With the election now complete, we can look forward to a resumption of our regularly scheduled programming (the election hold on government business will soon be lifted). In the coming weeks we will see Premier Smith announce her new cabinet and provide mandate letters to the new Ministers. 

Landscape Alberta will review these mandate letters along with research on the Ministers to provide issue briefings on a case-by-case basis. Ongoing work continues with the Ministries of Agriculture, Skilled Trades and Professions, Municipal Affairs, Jobs and Economy, Forestry, Parks and Tourism, and Environment and Protected Areas and industry priorities can be positioned to align with overall government direction/point of view. This assumes there isn’t some cabinet restructuring (new ministries, removing old ones, or combining some).

The fall session is currently set to begin in October so no new legislation will be seen before then. Once we have new faces in their new roles, we can connect dots to members and begin the work of influencing policy or legislative change in our favour.

Do you love beer and spirits? Do you love the outdoors? Do you love beer AND the outdoors? If so, this is the perfect night out for you!

This event will take place outdoors at Kiwi Nurseries on June 17, 2023. We will be hosting 30 different craft liquor vendors. This is a great opportunity to try local Alberta spirits and craft beers; with vendors from Edmonton, Ponoka, and we even let some Calgarians join the party. The Caffeinated Kiwi will be on site with New Zealand specialties and other great eats. The atmosphere wouldn’t be complete without a little bit of live music, too!

ADMISSION: $25.00 per person. Must be 18+ with valid IDs for entry. This admission includes:

– 2x 4oz. beer, or 2oz. wine/mead or 1/2oz. spirit drink tickets

– Additional tickets available for purchase. $2.00 per sample type.

– Gates open at 1:30pm

– Service hours June 17th from 2:00pm to 9:00pm

More info and tickets: https://kiwinurseries.com/product/kiwis-craft-beverage-festival/

The Program uses wage data from Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey to help in the administration of the Program and review of the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The LMIA is in place to protect the Canadian labour market from potential negative impacts of hiring temporary foreign workers, including any downward pressures on Canadian wages. The LMIA also protects the health and safety of temporary foreign workers while in Canada and ensures that appropriate wages are paid for the work undertaken.  

The provincial and territorial median wage data is updated annually and used to determine whether a position falls into the Low-Wage or High-Wage Streams. This means, employers are eligible for the Low-wage Stream of the Program if they offer a wage that is below the provincial or territorial median hourly wage for the position requested on the LMIA and, are eligible for the High-wage Stream if they offer a wage that is at or above the provincial or territorial median hourly wage for the position requested on the LMIA. Each stream has specific requirements designed to recognize the labour market impacts of hiring TFWs in certain occupations and industries. The requirements include recruitment efforts, working conditions, and employment duration.  (editor note: the AB median wage remains steady at $28.85/hr)

The updated median wages for 2023 are now available online, and is in effect as of May 31, 2023. For LMIAs received on or after this date, employers will be required to submit the application forms and meet the program requirements of the new stream, using the updated median wages. It is important to note that the online application form will be updated automatically, as of May 31, 2023, assisting employers in their application process.  

Note that a 90-calendar-day transition period has been put into place (until August 29, 2023), on an exceptional basis, to account for unforeseen delays in the publishing of the wage data this year. During this transition period, Service Canada will work with employers whose application will have changed streams because of the new wages (from Low Wage Stream to High Wage or vice versa) to complete the appropriate application form. Recruitment efforts that meet the Program requirements of the original application package will be accepted as meeting the requirements of the new program stream during this time. More information about the application process is available on the Employment and Social Development Canada website. 

This publication discusses wildfire smoke as a workplace hazard. Includes information on potential health effects, risks and controls.

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The fourth annual Women in Hort week is here, May 28-June 4, with a number of great events and ways to connect.

Spread the word, plan your own event, and celebrate the women with whom you work!

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For the first time in history, female gardeners have outnumbered their male counterparts competing for medals at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. An impressive 58% of designers participating in this year's event are women, placing men in the minority.

This shift is also seen in the college-educated labor force – as women now comprise a majority. In the second quarter of 2022, the labor force participation rate for college-educated women was 69.6%.



These remarkable statistics set the stage for the 4th Annual Women in Horticulture Week, a momentous occasion that recognizes women's accomplishments in the green industry and fosters an environment of empowerment, support, and professional growth.

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The early bird entry deadline for this year's Landscape Awards is October 21, 2023.

**New for 2023**

All active members get their first entry free! If you have never entered before we hope this helps you take your first step into the awards program. Or if you have entered in a while, what a great time to get involved again.

Download the Landscape Awards Entry Package with all the information you will need for this year's awards below. If you have any questions or need extra time to put together your entry, please let us know! There are categories for all residential and commercial projects, including maintenance, construction, and design. We also have a landscape feature category for those stunning show pieces (e.g. fireplace)

Now is the time to identify the projects that you would like to submit for awards. Ensure you take pictures before, during and after. You can always go back to previous projects from the last two seasons as they often look better after some maturation (construction).  Avoid the rush at the end of season by ensuring you get client permissions and pictures throughout the season.

Online Entry Form  |  Entry Package

A great way to offer our retail garden centres educational and professional sharing opportunities. This three day event will start with a fun evening reception a that Burnaby Delta Convention Centre. We have one and half days of tours, and speakers.

Information on the event: https://cnla.ca/events/gcc-summit-2023

Video for the event: https://youtu.be/y5EvpCIsqp4 

Registration for the event: GCCSummit2023Registration

Petro-Canada: Per litre discount on retail fuel and 20% OFF car washes!

Deluxe: Members save on printed products and receive discounted rates with Deluxe Payroll system.

Staples: Print and marketing in EVERY store in Canada – 20 % off most products or services in the Solution Shop. In stores, or online.

Are you a member of the Landscape Alberta? Are you taking advantage of your Member Benefits?

We offer discounted pricing on vehicles & equipment, industry training,

financial services & much more!

To access the Member Benefits portal, click here. If you don’t have a log-in please reach

out to memberservices@cnla-acpp.ca to request one.