On the year of its 50th birthday, Landscape Ontario went through a period of renewal as several beloved events returned triumphantly to live, in-person status. Colleagues and friends gained new opportunities to shake hands and talk shop face to face thanks to the outstanding volunteers in our Chapter Boards and Sector Groups. These members have dedicated their time and talents to creating unique opportunities for LO members to learn and make connections that will improve their professional lives. To support these efforts, your membership team has grown considerably, with five new staff members bringing expertise in leadership, sales, event planning, administration and more. Your association is fit at 50 and shows no sign of slowing down. With new faces and renewed activity, 2023 was a year of positive change and 2024 promises to build on that momentum.

Membership numbers

Landscape Ontario experienced record growth in recent years, but fiscal year 2023 saw some correction in the membership roll. Compared to 2022, LO’s total membership reduced by about 7%, with attrition seen in all categories except for individual members. Data on the reasons for membership cancellations is limited, as few lapsed or cancelled members filled out the membership exit survey. Of those who did, over 80% indicated that they would be open to rejoining Landscape Ontario in the future. A priority in 2024 will be to gain more data on member engagement in order to retain, and even regain, as many members as possible. To this end, a member survey will be launched in January.

 

Member Type	2022	2023
Member, Professional Member, Certified Member	1,908	1,808
Associate Member	581	548
Chapter Associate	643	485
Sole Proprietor	105	129
Individual Member	94	95
Introductory Member	40	56
Total Members	3,371	3,121

New staff

Your Landscape Ontario membership team went through a growth spurt in fiscal year 2023, with five new staff members coming on board, including a new Membership Director. With these fresh faces come fresh ideas and a renewed commitment to outstanding member service. This team is already hard at work improving our internal processes and helping to execute the numerous events and initiatives spearheaded by member volunteers.

New membership staff added in 2023:
Evan Dickson, Director of Membership - edickson@landscapeontario.com
Justin Kole, Membership Engagement Specialist - jkole@landscapeontario.com
Karri Bylsma, Membership Event Specialist - kbylsma@landscapeontario.com
Lauralee Gonzalez, Membership Event Specialist - lgonzalez@landscapeontario.com
Andrea Bianchi, Membership Admin Assistant - abianchi@landscapeontario.com

Chapters and Sectors

LO Chapter Boards and Sector Groups got busy this year bringing some of your favourite events back for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started.

The Golden Horseshoe Chapter Chicken Roast returned to record attendance, bringing more than 300 hungry people to WPE Landscape Equipment on September 15, 2022.

Snowposium returned to form as a live trade show and conference with 28 exhibitors and 20 speakers at LO’s headquarters in Milton, also on September 15, 2022.

The Waterloo Fall Freeze Up, LO’s longest-running event, hosted over 100 guests for a festive night of dinner and dancing on November 18, 2022.

The Ottawa chapter saw the great success of London’s summertime Touch a Truck event and decided to bring it east. On July 22, 2023, families in Western and Eastern Ontario enjoyed picnic lunches in fine weather while exploring trade equipment.

In addition to these highlights were numerous successful chapter meetings, golf tournaments, baseball tournaments and other events that brought Landscape Ontario members together across the province to network, learn and have fun. All of these great events were made possible by the boundless energy and community spirit of LO’s chapter and sector volunteers.

Get more involved with your professional sector or local community by joining a Sector Group or Chapter Board. Contact Evan Dickson at edickson@landscapeontario.com to learn more.

Landscape Ontario Chapters:
Durham
Georgian Lakelands
Golden Horseshoe
London
Ottawa
Toronto
Upper Canada
Waterloo
Windsor
Muskoka North

Landscape Ontario Sector Groups:
Garden Centre
Grounds Management
Growers
Hardscape and Contractors
Interior Plantscapes
Irrigation
Landscape Designers
Lighting
Snow and Ice Management
Turf Management