Winners of the 19th annual National Awards of Landscape Excellence (NALE) were announced on August 10, 2022. Each year, the NALE celebrates outstanding work across the country, honoring top projects in landscape construction, design, and maintenance. In order to qualify for the NALE, applicants first enter their projects in their respective provincial association awards of excellence competitions. Then the provincial associations submit up to three entries per category to the national competition.
The judges, a volunteer panel of industry experts, did not have an easy job evaluating several dozens of projects ranging from exceptional to extraordinary. The national judges evaluated each entry based on standardized criteria first developed by the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) in 2004 to narrow the submissions down to this year’s best in each category.
Following two summers as a virtual event, the CNLA was excited and eager for the national awards to return to being an in-person event. The ballroom at 1 Rideau Street was packed with more than 140 members of the industry from across the country, representing a cross section of the horticultural trades.
The 2022 winners are as follows:
1. “Paradigm Condominiums” by Seferian Design Group, Burlington, Ontario, for the Caterpillar National Award of Landscape Excellence for Commercial Construction
2. “Perched on the Rocky Cape” by DaRocha Webster Landscapes, Montreal, Quebec, for the Caterpillar National Award of Landscape Excellence for Residential Construction
3. “Urban Sanctuary” by Clintar Landscape Management Services of Halifax, Nova Scotia, for the HortProtect National Award of Landscape Excellence for Landscape Design;
4. “Centropolis” by Strathmore Landscaping, Ottawa, Ontario, for the HortProtect National Award of Landscape Excellence for Commercial Maintenance;
5. “Contemporary Beauty” by The Cultivated Garden, Toronto, Ontario, for the HortProtect National Award of Landscape Excellence for Residential Maintenance;
6. Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Ltd., Schomberg, Ontario, for the CNLA Grower of the Year Award;
7. Sheridan Nurseries, Etobicoke, Ontario, for the CNLA Garden Centre of the Year Award
Congratulations to all of the winners this year! The recognition is well deserved for all of this outstanding work that significantly raises the level of professionalism in the landscape industry. The ceremony also included the CNLA awards for Grower and Garden Centre of the Year, as well as the Green for Life Industry Awards, which recognize individuals, companies, and communities which benefit the public through the development and maintenance of green spaces.
The 2022 Green for Life award winners are:
● Humboldt Urban Garden Sanctuary (HUGS) for the Green for Life Community Award
HUGS is a vast new community green space that celebrated its grand opening this summer at the Humboldt District Hospital grounds, built by numerous agencies, companies, and individuals including Scotts Canada, Landscape Saskatchewan, Landscape Alberta, Green Cities Foundation Canada, and Communities in Bloom.
● LO Covid-19 Taskforce Garden Makeover Project: Participation House for the Green for Life Community Award
To recognize the dedication of healthcare professionals and frontline workers in the fight against coronavirus, the Landscape Ontario (LO) Covid-19 Task Force created a Garden Makeover Appreciation contest. A standout among the 10 contest winners is Participation House in Markham, Ontario, a leader in enhancing the quality of life of individuals with disabilities, whose outdoor space received more than $50,000 in donations from LO’s Toronto Chapter for landscaping improvements.
● General Motors Canada for the Green for Life Industry Award for a Corporation
General Motors Canada has been a significant feature of the CNLA’s Member Services program, offering discounts on GM trucks to members across the country for more than 20 years.
● Alex Raab for the Green for Life Distinction Award Industry Award for an Individual
Alex Raab, who opened his first White Rose store in 1957, was a pioneer of the ornamental horticulture industry in many ways, including mail-order delivery, large-scale composting, and inventing and trademarking several products like the Merrygro mini greenhouse.
● Raymond Carrière for the Green for Life Distinction Award Industry Award for an Individual
Raymond Carrière is the Founding President of Communities in Bloom. For more than 25 years, Raymond’s vision inspired thousands of volunteers and over 900 communities to register in the provincial, national and international programs.
● Tony DiGiovanni for the Green for Life Distinction Award Industry Award for an Individual
For more than 30 years as Executive Director of Landscape Ontario, Tony DiGiovanni has made a mark on the landscape industry in numerous ways, including improving communication between members, his tireless promotion of the industry, and the exponential growth of LO membership.
For more information:
CNLA
www.cnla.ca