#landscapeontario

[iberialandscape]

Incredible transformation! Beautiful Unilock Mattoni brick with Ill Campo border and Ucara walls!! #iberialandscape #JJ’screw #unilock #waterproofing #landscape #toronto #landscaping #contractor #landscapedesign #landscapeontario #landscapers_of_instagram #canada #hardwork #landscapecontractor #gta #instagood #happy #followme #follow #repost #photooftheday #toronto #woodwork #anniversary #50yearanniversary #50yearsold #grateful #baeumlerapproved #homestars #unilockauthorizedcontractor #banas (at North York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkRY8zoPcfh/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[everchanginglandscape]

We're having a ball at the Landscape Ontario Congress Trade Show and Conference. The show runs from January 7, 8 & 9, 2020, and is located at TORONTO CONGRESS CENTRE. The address is 650 Dixon. Etobicoke, ON M9W 1J1. Come meet Christian Costantini and his team. They will be attending the entire show duration. We'll be walking around and easy to find. Some amazing exhibitors and events are happening here. Check out the Landscape Ontario Network website for all the specific details. http://bit.ly/2TclX2j

[branchplant]

Lisa Rapoport to speak at Landscape Ontario conference

Make a green start to 2019 at the Landscape Ontario Congress, the annual trade show and conference for Canada’a horticultural and landscape professionals. It runs January 8 - 10 at the Toronto Congress Centre, and PLANT is proud to be part of it. PLANT partner Lisa Rapoport and Darren Bosch of The Landmark Group are the featured speakers for the 1:15 to 4 pm session on January 10. Lisa’s subject is “Building Communities, One Public Space at a Time.” Referencing PLANT projects ranging from minuscule parklets to major public spaces, she will discuss how social, cultural, ritual and ecological experiences can inform the design of community-building public spaces. (Sign up today and save: December 20 is the last day for early bird pricing!)

[adamcebraun66-blog]

It’s Fall Certification Test Day here at @landscapeontario in Milton. And it’s a beauty of a fall day. I’m happy with the turnout - both candidates and judges. It’s great to see this level of commitment from across the industry. We’re all here on a Saturday for the same purpose...to see our profession thrive and to foster the strength of our trade. I learned from one candidate that she travelled from Muskoka to retake one station. One! What an impressive level of dedication. Here is a candidate carefully circling a “tree” as he completes the Riding Mower station. Safety and proper operation of equipment are major components of the day. Today, candidates were well prepared for both. Thanks to everyone who came out. Your choice to be here and to challenge the test demonstrates tremendous promise for Landscaping and Horticulture in Ontario. Good luck candidates! #landscapeindustrycertified #clt #landscapepro #landscaping #horticulture #test #certified #landscapelife #beautifulfallday #autumn @johndeere #zeroturn #safety #worksafe #ppe #whyilandscape #landscapegoals #drive #commitment #dedication #landscapeontario (at Milton, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/BoCHxaIhwmF/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1axzwikgtg49o

[provincialsiteservices]

Some fine examples of work completed by the fence & decking crews. Provincial Site Services 647.212.5714 #provincialsiteservices #constructiontoronto #contractorsofinsta #decksofinstagram #fences #outdoorlivingspace #outdoors #landscapeontario #landscaping #ontario #oshawa #torontorealestate #oshawarealestate #whitbyrealestate #workmanship #torontoconstruction #peterboroughontario #cobourg #lindsay (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEY97pZDD2M/?igshid=1l73vr2de3vxi

[photoglitz]

#landscape #landscapeloversbestshot #landscapeinblackandwhite #landscapefall #landscapehphotographer #landscapenepal #landscaperocks #landscapedrawing #landscapesketching #landscapeoninstagram #LandscaperinVaughan #landscape #landscapeprep #landscapegallery #LandscapeOntario #landscapeinstagramphotos #landscapegardening #LandscapeSeekers #landscapepho #landscapeslove #landscapegardens #landscapephotogtaphy #landscapehdr #landscapeohotography #landscapestylegf #landscapearchiteture #landscapeinmyworld #landscapeinthewolrd #landscapeloversofinstagram #landscapephotographs https://www.instagram.com/p/CA1asSUFbF4/?igshid=1iky9jz7vc5lr

[greencarespecialist]

Landscape Ontario Tradeshow is incredible!!! It's so huge lol. Loving every minute of this! #LOCongress #LandscapeOntario https://www.instagram.com/p/B7BzEVYg9xi/?igshid=1gc5zfss7aaj5

[rockscapes]

Another view of the cave, this showing off the custom rock bathroom door. It's always hard to choose what I love building more, granite or limestone... Granite the artists really get to shine while I feel limestone is more interesting for the builders/sculptors. www.rockscapescanada.com #pooldesign #poolkings #builders #built #custom #limestone #stone #stampedconcrete #artificialrock #fauxrock #artists #create #landscapedesign #landscapeontario #yourconcretesource #concretecooperation #rockscapes #landscaping #poolside #hgtv (at Markham, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1YtQPNHVY6/?igshid=1mubt3xutq9vw

[pmlaforest]

The Ontario minimum wage increase debate: a take from a small business owner

Since January 1st 2018, Ontario has become the first province in Canada to increase its minimum wage from $11.60 to $14.00 an hour, a 21% jump overnight. Another increase is planned for January 1st 2019 that will bring it up to $15.00 an hour, another 7%. There has been a lot of debate around the situation, from scholars to economists, average Joes to business tycoons. Let me bring my personal perspective on the issue, from a small business owner angle.

A few years back, I left the high roller corporate world to embark on a journey that I thought I was ready for: entrepreneurship. After all, I had climbed the corporate ladder and had been a senior executive for high profile Fortune 500 companies for all my young career; at times launching new divisions or turning troubled ones around, at times introducing to market new products and growing them to becoming household staples. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Entrepreneurship is hard… it͛s long hours, it͛s a roller coaster and it͛s high stakes. In fact, like most entrepreneurs, all I have or ever had was put on the line as collateral for our venture: the house, the RRSP, the savings, everything ! I have made many mistakes along the way that I have paid for with additional sweat and sleepless nights. These experiences allows me to have a distinct viewpoint from many on how the recent changes to the labor landscape impacts small businesses like mine, which represents roughly 30% of Canada͛s GDP, 98% of all businesses in Ontario and employ over 3 millions people in Ontario.

I am of the school of thought that everybody that works hard and puts in the work they do effort and heart should have the ability to earn a decent living that allows him to prosper and be proud of the work they do, no matter what they do. I still remember the impact that any modest wage increased had on my overall budget. I agree that minimum wages need to go up with time, as all other things do. Unfortunately, for many businesses (many of which are our suppliers), instant 21% increase in minimum wage (plus another 7% next year) is just too much to sustain. Despite what some people think, the vast majority of businesses work with razor thin margins that limit their ability to support such increase. Most small businesses owners I know work countless hours per week and often make less than minimum wage when all their time is accounted for. They risk everything they own to support the business they cherish and often will sacrifice themselves to maintain the livelihood of their employees and families. All of this without essential protections, such as EI, personal guarantees, etc. Perhaps some businesses with significant scale can stomach the recent increase but for most, it is significant. It is what makes the difference between making a small profit to a profound loss. It significantly disrupts businesses alike province-wide to find ways to cope with this new attack rather than focusing on how to grow, expand, innovate and employ more people. Business owners such as myself and many others are forced to explore the 3 options offered to them: increase your prices, improve efficiencies or cut costs, as did a well-known restaurant chain recently by cutting benefits and perks to its employees. Don͛t get me wrong, I do not endorse such decision but respect the fact that business owners are all faced with similar challenges and I suspect this will not be the only situation we hear of in the upcoming weeks.

Within our businesses, the immediate impacts on our wages is minimal. No one of our employees were making minimum wages prior to the recent changes and in fact, all of our employees are still making more than the new minimum wage now. Furthermore, all our full time permanent employees are entitled to company sponsored benefits and a group RSP matched by us, on top of other incentives such as paid uniforms from head to toe, summer hours, etc. Our combined companies provide for over 75 Ontario families with a payroll north of $2.1M, which equates to roughly 40% of revenues. For comparison, in the ͚͛green industry͛͛ labor costs average between 40-60% of revenues with a net profit of approximatively 10%. With some minor tweaks here and there, we will weather this storm, I know not all businesses are as fortunate as we are and I know that our strategy will need to change if the next proposed change to the minimum wage move forward next year.

Finally, I believe that the intended benefit to the employees who will receive the pay increases will be mixed at best. Perhaps, some will receive a pay increase in the short term but many will likely lose their jobs, see their hours and benefits cut and those who keep their jobs will pay more income tax and pay more for products and services they buy everyday. Far worse, those living and working in smaller towns in Ontario or in the hospitality industry where work is already precarious will likely feel the negative impact of such drastic measure quicker than around the Greater Toronto area. For political greed in light of the upcoming election, the current government is gambling with livelihoods of hundreds of thousand small businesses and families. The target of increasing minimum wage could have been achieved with little concern if it had been phased in over a period of time as it is done in all other jurisdictions but the potential impacts of a 21% increase overnight, followed by another 7% next year is a gamble that scares me. Only time will tell.

[alexggonzo]

O Canada! Leisure Pools is at the Landscape Ontario Show this week. Visit us at Booth 1984 and let us help you live the life of leisure you deserve! #LandscapeOntario @LOCongress (at Toronto Congress Center)

[leisurepoolsusa]

O Canada! Leisure Pools is at the Landscape Ontario Show this week. Visit us at Booth 1984 and let us help you live the life of leisure you deserve! #LeisurePools #LandscapeOntario @LOCongress #fiberglass #swimmingpool (at Toronto Congress Center)

[iberialandscape]

Simple yet beautiful! Oaks Ridgefield Plus with Banas steps! #iberialandscape #oaks #unilock #waterproofing #landscape #toronto #landscaping #contractor #landscapedesign #landscapeontario #landscapers_of_instagram #canada #hardwork #landscapecontractor #gta #instagood #happy #followme #follow #repost #photooftheday #toronto #woodwork #anniversary #50yearanniversary #50yearsold #grateful #baeumlerapproved #homestars #unilockauthorizedcontractor #banas (at Vaughan, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTR19ICA8dV/?utm_medium=tumblr

[canadablooms]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKCG-YfFZ1Q)

Are you cutting your lawn wrong? Let Denis Flanagan give you some tips, and yes that is Canada Blooms' Horticultural Director David Turnbull mowing the lawn.

[imaginepools]

The Landscape Ontario Congress starts today with your chance to learn more about Imagine Pools composite fiberglass swimming pools, spas and tanning ledges available through SCP. Visit the SCP booth and together, let's help more families enjoy "life at its best." #imaginepools #lifeatitsbest #poollove #letsswim #Toronto #Ontario @LandscapeOntario #fiberglass #swimmingpool #fiberglasspools (at Toronto Congress Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7BYeO3lo2P/?igshid=15jivevsskzg3

[adamcebraun66-blog]

Spent the day at Cuddy Gardens in Strathroy with the Horticultural students of Fanshawe College. Today they challenged the second half of their Ornamental Maintenance certification test. As part of their curriculum, students participate in certification testing through the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association. That's the exciting thing about certification in our profession. We see veterans decide to designate themselves as professionals, new comers to the industry wishing to align themselves with like minded individuals, and students of horticultural at the epoch of their careers. We all have that common drive. And our bench strength as a profession is tremendous. #landscapepro #landscaping #horticulture #cnla #landscapeontario #fanshawe #landscapeindustrycertified #whyilandscape #drive #landscapegoals @landscapeontario

[provincialsiteservices]

In the next couple of weeks the PSS install team will be commencing work on a stunning installation in Aurora. Thinking of a creating a new outdoor living space? Connect with one of our design consultants to make your dream a reality. 647.212.5714 #aurora #vaughan #woodbridge #deckdesign #deckdecor #outdoorlivingspace #hottub #trex #contractorsofinsta #homeandgarden #qualityservice #workmanship #design #ontario #landscapeontario #backyard #summerfun #familyspace #whitbyrealestate #oshawarealestate #oshawa #workmanship (at Aurora, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBp6D6yDNRf/?igshid=1jbj8085lpzul