Clippings for March 7, 2024

Landscape Alberta’s Spring Workshops will be held in Edmonton on April 2, 2024 and in Calgary, AB on April 4, 2024. Attendees will have two locations to choose from!

How you start is the best predicter of how you finish. This is why Landscape Alberta is working with Grant Harrison from Nextra Consulting to deliver the Supercharge your Spring workshop. Geared to frontline supervisors the two (2) 1-day sessions (Edmonton & Calgary) will provide your team with the important skills and considerations for operating a high performance team, even in tight labour markets.  Get this season started on the right foot!

Save the Date for an evening celebrating excellence in landscaping at the 2023 Landscape Awards Dinner! Join us on April 4, 2024, at the rustic and vibrant Tool Shed Brewery in Calgary, AB, as we honor outstanding achievements in the world of landscaping. Get ready to immerse yourself in a night of inspiration, innovation, and camaraderie, surrounded by the fun atmosphere of Tool Shed Brewery. Mark your calendars for an unforgettable experience, where industry leaders, enthusiasts, and visionaries come together to applaud the best in landscape design, construction and maintenance. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, network, and toast to the brilliance that shapes our outdoor spaces!

Early Bird rates in effect until March 15, 2024!

There have been numerous comments on the ease of the Canada job bank process. Some criticisms include the cumbersome process, easy renewal, and the influx of out-of-country applications. CNLA, in partnership with Employment and Social Development Canada, wants to provide its members with a better understanding of the process and a step-by-step tool to ensure a simple solution to job postings that will benefit the employer and the industry.

Info and Registration: https://cnla.ca/events/job-bank-workshop

Webinar #3 : HR Policies and Procedure-using the AgriHR Toolkit 

March 13, 2024 12:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST 

Register here: https://bit.ly/CNLAWebinar3

These sessions were very popular last year and run free of charge. Please register in advance to have access to the links.

The intake for the 2024-2025 Youth Employment and Skills Program (YESP), delivered by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, will be opening soon. Applications will be accepted between February 26, 2024 and March 25, 2024.

The Youth Employment and Skills Program helps support employers who hire youth (between the age of 15 and 30 inclusive) for agricultural jobs. Projects may start as early as April 1, 2024 and end no later than March 31, 2025.

Applications from Indigenous applicants will be prioritized for the 2024-2025 program year. The program will continue to encourage applicants to hire youth facing employment barriers, however, it is not a requirement for eligibility. The list of barriers is as follows:

·      Indigenous

·      Living with a disability (physical, mental health-related or learning disability)

·      Racialized youth (formerly visible minority)

·      Recent newcomer to Canada

·      2SLGBTQQIA+

·      Person living in an Official Languages Minority Community (OLMC)

·      Residing in a remote, northern and/or fly-in-community

·      Living in a low-income household

·      Single parent

·      Individual who left high school

To apply, visit our website and complete and submit the application form with the required documents. Applications from Indigenous applicants will be prioritized for the 2024-2025 program year, followed by all other 1st applications. Approval of secondary applications will be dependent on available funding and program uptake. AAFC reserves the right to limit the number of approved projects per applicant so that funding can be equitably distributed.

Application intake will close midnight EST on March 25, 2024. For additional information regarding the program, please visit website.

This change aims to balance mobility for Mexican visitors with the sustainability of Canada’s immigration program, and supporting services at all levels of government.

This change is expected to facilitate mobility for hundreds of thousands of people from Mexico who want to come here to visit family and friends.

When this change takes effect, Mexican temporary foreign workers in Canada, including seasonal agricultural workers, will not be impacted. Workers with a valid work permit and valid electronic travel authorization (eTA), including those who have yet to travel to Canada, can continue to use their existing eTA until it expires. We are committed to working with you to minimize any issues you may experience as a result of this change. 

There will be no change to the work permit application process for Mexican nationals going forward.

Under a partial visa requirement, Mexican nationals seeking to visit Canada can still travel to Canada without a visa if they are flying to Canada, and hold a valid U.S. visa, or have held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years. These clients will still be able to apply for a light-touch eTA.

Mexican citizens who do not meet these new rules will need to apply for a visa. All Mexican nationals (including workers) seeking entry to Canada via the land border now require a visa.

As part of this change, Canada is opening more Visa Application Centres in Mexico. This will improve our service to Mexican work permit applicants.

For more information, please visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2024/02/updated-travel-information-for-mexican-citizens-coming-to-canada.html?utm_campaign=ircc-ircc-visa-23-24&utm_medium=email&utm_source=worker-stakeholder-en

Additional resources: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/campaigns/eta-work-visa-mexico.html?utm_campaign=ircc-ircc-visa-23-24&utm_medium=email&utm_source=worker-stakeholder-en

Makita, a leading emission-free cordless power tools and equipment provider, is thrilled to announce its new national partnership with the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA). This exciting collaboration aims to provide CNLA members exclusive discounts on Makita’s extensive selection of battery-powered products and services.

Get more info here - https://cnla.ca/savings/makita

CAHRC’s AgriTalent program supports the development of connections between post-secondary students, employers in agriculture and post-secondary institutions and contributes towards preparing a job-ready workforce for the Canadian agriculture industry.

Check your eligibility and review what this program is all about: AGRI Talent Summer Students

Individual grants of $5,000 or $10,000 per apprentice await those in 39 trades including the Red Seal Landscape Horticulturist program.

Join Apprenticeship Search for a 2-3 hr online course. Qualify easily for grants and free training. Act fast, deadline is March 31, 2024. https://www.apprenticesearch.com/cas

Michelin: Special pricing on MICHELIN Passenger & Light Truck, Agriculture, Compact Line, Tweel SSL and Earthmover Tires.

Isuzu Trucks: Save on select NEW Isuzu Trucks. Administration fees apply.

CLS: Members receive a free digital download copy of the Canadian Landscape Standard 2.0. Visit https://www.csla-aapc.ca/standard to get your copy!

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.