Contact
24565 Dewdney Trunk Road
Maple Ridge, BC V4R 1W9
Email: Bill Hardy [email protected]
About
HortEducation.ca (HEBC) is the voice for the ornamental horticulture and agriculture based trades in British Columbia. In 2005, HortEducation.ca was launched following a similar structure to that developed in New Zealand in the 1980’s, adopting an environment where industries could identify and build training programs to meet particular industry-defined needs.
Ornamental horticulture and agriculture industry based activities all depend on a skilled workforce. To support this need, HortEducation.ca’s mandate is to attract more people into the industry and then make available the appropriate training. HortEducation.ca works with industry in the development and establishment of apprentice trades, providing support through marketing, research and industry partnerships. It is HortEducation.ca’s goal to ensure the highest of standards throughout BC by working closely with industry, apprentices and training providers, with industry playing the lead role.
Mission and Vision
Mission Statement
- To make training good business.
Vision
- To enhance society through education.
Values
The values that will be reflected in the development and implementation of the HortEducation.ca are as follows:
- Industry leadership and coordination
- Shared funding among those who benefit
- Customer-focused on trainees, workers and employers
- Accessible programs and services
- Industry relevance and responsiveness
- Industry capacity and sustainability of service
- Stakeholder inclusiveness and partnership
- Operational efficiency, flexibility and streamlined administration
- Quality training that includes provincial and national skill standards and qualifications
- Cost-effective programs and services for industry, workers and the taxpayer
Board and Staff Members
Cable Baker
Chair
RCB Garden Service, Down to Earth Landscaping
Baker is the Chair of the HEBC board. Cable has been on the HEBC board since the early beginnings of HEBC. He has had various roles and responsibilities during that time. Cable is the owner of RCB Garden Service, which focuses on residential landscape maintenance and installation. In his 25 years in the agriculture and horticulture industry he has earned these qualifications; graduate of Niagara Parks School of Horticulture; Certified Landscape Technician in Ornamental Maintenance, Turf Maintenance and Softscape Installation; Certified Landscape Professional; and CofQ in Landscape Horticulture. Cable is an active member of the BCLNA, and has since retired as the Landscape Certification chair. He now chairs the BCLNA Landscape Awards of Excellence, helps with the CanWest Horticulture Show, and is involved in various CNLA committees.
Laura Principe
Vice Chair
Laura has an extensive education and on the job experience in soil science and Landscape Horticulture attaining the following credentials:
- M.Sc. Soil Science, University of British Columbia
- B.Sc.(Agr) Plant Science, University of British Columbia
- Red Seal Landscape Horticulturist
- Trades II Gardener, Horticulture, City of Vancouver Parks Board
Egan Davis
Treasurer
UBC Botanical Garden & Centre for Plant Research
Egan Davis is an award-winning gardener with a lifelong passion for horticulture. His diverse background includes garden design, landscape construction, botanical garden operations and greenhouse and nursery production. He managed collections at VanDusen Botanical Garden and was the foreman at Park & Tilford Gardens. Through his outreach activities such as television, radio, print and lectures at conferences and garden clubs, Egan has been a strong advocate for the horticulture industry. By serving on the board of directors of HEBC, Egan has been involved with developing industry standards and policies. He has been a leader in the industry for many years by participating in senior roles at BC Landscape & Nursery Association events. Egan has taught horticulture in botanical garden, college and university settings and he brings the same passion and infectious enthusiasm for gardening to his teaching. When Egan is not teaching or working in the garden, he loves to explore the natural world by hiking and travelling to exotic ecological destinations.
Pat Perry
Past Chair
Davey Tree Expert Co.
As Regional Safety Manager for Canadian Operations, Pat oversees the development, maintenance and implementation of Davey’s Occupational Health & Safety Program throughout Canada and manages all issues related to Workers’ Compensation and Provincial OH&S regulations.
Pat is a Certified Utility Arborist, started his career in Arboriculture in 1975, joined Davey Tree in 1986 and has held various field and management positions until his appointment as Regional Safety Manager for Canadian Operations in 2006.As a past instructor for both the Industrial Vegetation Management Association of Alberta (IVMAA)-U
Utility Treeworker program and BC Utility Arborist Apprenticeship-Technical Training, Pat promotes regulation awareness and training standards for our Industry throughout the Canadian Provinces.
Pat is the past Chair of the BC Utility Arborist Trade Advisory Committee, Director of the Western Utility Arborist Association (WUAA) as well as a Vice Chair of HEBC.
Through the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), Pat has earned his designation as a Certified Tree Care Safety Professional (CTSP).
Bruce McTavish
Director at Large
McTavish Resource & Management Consultants Ltd.
Bruce has been in the industry for over 30 years. Currently he is the Canadian industry chair for the North American Plant Protection Organization, director of the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, past president of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association and is currently a director of the CNLA, and chair of the National Task force on Sudden Oak Death. He is also an instructor in the School of Horticulture and the School of Business at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and plays an active role in the nursery sector as Senior Project Manager for Pickett’s Nurseries Ltd and as director of Bylands Nurseries Ltd. His academic accomplishments include a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Master of Science in Agricultural Mechanics, Master of Business Administration, Professional Agrologist, CofQ in Production Horticulture, Red Seal CofQ in Landscape Horticulture, and Registered Professional Biologist.
Bill Van Belle
Director at Large Grower Representative
Van Belle Nurseries Inc.
Van Belle is the Grower representative on the HEBC board. He is the owner of Van Bell Nursery Inc., and has been in the nursery production industry for over 40 years. Bill supports the need for a vibrant industry in both production horticulture and landscape horticulture. He has served on the Canada Nursery Landscape Association and on the BC Landscape & Nursery Association board for many years, and spent 2 years as President.
Peter Brinson
Director at Large Arborist Representative
Arborist Training Solutions
Janis Matson
Director at Large
Shoreline Landscape Design, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Heike Stippler
Director at Large, Landscape Representative
Heike Designs Inc.
Guy Pottinger
Director at Large
City of Vancouver
Martin Evans
Director at Large, Arborist Representative
Vancouver Island Tree Service Ltd.
Bill Hardy
Staff: Business Manager
Grow and Gather Garden Centre, Landscape Industry Certified CLM
Email Address: [email protected]
As a founding member of HortEducation.ca, Bill has been been involved with HEBC for over 9 years.
Bill is also active with several other industry associations including:
- Canadian Nursery Landscape Association - Public Relations and Environment Director
- BC Landscape & Nursery Association - Retail Commodity Director
- Canadian Garden Council - Founding Director and CNLA Representative
- International Association of Horticulture Producers - Green City Committee
Bill has had many roles and responsibilities over the years and has always had an avid involvement in industry professional development and certification. He was instrumental in establishing landscape and retail certification programs nation-wide as well as playing a key role in developing Landscape Horticulture as a Red Seal Trade designation.
Bill’s other day job is co-owner of Grow and Gather Garden Centre in Maple Ridge BC.
Lindsay Lindholm
Staff: Industry Education and Labour Development Consultant
BA, Diploma Hort Prod, ADED WEc, CISc
Lindsay provides learning resource development and support services to HEBC. Lindsay comes to HEBC with a strong education background, including graduating with distinction for KPU's Greenhouse & Nursery Diploma. Lindsay had a small farm and greenhouse on Bowen Island where she sold vegetables, herbs, and cut flowers. Lindsay enjoyed her Horticulture education experience so much she wanted a career in horticulture education. She returned to university where she Graduated with Distinction and received awards for Outstanding Achievement for a Bachelor of Arts Degree and an Adult Education Workplace Training Certificate at The University of the Fraser Valley. Lindsay majored in Political Science with a minor in Communications. She received a Research Excellence award for her research on "Urban vs. rural opinion toward B.C. Agricultural Land Reserve Legislation". Lindsay also has a Certificate in Computer Information Systems from UFV. Her specialties include research and analysis, social media & business communications, public relations and marketing.