Wade A. Bartlett, CHT, Rock Solid Landscapes, LLCJonathan Vanderpol, CHT, Vandenberg Landscape Design Ltd.

Ornamental MaintenanceDavid Weir, CHT, Agriculture and Agri-Food CanadaRobert Turner, CHT, Beneath Your Feet Landscaping Ltd.Paul Kulcheski, CHT, Meridian LandscapingAdam Wood, CHT, Northern Roots LandscapingMichelle Barker, CHT, Para Space Landscaping Inc.Robert Young, CHT, Para Space Landscaping Inc.Tracy King, CHT, RCB Garden ServiceBryce Anderson, CLP, CHT, Whistler Landscaping Ltd.

Turf MaintenanceDavid Weir, CHT, Agriculture and Agri-Food CanadaRobert Young, CHT, Para Space Landscaping Inc.Tracy King, CHT, RCB Garden ServiceDado Horvat, CHT, Signature Landscape Services Inc.Bryce Anderson, CLP, CHT, Whistler Landscaping Ltd.

As always, they are new and long-time industry volunteers and sponsors who

7

B&W Greenhouses.indd 1 1/22/09 2:47:41 PM

ERNI

POWER

Call for all wholesale ornamentals, native

plants and ferns.

900 Bowman RoadAbbotsford, BC V3G 1T1

P.O. Box 2157Abbotsford, BC V2T 3X8

Phone: 604-854-6986Fax: 604-854-6982

[email protected]

Can Am Nurseries 1 10/24/08 2:52:00 PM

Call us for all yournative and ornamental

plant needs

3666 - 224th Street, Langley, BC V2Z 2G7 Canada

Tel: 604-533-8281Fax: 604-533-8246

1-888-327-7705email: [email protected]

LINNAEANURSERIES LTD.

Linnaea Nursery 2/6/07 4:19 PM Page 1

Qualitree 1/24/08 12:53 PM Page 1

"HARD GOODS & PLANT MATERIALFROM THE WORLD'SFINEST SOURCES"

8168 River Way, Delta, B.C. V4G 1K5

Tel: 604-946-5641Fax: 604-946-0234

Toll Free: 1-800-498-7403www.crofton.ca

GROWER SERVICES LTD.

Crofton 4/17/07 3:34 PM Page 1

Full line of exceptional plugs, liners and fi nished nursery stock.

Contact Info: Phone: 604.856.5552

Toll Free: 1.877.857.5552Fax: 604.856.4531

Email: [email protected]

jrtnursery.com

Where Quality Meets

Excellence

JRT Nursery 1 11/28/08 2:32:09 PM

Set sail with Cap’n Barb: (604) 574-7772.

Landscape Clippings

8

make this program a success! See this issue’s Extras for a full list of volunteers. Thanks to our partners for their dedica-tion to landscape industry standards and professionalism:

Premier Sponsors

Silver SponsorsHortEducationBCBC Safety Authority

Facility SponsorKwantlen Polytechnic University

Equipment & Materials SponsorsCedar Rim NurseryCreative EmbroideryGardenWorks™ Fraser Valley Equipment Ltd.Impact Canopies Canada Inc.

Mark your calendars now for 2010 testing:

BCLNA Fundraising AuctionFebruary 9, 2010

Yo ho landlubbers! We're looking for a bounty for the annual fundraising auction.

Plan your donation to bene!t BCLNA ScholAARRR-Ships.

Theme:Pirates of theCaribbean.

Training Pays

Hort basics come free through skills training programWant to enhance the skills, confidence and competence of your employees? The In-dustry Skills Training FREE ‘Horticulture Basics’ is the program for you. This program is designed to meet the needs of nursery, retail nursery, and land-scape operations. Training can range in intensity from short tail gate sessions, to half-day or full-day workshops, or even a series of topics over a period of six weeks. Topics are to include, but are not limited to: 1. Balled and Burlapped Harvest

combined with Back Care and Lifting 2. Understanding Soil Texture combined

with Customer Service 3. Checking Tire Pressure combined with

Common Sense Safety 4. Bare Root Production combined with

Personal Protective Equipment 5. Plant Health and Nutrition paired with

Healthy Lifestyles (balance) 6. Display Merchandising paired with Lift-

ing and Handling of Materials 7. Plant ID paired with Problem Solving

Skills 8. Equipment Operation and Safety paired

with Working with Others Every participant registering and partici-pating in the Industry Skills Training free ‘Horticulture Basics’ program will receive a certificate of completion.

How to participateInformation will be distributed through a new Training News Tuesday email on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. You can also find information on www.bclna.com.

BCLNA provides a smorgasbord of free training opportunities to choose from, and you can select which works best for you: Option 1. Register your small business with Ann Marie Walsh, Industry Skills Training Coordinator, to host a Horticul-ture Basics’ training event.

Ann Marie will meet with you to review the Tail Gate Training/Essential Skills Training options and ensure a custom-ized program is designed to increase and enhance skills, confidence and competence of those employees who have a high school diploma or less education.

A training date and time will be con-firmed. Ann Marie will coordinate the details and logistics, including registration, handouts, instructors and evaluations at your place of business.

Option 2. Watch for BCLNA’s regularly scheduled educational seminars as adver-tised and distributed through the Friday Files, Tuesday Training News email and www.bclna.com. Topics and registration

details will be available for your review. Almost every session will have a free ‘Hor-ticulture Basics’ course attached to it.

Option 3. Register your small business to host a more comprehensive free ‘Horticul-ture Basics’ training option: one topic per week for a period of six weeks. Alterna-tively, the sessions can be offered at the BCLNA office.

If you are ready to move your team to the next level, contact Ann Marie at (604) 574-7772 or email [email protected] to schedule your free training opportunity.

Generously funded by the Government of Canada and BC’s Ministry of Small Business, Technology, and Economic Development.

9

Landscape Equipment Safety Training100% Online. Proven. www.LandscapeSafety.com

Sumas Gro–Media specializes in the production of specialty crop mixes for the nursery, bedding plants, perennial and blueberry crops. We also have seedling and propagation soils.

Raw materials purchased in advance helps to ensure product consistency and availability.Multiple computers control the dosing equipment, increasing accuracy and speed. This makes it easier to offer competitively priced products.Non-invasive mixing equipment protects the structure and consistency of the media.

www.sumasgromedia.ca

42481 Industrial Way, Chilliwack, B.C. 604.823-6688

The Next Generation in Soil MixingAll mixes go through a fi nal screening process before delivery.

Sumas Gro–Media Ltd.

10

Growers’ short course announcedDave Woodske, of the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, has released an out-standing program for the 17th Annual Growers Short Course, scheduled to take place on January 19 at the Ramada Plaza in Abbotsford. The program, says Woodske, is usu-ally focused on a single topic, but this year will cover a broad range of subjects includ-ing climate change, farm business management, working with Mexican workers, and retail trends. A two-hour session on LeanFlow® will also be of interest, and all nursery and greenhouse growers, along with retail operators, are welcome to attend. For complete details, see this issue’s Extras, or download the registration form from www.bclna.com.

Advance Payment Program approved The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association announced that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) have approved the application for participation by the wholesale nursery industry in the Advance Payment Program (APP). Through the APP, producers are able to qualify for operating loans up to $400,000, with the first $100,000 being interest-free and the rate for the balance of any eligible amount to be set at the BMO Bank of Montreal prime lending rate. Loan amounts are based on the value of the pro-ducer’s inventory at time of harvest.

Due to the complexity of establishing and verifying nursery inventory values, the Advance Payment Program is first being introduced on a pilot basis. With input from growers across Canada, a short list of more commonly grown trees and container shrubs will make up the list of eligible inventory for this pilot phase.

The APP will be administered across Canada by ACC Farmers’ Financial, a not-for-profit organization comprised of 17 farm organizations. The management fee of $550 will cover costs such as credit checks, lien searches, lien registrations and inspection charges.

To be eligible, producers must also be participating in the AgriStability program (for-merly the CAIS program). The loan limit will be the lesser of the government portion of a producer’s AgriStability reference margin or a producer-specific amount based on the value of inventory to be sold in the Spring/Summer of 2010. The pre-established advance rates are set at approximately 50 percent of inventory values, which were deter-mined by averaging grower catalogue prices and verified through grower invoices.A Fact Sheet outlining the many details of this program can be downloaded from the CNLA website at www.canadanursery.com.

The program application form is now available on the ACC Farmers’ Financial website at www.accfarmersfinancial.ca.

CNLA wishes to thank the staff at ACC Farmers Financial for the tremendous as-sistance they have provided in making this program available to the nursery sector. Thanks are also extended to those nurseries that participated in this process by provid-ing sales invoices for verification purposes.

Grower Updates

Governments help build new grower marketThe Governments of Canada and Ontario are investing $15.6 million in the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (VRIC) to coordinate and deliver commercialization opportunities to the horticulture sector.

Said Parliamentary Secretary Pierre Le-mieux, on behalf of Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, “This investment will translate into new advances which will, in turn, translate into more eco-nomic opportunity for the horticulture sector.”

VRIC will work with the agricultural industry, colleges, universities and other research institutions, including Agricul-ture and Agri-Food Canada, to develop the capacity of horticultural producers to grow new, high-value crop varieties, to use more efficient production processes and to find ways to increase the year-round supply of products. Among these partners are the CNLA, Landscape On-tario, and Flowers Canada. John Byland of Bylands Nursery in Kelowna will repre-sent B.C. at the table.

This investment in VRIC is one of On-tario’s innovation and science initiatives under Growing Forward; for more infor-mation visit www.agr.gc.ca/growingforward.

VRIC was created in 2007 as an industry-led, not-for-profit organization specializing in horticultural research and commer-cialization. For more information about VRIC, visit www.vinelandresearch.com.

Photo above: Horticulture producers in this region and across Canada are true leaders in providing the highest quality and innovative food and plants to consumers,” said Member of Parliament Dean Allison (Niagara-West-Glanbrook), who made the Vineland funding announcement. “The Government of Canada supports these efforts through investments in world-class research institutes like Vineland.

BCLNA OFFICE: 604-574-7772; 800-421-7963

Industry events and programs

November19-20 LANTA Green Industry ShowShaw Conference CentreEdmonton, ABwww.greenindustryshow.com

23-25 IIABC Convention & Tradeshow

Kelownawww.irrigationbc.com

25-26 Prosperity Partners Workshops (Parts 1 & 2)For information contact Krista: [email protected]

26-27 Tree Risk Assessment Course & ExamRiverview Hospital, Coquitlamwww.pnwisa.org

27 Urban Forestry SymposiumSurrey Sport and Leisure Complexwww.bclna.com

December2 Grower Commodity Christmas MeetingBradner Community Hall, Abbotsfordwww.bclna.com

9 Landscape Commodity Christmas MeetingGrand Villa Casino, Burnabywww.bclna.com

24 BCLNA office closes for holidays

January 20104 BCLNA office reopens for the new year

12 BCRPA Parks & Grounds Spring Training

www.bcrpa.bc.ca

12-14 Landscape Ontario CongressToronto Congress Centerwww.locongress.com

19 BCLNA / BCMAL Growers Short CourseRamada Plaza, Abbotsfordwww.bclna.com

19-20 Invasive Plant Council BC

Delta Vancouver Airport Hotelwww.invasiveplantcouncilbc.ca

27 Agriculture and Food Industry Galawww.bcac.bc.ca

31-Feb 3 Western Canada Turfgrass ConferenceVancouver Island Conference Centre, Nanaimowww.wctaturf.com

31-Feb 3 ANLA Management ClinicLouisville, Kentucky www.managementclinic.org

February 20109 BCLNA Fundraising AuctionUnited Flower Growers, Burnabywww.bclna.com

Under the sails at the VancouverConvention Centre

Show theme: Masterpieces

Reserve your exhibit space today!Call Barb Nelson (604) 574-7772 or email: [email protected]

Sanitize with certaintySanitization can be very costly if not done effectively.

Money does grow on trees!Be confident that your pots, trays or styroblocks are

the cleanest they can be from the start. A diseasefree environment creates disease free plants.

Benefits

If your sanitization method leaves you uncertain, then it's definitely time to make a change.

Iotron Technologies Corp

www.Iotron.com

Sanitize with certaintySanitization can be very costly if not done effectively.

Money does grow on trees!Be confident that your pots, trays or styroblocks are

the cleanest they can be from the start. A diseasefree environment creates disease free plants.

Benefits

If your sanitization method leaves you uncertain, then it's definitely time to make a change.

Iotron Technologies Corp

www.Iotron.com