CNLA met Minister Judy Foote (Ministry of Public Services and Procurement Canada) and presented the Canadian Landscape Standard (CLS). It was recommend that the Federal Government be consistent in addressing climate change mitigation, and that green infrastructure initiatives be implemented following industry standards like the CLS.
CNLA just heard that the Public Services and Procurement Ministry reviewed the CLS and they have determined the Canadian Landscape Standard reflects what they have long aspired to do in the conceptualization and realization of landscape projects across Canada. They are conducting a further review of their policy and CNLA is working with the Deputy General who is the Department’s Technical Services Lead to further the discussion related to living green infrastructure and the CLS.
The Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) (which is a voluntary partnership between federal, provincial and territorial governments) had Red Seal Occupational Standards (RSOS) workshops in Ottawa this January. They too incorporated the Canadian Landscape Standards into the Red Seal Occupational Standards.
Order you copy of the Canadian Landscape Standard today! http://www.csla-aapc.ca/standard
Under the Alberta Agricultural Pests Act (APA) “Pest and Nuisance Control Regulation (PNCR)” the Dutch elm disease (DED) pathogens, smaller European elm bark beetle (SEEBB), and the native elm bark beetle (NEBB) are named declared pests.
All municipalities, counties and MD’s in the province of Alberta have the responsibility and authority to prevent and control DED under the APA.
The APA provides a means for enforcement. Several sections of the APA and the Regulation can be applied. It is an offence not to take “active measures” and not to follow an inspector’s notice.
If a municipality does not have a local bylaw or policy on a specific pest in place, the municipal pest inspector, bylaw enforcement officer or Agricultural Fieldman could use a notice under the APA to enforce the DED Prevention/Control Measures to the land owner.
If a third party has contravened the APA, the Minister may issue a Stop Order.
Click here for “Dutch Elm Prevention/Control Measures” outlines the measures that can be enforced.
These measures can be found at http://www.stopded.org.
| HRI Releases Industry BMPs for Bee Health |
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The Horticultural Research Institute, the research foundation of AmericanHort, is pleased to announce the release of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Bee Health in the Horticultural Industry. BMPs are intended to inform horticultural professionals about the green industry’s impact on bee health. Through the use of BMP guidelines, horticulture can continue to play an important role in pollinator health. In 2015, the Horticultural Research Institute recognized the need for sound research to develop best production and management practices, educate, and empower the green industry. HRI, in collaboration with AmericanHort, continues to directly fund and leverage research to refine science-based guidance on horticultural practices and protecting bee and pollinator health. As part of the broad-based Horticulture Industry Bee & Pollinator Stewardship Initiative that includes industry and consumer outreach and the establishment of industry best practices, HRI has directly funded four important research projects, launched the Grow Wise, Bee Smart website, and joined the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge campaign. Pollinators as a whole encompass a diverse population of thousands of different species, such as managed honey bees, wild bees, butterflies, birds, and bats. Protection of pollinators in general, especially bees, continues to be a major concern among the general public and within the green industry. Several culprits have been identified as factors contributing to managed honey bee losses, including Varroa mites, other pests/diseases of bees, loss of habitat and nutrition, and off-target effects of pesticides. Alternatively, wild, unmanaged bee populations are most greatly affected by landscape changes and habitat degradation. HRI developed the BMPs, which cover greenhouse and nursery production, woody ornamentals, and managed landscapes, with the assistance of researchers and apiarists throughout North America. Updates to these recommendations will be made as additional research results regarding bee and pollinator health are released. For the full Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Bee Health in the Horticultural Industry, visit the GrowWise, Bee Smart website. To learn more about the Horticultural Research Institute and its efforts in developing science-based recommendations for the industry, visit the HRI website or contact Jennifer Gray, HRI Administrator by email or (614) 884-1155. Learn More about the Horticultural Research Institute! |
For only $30 per position posted, Landscape Alberta will place your Job Listing in the March/April issue of Green for Life magazine.
Submit your Job Listing text and payment to admin@landscape-alberta.com by February 3, 2017. No late submissions will be accepted.
Landscape Alberta will layout all listings on behalf of the company. Size of listing will depend on content supplied.
Max size: 2.25”w X 4.25” h. Word Limit: appox 75 – 135 words. One position per listing. No proofs will be provided. Members only.
Click here for information and payment form.
Sample Listings (2016)
As you begin to prepare for hiring in spring of 2017, we would like to remind you of some valuable resources members can use in their recruitment strategy. First is the relatively new website, https://landscape.jobs/. This is free to members and exclusive to the landscape industry. The more employers that post jobs there, the more valuable it will be to job seekers. We always encourage members to use http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/ when recruiting as it helps gather statistics for the Canadian government, which with their updated system, is shared with users. This includes average wages in your area, job outlook, etc. which is useful when you begin to look at your job postings. Another great resource for our industry is www.wagesurvey.ca. This site collects wage data by position and province – Alberta has some of the best data available.
Beginning January 1, 2017, the Government of Alberta has implemented the well-publicised carbon levy. On 31st December, they announced plans to offer a Greenhouse Growers’ Rebate allowing operators to recoup up to 80% of the carbon levy paid for heating growing facilities. This will be a two year program. The announcement can be found here.
This is great news as it allows Alberta-based growers to maintain a level playing field with growers in other jurisdictions (including BC, who also have a rebate program for their carbon tax).
The Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association (AGGA) was instrumental in advocating on behalf of the collective horticultural industry. With the services of De Paoli & Associates, AGGA was able to engage the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment & the rural caucus committee to make a strong case for the rebate.
At this time, there are no details available about the administration of the rebate, eligibility, payment frequency, or reporting mechanisms. The government hopes to have these details in place by the end of January.
The AGGA will continue to work with the Government of Alberta on this and will communicate details when available. If you have comments or suggestions on the program implementation, please direct these to your Landscape Alberta office or board members.
As a reminder, here are the announced rates being added to major fuel types.
| Source: Alberta Treasury Board and Finance | ||
| Type of Fuel | January 1, 2017 $20/tonne | January 1, 2018 $30/tonne |
| Marked farm fuels | Exempt | Exempt |
| Diesel | +5.35 ¢/L | +2.68 ¢/L |
| Gasoline | +4.49 ¢/L | +2.24 ¢/L |
| Natural Gas | +1.011 $/GJ | +0.506 $/GJ |
| Propane | +3.08 ¢/L | +1.54 ¢/L |
The Olds College Horticulture Program will be hosting its first employer’s presentation morning on February 2, 2017. The presentation concept was developed from discussions at the Horticulture Industry Advisory Committee meeting on December 1, 2016 evolving into a “speed” presentation format. The format structure provides each employer 10 minutes to promote their organization and 5 minutes for student’s question. Students attending the presentations will be from the first year (Certificate), second year (Diploma) and third year (Bachelor of Applied Science) Horticulture Programs. After the morning presentations, accommodations will be made for employers to have one-on-one sessions with students seeking further information and opportunities to provide resumes.
The Olds College Horticulture Program is seeking to have 12 employers representing a broad range of sectors from the horticulture industry to participate as presenters, which leads to selection of potential presenter organizations not being based on a first come, first serve basis.
For those organizations interested in participating in the event, please respond by January 27, 2016 to Gord Koch, gkoch@oldscollege.ca or 403.556.4751
Thank you to everyone who assisted on the TURF National Occupational Framework this year. Turf has been given a second opportunity to validate What people need to do and know to be successful in Turf Production.
As you may recall, the key roles in a farm operation are:
WHY is your help critical? Besides ensuring it’s accuracy, these are tools are being developed for your sector…find out what experts like yourself have identified as best practices and expectations. They serve as a benchmark against which to recruit, select, train and develop employees.
Four surveys have been prepared. Please complete one (or more) of the surveys – each survey focuses on one of the four roles. What is really important is that the person completing the survey has an in-depth understanding of what an employee needs to know and do to be successful, so please forward this invitation to your staff as well.
Farm Labourer: http://fluidsurveys.com/s/CAHRC/Turf/FarmLabourer/
Farm Worker: http://fluidsurveys.com/s/CAHRC/Turf/FarmWorker/
Supervisor: http://fluidsurveys.com/s/CAHRC/Turf/Supervisor/
Manager: http://fluidsurveys.com/s/CAHRC/Turf/Manager/
Each survey will walk you through two documents:
Each survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. It is highly recommended you complete it in one sitting however, if you get interrupted you can finish it later as long as you are the only person using your computer.
Note: The survey will be available online from December 7 to December 21, 2016.
Thank you again for your valuable input!