Honouring our Volunteers
The strength of our industry lies in the hundred of hours given by so many of our members. Whether it is the Annual Fundraising Auction, CHT Testing or dealing with pest and disease awareness, all association events, programs and issues require volunteer time, energy and input. Members and affiliates also use their talents to promote our industry, as garden writers and educators - educating the public and our next generation of horticulturists and gardeners.

Categories Include:
Outstanding Service Award
Member of the Year
Young Member of the Year
Garden Communicator of the Year
Educator of the Year
Supplier of the Year
Marketing Innovation Award

Call for Nominations
Do you know someone who is deserving of an award? Fill out a nomination form and send the BCLNA office. Winners are selected by the awards committee which is comprised of the past president and the executive board of directors.

Nominations close on the first Friday of October each year, and the awards are presented at the BCLNA Annual General Meeting held each November.

Download the Member Award Nominations form here (pdf).

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BCLNA Industry Award Winners 2007
Oustanding Service | Member of the Year | Young Member of the Year
Educator of the Year | Garden Communicator of the Year | Supplier of the Year | Marketing Innovation of the Year

Outstanding Service Award
Walter Pinder
Sponsor: Pacific Coast Nurseryman Magazine

This year's winner of the Outstanding Service Award is a behind-the-scenes volunteer, the consummate committee member no association can survive without. "He's the type of member who is quietly and reliably there when needed, always with a big, friendly smile.   He has never been the association president or even a director, but he is a shining example of the time and talent behind the BCLNA's success. He is a grassroots supporter who has provided outstanding service for many years to keep his industry and association strong."

Walt is a longstanding BCLNA auction and golf tournament committee member. He has attended countless grower, landscape and export meetings, annual general meetings and conventions. He always volunteers to help with CanWest and has provided input into the BC Landscape Standard. Last year he represented growers in exploring parts of the landscape development chain that detract from quality landscapes.

Walt Pinder started out in horticulture 30 years ago working for Buckerfields Farms and Garden Supply, then Van Waters & Rogers, Hutchinson Nursery Sales and now Specimen Trees Wholesale Nursery. In the late 1980s, he owned his own landscaping company in Delta, Excalibur Exteriors, at the time he first joined BCLNA.

He attributes his strong service-to-others ethic to his work in 4-H, first as a member, then as a leader. He is also very active in rock and gem circles and makes jewelry. He served as president of the Maple Ridge Lapidary Club. He's currently president of the BC Lapidary Society. Walt thanks his wife Donna and his newly married daughter Anne for always providing a safe and warm place for him to come home to.

Past Winners:
2006 - Margaret Hunter; 2005 - Brian Minter, Minter Gardens; 2004 - Dave Mitchell, DMG Landscape Architects; 2003 - Barry Peters; 2002 - Bert Vielvoye; 2001 - Bruce MacDonald; 2000 - Gerry Hutchinson, Hutchinson Nursery Sales Ltd.; 1999 - Frank Van Hest, Art Knapp Plantland.

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Member of the Year
Peter Levelton, East Richmond Nursery Inc.
Sponsor: Northwest Landscape Supply Ltd.

Peter, a 20-year industry veteran, is President of his company and has been on the BCLNA Board for the past 8 years, serving on a variety of committees: Environment, Nursery IPM, Inside BC Market Development, Native Plant, and Sudden Oak Death Taskforce.

For the past 7 years, he has been on the Executive with 2 years each as 2 nd Vice-President, 1 st Vice-President and President.   Throughout this period, he has done an exemplary job of recruiting new board members, keeping a vibrant mix of young and experienced representatives on our board.

He has just completed his 1 st year as Past President and, with other recent Past Presidents, will be inviting all BCLNA Past Presidents to join them in establishing a BCLNA scholarship program.

Past Winners:
2006 - Ruth Olde, Blasig Landscape Design & Construction; 2005 - John Derrick, Elk Lake Garden Centre; 2004 - Eryl Morton, Eryl Morton Garden Designs; 2003 - Sandy Mathies, Cannor Nurseries Ltd.; 2002 - Bill Hardy, Mandeville Gardens; 2001 - Bruce McTavish, McTavish Resource Consultants; 2000 - Gunther Blasig, Blasig Landscape Design & Construction; 1999 - Bruce Hunter, Hunter Landscape Design Ltd.

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Young Member of the Year
Andrew Flokstra, Inline Nurseries Inc.
Sponsor: Van Belle Nursery Inc.

Andrew Flokstra, has worked for Inline Nurseries for the last 10 years where he is responsible for a variety of tasks including crop management, business development, sales and purchasing.

He has been a BCLNA director since 2002 and currently is the Board representative for both the Industry Development Council and the Agriculture Labour Market Development Initiative.

Andrew has been heavily involved with the Seasonal Agriculture Program and has helped many producers behind the scenes with making the program work for them.

Andrew enjoys working in and for the horticulture industry. He says that being involved gives a greater opportunity to build a stronger industry network through which he can give and receive help on how to overcome any challenges.

Past Winners:
2006 - Michelle Pain, Terra Link Horticulture; 2005 - Cable Baker, RCB Garden Service; 2004 - Mike Kato, Kato's Nursery; 2003 - Paul Buikema, Progress Landscaping; 2002 - Jason La Ronde, Pacifica Nursery Inc.; 2001 - Brian Ramor, Think Green Landscaping Ltd.; 2000 - Dave Van Belle, Van Belle Nursery Inc.; 1999 - Brad Newby, Baker Newby.

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Educator of the Year
Heide Hermary, Gaia College
Sponsor: Specimen Trees Wholesale Nurseries Ltd.

Heidi is a well prepared horticulture educator.   She has a Diploma in Horticulture from Kwantlen College, a Graduate Diploma in Sustainable Agriculture from Sydney University in Australia, and a Master's Degree in Sustainable Agriculture from Charles Stuart University in Australia. She is certified in many industry specialties including arboriculture and irrigation, and also has a Provincial Instructor Diploma with Post-Secondary Endorsement.

As an educator, she has worked primarily in landscape design and construction, and lately almost exclusively in organic horticulture education. Heidi is passionate about the importance of sustainable horticultural practices.   She is the founder of Gaia College which provides instruction in organic ornamental horticulture to landscape professionals and home gardeners.

She is the author of   "Working With Nature - Shifting Paradigms", a book that is getting rave reviews from instructors and students alike.

She does extensive speaking on organic horticulture topics at countless public events always presenting the positive alternative. She founded the Society for Organic Urban Landscapers and is currently one on its board. She is a BCLNA member and is a member of the Steering Committee for the new PlantHealthBC   pest management accreditation program that was initiated by BCLNA.

Heidi notes that the horticulture and agriculture sectors are entering a period of intense change, that will fundamentally transform the way we work, both locally and globally. We all must learn to do things differently:   to garden differently, to teach differently, to produce and sell different products. Heidi has been an early educator and promoter of sustainable practices; the impact of her teaching is already influencing BC's landscape practices and will continue to do so long into the future.

Past Winners:
2006 - Heather Edwards, City of Burnaby Manager of Parks Design & Development; 2005 - Betty Cunin, Kwantlen University College; 2004 - Bruce Hunter, Hunter Landscape Design Ltd.; 2003 - Jim Matteoni, Kwantlen University College; 2002 - Catherine Dale, Catherine Dale Consulting; 2001 - Rob Welsh, Capilano College; 2000 - Roy Jonsson, R. Jonsson & Associates; 1999 - PJ Burns, Kwantlen University College.

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Garden Communicator of the Year
John Humes, Pacific Coast Nurseryman Magazine
Sponsor: Clearview Horticultural Products

John, recently retired Managing Editor of Pacific Coast Nurseryman Magazine, spent 31 years with PCN.   Throughout this time, he rarely missed a major BCLNA event such as CanWest and the annual convention.

We have appreciated the way he went out of his way to write about our events and major activities, raising awareness of British Columbia throughout PCN's readership .

Says John, "From the very first time I came to a BC convention back in the late 1970s, I always felt very much at home. The people of the BC landscape and nursery industry are a special group. I have enjoyed chronicling their accomplishments through the years.

"Particularly in the early years, of all the associations we covered, your AGMs were the only ones where decisions weren't cut and dried.   People discussed controversies, sometimes at the top of their lungs, and then all went out together for a drink afterward. I also enjoyed the expertise and spirit of such industry stalwarts as David Hunter, John Massot, Walter Van Vloten, Brian Minter, John Mathies, John Schroeder, Ruth Olde, Bill Hardy and many others."

Past Winners:
2006 - Conway Lum, GardenWorks@Mandeville; 2005 - Don Burnett, Bylands Garden Centre; 2004 - Gord Nickel, Cannor Nursery & Garden Centre; 2003 - Scott Austin, Art Knapp's Penticton; 2002 - Judy Newton, UBC Botanical Gardens; 2001 - Ruth Olde, Blasig Landscape Design & Construction; 2000 - Brian Minter, Minter Country Gardens Ltd.; 1999 - Steve Whysall, Vancouver Sun

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Supplier of the Year
Northwest Landscape Supply Ltd.
Sponsor: Inline Nurseries Ltd.

Northwest Landscape & Stone Supply, with its owner Don Fraser, has been a long-time industry supporter, and volunteer.

They are sponsors of the Landscape Awards and certification, regularly host commodity meetings, and provide industry training sessions using their materials and expertise. When members or show organizers need landscape products and materials to create displays at shows such as BC Home & Garden, VanDusen, or CanWest, Northwest is there for them.

In addition, they support overall industry development by providing Bill Hardy with some work time for BCLNA, CNLA and HEBC projects

Past Winners:
2006 - TerraLink Horticulture Ltd; 2005 - Finning Canada; 2004 - Creative Embroidery; 2003 - ECHO Canada; 2002 - West Creek Farms Ltd.; 2001 - Fraser Richmond Soil & Fibre; 2000 - Holmes Productions; 1999 - Evergro / Westgro.

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Marketing Innovation of the Year
TerraLink Horticulture Ltd.
Sponsor: Canada Wide Media / GardenWise Magazine

TerraLink introduced its GardenPro and new Country Green lines to provide a full line of home and garden products to independent retailers that were previously accessible only to professional growers.

The goal was to appeal to consumers' senses in a visual, intellectual and environmentally aware manner. Visually, the colourful, high impact labels that feature flowers, vegetables, butterflies and shrubs catch the eye.   They are visually complementary, providing a uniform display. Intellectually, the products appeal to today's savvy gardeners who are looking for specific products and formulations.

They chose packaging that is recyclable and resealable.   It exhibits good ergonomics by being easy to handle, measure and pour.   Of course, many of the products are organic or organically based.

As the blender and manufacturer, TerraLink's flexibility allows them to introduce new products based on customers' requests, resulting in many new introductions planned for 2008.

Because their products are not available to mass marketers, the independent retail clients enjoy higher margins with less competition, while the retailers' clients enjoy professionally formulated products at an affordable price.

Past Winners:
2006 - Valleybrook Gardens Ltd.; 2004 - Mandeville Garden Centre; 2003 - Valleybrook Gardens; 2002 - Mandeville Garden Centre.

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