2020 OALA Awards

During the week of May 1-8, 2020, we take the time to honour and recognize the volunteers and exceptional members that have contributed to the OALA and emulate fundamental principles of the OALA’s Mission, Vision and Core Values.

The Ontario Association of Landscape Architects awards are the highest recognition the Association can bestow. We celebrate outstanding individuals in the profession and leaders found in our communities.

This is different from the CSLA Awards of Excellence, which recognize projects by Landscape Architects which will be announced by the CSLA in the coming months.

The OALA Annual Awards Ceremony traditionally takes place at the Annual Conference; however that event is not being held in person this year. The Award winners will be announced the first week of May via e-mail, social media, and will also be posted on the OALA website. The summer issue of OALA Ground Magazine will also feature all OALA Award winners, as well as the OALA members who have been recognized with a CSLA Award this year.

A special thank you to the OALA Honours Awards and Protocol Committee: Chaired by Doris Chee, along with Jane Welsh, Nelson Edwards, Jim Melvin, Stefan Fediuk, Leah Lanteigne, for their time and dedication to ensuring the calibre of the recipients of these awards.

The President’s Award may be awarded periodically at the discretion of the OALA President, in recognition of the contributions of an OALA Full Member who supports and advances initiatives and actions of the a

ssociation and promotes the profession of Landscape Architecture in Ontario. The recipient must demonstrate exemplary service to the Association through a diversity of contributions and activities including but not limited to – membership on OALA Council, leadership on committees, Council projects, programs or initiatives.

Click here to view the e-blast announcement for this award

Kendall Flower, OALA

The OALA has benefitted greatly from Kendall’s energy, well thought out ideas and tireless commitment in her many voluntary contributions to the OALA.

Kendall has been on Council for two terms and served as Vice President (2018-2020), Treasurer (2017-2018) and as Chair of the OALA 2019 and 2020 conferences. She willingly stepped up to participate on many committees including the Municipal Outreach Committee and has continued to Chair the Mandatory Education Committee as well as the Insurance Task Force. She has also attended several events related to OALA’s government relations and Practice Act pursuit. In 2012, Kendall presented the report at the AGM where the new Mandatory Continuing Education (MCE) program was approved by membership, a major milestone for the OALA.  The program commenced in 2015 and Kendall has led this committee through the first and second terms of reporting and auditing.

In addition to her committee and task force work, Kendall supports the association in many other capacities.  She has reviewed the monthly newsletters for the past two years and also contributes as both an advisor and a reviewer for associates completing their Professional Development Program.  In 2019, she added to her tasks when she supported the treasurer, Steve Barnhart and the Registrar in negotiating updated agreements for the OALA Endowment Fund with the University of Guelph and the University of Toronto.

Kendall has completed two full terms on Council, and will continue to volunteer her time as chair of the Mandatory Education Committee. In Kendall’s words,

“My experience volunteering with the OALA has been wonderfully balanced, where by contributing my time to the OALA, I have had the opportunity to meet and build working relationships with so many OALA members. I also gained public speaking experience with all of those continuing education program and budget presentations that you have endured and now more recently some event planning experience!”

Connect: www.kendallflower.com

Kendall Flower (left) receiving the President’s Award from OALA President Jane Welsh (right) at the last in-person Council meeting held on March 9, 2020.

The OALA Pinnacle Award for Landscape Architectural Excellence acknowledges excellence in works by an OALA member and their exemplary overall body of professional work and accomplishments.

Singling out specific projects to draw attention to a body of work which demonstrates outstanding professional accomplishment, this award promotes awareness of the recipient’s landscape architectural works and achievements among landscape architects, allied professionals, potential clients and the public.

Click here to view the e-blast announcement for this award.

Jim Melvin, OALA, FCSLA

Jim’s colleagues can vouch that he has a tireless passion and commitment to the practice of landscape architecture and that he is fiercely protective of the value of landscape architects as professional designers, as City-builders and placemakers.

With over 35 years as a consulting Landscape Architect and founding Partner of PMA Landscape Architects, Jim Melvin has been responsible for the conception and implementation of open space development, urban infill parks, community and park planning, and landscape designs for condominiums, long-term care residences and schools throughout Ontario. He is also highly active in advancing the profession of landscape architecture, volunteering for the OALA and CSLA extensively over many decades, including his recent contribution in the development of the OALA Fee Guide for Landscape Architectural Services, and serving on various committees including Honours, Awards and Protocol Committee.

Jim Melvin is a member of the CSLA College of Fellows, a past College Chair (2008-2009), a past recipient of the CSLA Andre Schwabenbauer Award for Community Service work (2010), and a past president of the CSLA (1994-1995). He currently sits on the City of Toronto Design Review Panel (since 2011), and has participated on the Juries for the CSLA National Awards; Nathan Philips Square International Student Design Competition; student reviews at University of Guelph and Waterloo; and OPPI Excellence In Planning Awards; and as a judge for Canada Blooms.

Jim was a member of the Board of Governors at Exhibition Place (2003 – 2009) past President of the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE 2010- 2011). As a President, Jim oversaw the activities of the 25-member volunteer Board. He was the first landscape architect to sit on the Board of the Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundations (OTRF) (2013 – 2018), which includes the management of turfgrass research funding in all sectors. Other Foundation Board work has included LACF and CNE Foundation. Jim also taught at Ryerson School of Architecture Technology and Landscape Architecture from 1994 – 1997.

In addition to Jim’s ongoing commitment to community service, he also has an extensive and impressive career as a landscape architect. As a founding Principal at PMA Landscape Architects, his portfolio of built and conceptual work ranges from Community Parks to large-scale Highway and Master plans. He has been responsible for creating memorable landscapes throughout Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. These include McMichael Canadian Art Center, the 400 year anniversary of Champlain’s landing and sculpture park in Penetanguishene, Spadina Quay Wetlands, and Living Arts Center, Mississauga.

Jim’s passion for creating unique and inclusive play spaces began over 30 years ago. As a student at the University of Manitoba, Jim’s thesis focused on creating inclusive spaces, looking at designing adventure playgrounds that can be accessible to all children, while expanding their social, cognitive and physical development. The thesis was published in 1979, CMHC publication Playspaces to Accommodate Disabled Children, and became a resource for other landscape architects. He also led the City of Mississauga in the development of seamless play through a workshop that resulted in the creation of Zonta Park. Additionally, Jim was the Principal-in-Charge and lead designer of Neshama Playground, Toronto’s first fully accessible playground in Oriole Park, which is has become not only a successful playground but a local community hub for children and parents today. His work also includes City of Toronto’s first skate trail a Colonel Sam Smith Park.

Jim has a significant body of work to highlight in Ontario. Most recently, Jim was recognized with awards for past projects for which he acted as the Project Landscape Architect. These included the 2008 CSLA Award for Regional Merit for Forks of the Thames Revitalization, and a Toronto Construction Association Award for Best Project Achievement for the William Osler Health Centre (now Brampton Hospital). Toronto Botanical Garden earned a total of seven awards, the most notable of which are the 2007 CSLA Award for Regional Citation, 2007 Landscape Ontario Water Conservation Award, 2006 Green Toronto Award and 2006 Design Exchange Gold Award for Landscape Architecture.

Recently retired at the end of 2018, Jim led his firm, PMA Landscape Architects, for over 35 years with tireless passion, integrity and – as always – a sense of humour.  Particularly through his ongoing position on the City of Toronto Design Review Panel, he continues to insist landscape architecture is heavily invested in, designed with excellence and valued as critical to the success of urban infill development and placemaking in the city.

Connect:

Twitter: @jimpma

The OALA Public Practice Award recognizes the outstanding leadership of a member of the profession in public practice who promotes and enhances landscape architecture by working for improved understanding and appreciation of the work of landscape architects in both public and private practice.

This year the OALA recognizes two OALA Public Practice Award recipients.

Click here to view the e-blast announcement for this award.

Jeff Bruin, OALA

Jeff is leader of the Parks Planning & Design Section at the City of London.  As a public servant, he is responsible for managing and developing a safe, functional and an attractive parks and open space system that meets the needs of Londoners. He has successfully shown an ability to manage this portfolio with great skill, while ensuring the highest workplace standards and impeccable public service; all under the constant scrutiny form the public, elected officials and the media.

Jeff has proven himself as an effective communicator to the public and development community. His efforts have raised the appreciation and understanding of the skill set of landscape architects in public practice as well as those in private practice.

Specific examples of Jeff’s contribution to the profession in public practice include:

• A responsibility for health and safety of his staff and the public during park construction projects with zero incidents reported during his time as manager.
• Park and open space design using CPTED principles as normal day-to-day practice.
• Collaboration and negotiation with other professions and civic divisions to ensure that appropriate landscape architectural details and specifications are employed in public realm projects.
• Ecological restoration of London’s ecosystems as a base component of all capital works projects.
• Ensures processes to include Reconciliation goals by involving local Indigenous Communities in culturally appropriate park enhancements.
• Leading London’s efforts to complete the 50km of recreational pathways, active mobility pathways and bike lanes throughout London’s Thames Valley Corridor.
• Guidance for landscape architectural objectives for the public realm through input into key civic planning processes and documents such as: Official Plan policies, Parks & Recreation Master Plan, Cycling Master Plan, Public Art projects and Urban Design Guidelines.

Connect:

www.london.ca

David O’Hara, OALA

Although still a long way from being over, David’s work and career has already left an indelible mark on Toronto’s public realm. Having spent over 25 years working for the City of Toronto as a Park Planner, Landscape Architect and Project Manager with the Parks, Forestry & Recreation Division, and as Museum Administrator and Manager at Fort York National Historic Site, David has played a key role in many of the significant initiatives that have helped shape Toronto.

David played a large role in the development of the Central Waterfront Secondary Plan and the Central Waterfront Public Realm Plan, both documents that helped set the stage for many of the projects being implemented across Toronto’s Central Waterfront today.  He has also worked on plans for the Harbourfront Parks and Open Space System, the Fort York & Garrison Common Parks and Open Space System, and on master planning and restoration efforts in High Park. David has also played a role in a variety of other projects, including the Village of Yorkville Park, Courthouse Square Park, Woodbine Park, Toronto’s Music Garden, the rehabilitation of Victoria Memorial Square, and HTO Park.

A strong interest in Toronto’s history and cultural landscapes combined with his background in both planning and landscape architecture allowed David to bring a unique city-building approach to his role at Fort York National Historic Site and towards ensuring that the massive amount of development occurring around the 43-acre site was done in a manner which respects the site as Toronto’s founding landscape.

The development and implementation of Fort York’s master plan involved the completion of several projects, including the recently completed phase of The Bentway. Working closely with the donors, the design team, The Bentway Conservancy, Waterfront Toronto and others, David worked to bring this unique and innovative public space to life under Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway where it crosses Fort York.

In addition to rehabilitating Garrison Common, other Fort-related initiatives include the recently completed Garrison Crossing, also known as the Fort York Pedestrian Bridge, plans for the future Mouth of the Creek Park, and the completion of the Fort York Visitor Centre, which won a Canadian Architect Award of Excellence, a Toronto Urban Design Award, the 2018 Governor General’s Medal Architecture, and has been selected as a finalist for the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize.

David’s current work as Project Manager of Strategic Projects with Toronto’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division includes advancing plans for the proposed Rail Deck Park, master plans for the Toronto Islands and Etobicoke’s Centennial Park, and working on a wide range of other park projects and park-related initiatives.

All of David’s work has and continues to involve working closely with many Landscape Architects in both public and private practice.

David Erb was an outstanding volunteer in furthering the goals of OALA. The David Erb Memorial Award is a prestigious way to acknowledge an OALA member whose outstanding volunteerism over the years, has contributed to furthering the goals and strategic plans of the OALA as well as, making a real difference to the OALA and its members.

This year the OALA recognizes two David Erb Memorial Award recipients.

Click here to view the e-blast announcement for this award.

Cynthia Graham, OALA

Cynthia began her career at the City of Hamilton as a summer student in 2003 and was subsequently hired as a landscape architect in 2005. During her tenure at the City, her passion for her work and her professional excellence has seen her recognized with promotions and is now Manager of Landscape Architectural Services since April 2016. In 2014 she was bestowed the City of Hamilton Employee Spirit Award for her dedication and volunteer efforts serving the community in the name of landscape architecture and environmental urban planning.

Though Cynthia manages a team of 13 landscape architects/project managers, technologists and support staff, she finds time to mentor emerging professionals in the field of landscape architecture.  Her working knowledge of civic functions, parks and open space issues to advocate for responsible and innovative solutions, and strong understanding of the archeological implications for landscape architects across the Greater Toronto-Hamilton region provide a strong basis for this counsel.

As an advocate for climate change mitigation, Cynthia has organized workshops for staff at the City Hamilton, and invited noted climate scientist Dr. Colleen Mercer Clarke to guide a conversation on what actions the City of Hamilton can do to address this timely and critically important issue.

Cynthia volunteers her expertise to the Ontario Trails Council, Hamilton-Burlington Trails Council, Niagara escarpment Parks and Open Space System, and Park Planning forum – a network of municipal landscape architects in the Greater Toronto & Hamilton Area.

Cynthia volunteers as a guest lecturer for post-secondary courses in landscape design and ecology at Fanshawe College and routinely provides material for projects and serves as a design crit for the landscape architectural programs at the University of Guelph.

Volunteerism for the profession is one of Cynthia’s priorities.  This can be attested to the fact that she sits on numerous boards and committees. Cynthia is an OALA Councillor, a member of the OALA Examining Board, co-chair of the OALA Municipal Outreach Committee, a PDP reviewer, and formerly as a member of the Awards Task Force, and the Mandatory Continuing Education Committee.  With the current OALA campaign to obtain practice legislation, Cynthia has met with her local MPPs to help raise awareness and influence action on this initiative. At the national level, Cynthia has taken on the challenging role of Chair of CSLA Finance Committee, presenting the financial reports to the board and membership, and working closely with Michelle Legault to manage the finances of our National Society.

Connect:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-graham-10430598/

Andrew Wilson, OALA

Andrew is the Program Coordinator of Fanshawe College’s Honours Bachelor of Environmental Design & Planning degree (BEDP). As a professor in the degree, as well as Fanshawe’s Advanced Diploma in Landscape Design, Andrew teaches students the theory and practice of landscape architecture. He encourages qualified students to further their education in one of Canada’s accredited Landscape Architecture or planning programs and mentors others through the various paths to OALA registration.

In March 2020, following a year of internal and external review, the Province’s Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board recommended renewed Ministerial Consent to offer the BEDP degree at Fanshawe. The program under Andrew’s leadership is described as “a hidden gem that offers a rich, applied education in a growing field”.

Since joining the OALA, Andrew has continued his voluntary contribution to the landscape architecture profession begun while practicing in BC. There he was a Director and President of the BCSLA, its magazine editor and served as a CSLA Governor. He chaired the 1999 CSLA conference organizing committee in Vancouver. Twenty years later, he took on a similar task in working with his OALA Southwest Chapter colleagues to plan the 2020 OALA AGM and Conference in London. The theme was vision in landscape architecture as related to clarity of purpose and improvement of practice. He’s served the chapter as its Chair since its rejuvenation in 2015. SW Chapter members have come to identify more with the area and each other; and were looking forward to highlighting their professional development and associated work at the 2020 conference.

Recently, Andrew has upheld continuing education as a CSLA representative to LACES. His time with the OALA review of its membership categories resulted in the diversification of the association’s membership categories. For Andrew, volunteering for OALA activities is a way to be informed and support the profession. The idea, practice and governance of landscape architecture evolves. Volunteering with the OALA allows Andrew to be a participant in that evolution for the sake of personal growth, that of the profession as a whole and the greater public interest.

The Jack Copeland Award for Associate Leadership and Contribution recognizes the outstanding leadership, and contribution of an associate for going above and beyond to assist fellow associates including being an associate representative on OALA Council. Jack Copeland was an enthusiastic advocate for Associate members.

Click here to view the e-blast announcement for this award. 

Leah Lanteigne, OALA

Leah has contributed to the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects through her volunteer efforts as the Junior Associate Representative on Council, as an Associate member on the Honours, Awards and Protocols Committee, and attending OALA and industry related events as often as possible.

Being the Junior Associate Representative, Leah has also volunteered her time towards LARE exam information sessions to prepare fellow Associate Members from Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia for exam writing. She has additionally volunteered as an OALA Associate member of the Urban Land Institute and regularly attends events and webinars.

Outside of the OALA, Leah also offers her personal time meeting and communicating with colleagues, friends and associate members to offer insight and advice on LARE exams, licensure, and events. Recently achieving full member status, Leah works as a landscape architect at IBI Group.

We’d also like to mention that accompanying the Jack Copeland Award is a cheque for $500 to help offset the cost of a LARE exam.

Connect:

www.linkedin.com/in/leah-lanteigne

The Carl Borgstrom Award for Service to the Environment recognizes an OALA member or landscape architectural group, organization, or agency recognized by OALA whose practice promotes special or unique contributions to sensitive, sustainable design and use of the environment.

This year the OALA recognizes two Carl Borgstrom Award recipients.

Click here to view the e-blast announcement for this award. 

Brian Basterfield

Thirty-nine years of practicing Landscape Architecture beyond the GTA has been instrumental in shaping Brian’s design approaches aimed at striking a balance between human use of the land and the natural environment. After formative employment in both Guelph and Barrie producing pit and quarry rehabilitation and waterfront plans Brian established a private practice in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning in Peterborough, Ontario. Basterfield & Associates has become a very versatile and flexible practice widely known for its environmental advocacy province-wide. Brian’s firm produces a wide variety of projects ranging from intimate residential design to large scale open space master planning; always with an emphasis on integrating sound ecological and environmental principles.

The Otonabee River Trail, as featured in the OALA’s “Five Decades of Outstanding Landscape Architecture in Ontario”, is a prime example of his foresight and recognition that previously underutilized urban industrial waterfront corridors can provide opportunities to create attractive and ecologically healthy recreational facilities and trails.

In addition to his projects, Brian has provided design mentorship by sharing his knowledge of landscape architecture at Trent University’s School of the Environment to Environmental Sciences students. For 13 years his Ecological Design course has been conveying practical and proactive environmental design, planning and ecological approaches to urban growth.

Throughout his career as a landscape architect, Brian has always demonstrated his conciliatory nature and has been very successful at forging alliances and acceptance among people with very differing objectives and views, without straying from his conviction for environmentally sound principles.

Connect:

www.basterfield.ca

Michael Hensel, OALA

Since 1981, Mike Hensel has provided a wide range of landscape architectural services to both private and public sector clients across Ontario, Canada, the United States and in the Caribbean. In the 1990’s Mike pioneered a ground-breaking protocol for completing Traditional Knowledge Assessment work with First Nation Communities, starting with the Dokis First Nation and followed by the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, Long Lake First Nation and Batchewana First Nation. By going to the heart of advancing the understanding of effects that projects within Traditional Land Use Areas will have on the associated health, welfare and safety of the potentially affected First Nation Communities, Mike is making a real and positive change in our profession.

His work includes:

• face-to-face engagement with Community members and Elders to record and collect traditional knowledge data and document traditional land-use areas
• identification of First Nation Communities country food sources, gathering areas, travel routes, Important places, special values, etc..
• the evaluation of potential impacts from infrastructure projects such as: pipelines, hydropower corridors, mining, renewable energy and water management projects, as well as land repatriation

Traditional Knowledge Assessment mapping prepared by Mike Hensel has been instrumental in early dialogue between First Nations Communities and development proponents to highlight potential land-use conflicts where the landscape architect acts as facilitator in negotiations for issue resolution.  Mike’s work in this area provides final written and graphic records related to documentation of traditional Land Use Areas and helps identify and mitigate impacts to Community health and safety, environmental, cultural, social and economic bases.

As featured in the Winter 2018 issue of Ground Magazine “Landscape Architecture and Indigenous Territories: Mike Hensel, OALA, and Devin Tepleski in conversation about relationship building, responsibilities, and honouring the treaties” Mike describes how landscape architects have an inherent ability to manage technical and scientific review teams. Mike sees his work in managing Traditional Knowledge Assessments as essential where he functions as the instrument that facilitates the understanding and communications between parties when assessing impacts within the Traditional Use Areas of First Nations Communities.

Mike was also the recipient of the Carl Borgstrom Award in 1999 for his landscape restoration/naturalization design for the Union Gas Customer Service Centre in Brantford, Ontario. This project received recognition from the Consul General of the United States for improvements made to the Great Lakes Watershed.

Connect:

cfcrozier.ca

This public outreach award recognizes and encourages special or unusual contributions for sensitive, sustainable design solutions leading to the improvement of environmental health, community livability and
human interaction in the environment.

There are two levels of recognition that may be given at the discretion of the Honours, Awards and Protocol Committee.

Click here to view the e-blast announcement for this award. 

The Treaties, Lands and Environment Department at Chippewa of the Thames First Nation

Founded as the implementing body for environmental and land use policies contained within their Comprehensive Community Plan entitled “We Make This Path by walking It”, the Treaties Land Environment Department has through the scientific studying of their natural resources provided guidance for long-term interests and priorities in land use planning decisions for the community from an environmentally sensitive perspective.

Since 2012, the Treaties Land Environmental Department has operated as active studiers and stewards of their land.  The organization has been responsible for many environmentally related activities including:

• Species at Risk identification and mapping;
• facilitating benthic sampling to assess Thames River water quality;
• creating land use planning policies for the long term management of the community;
• participating in a phosphorous reduction pilot project to improve local and regional water quality;
• preparing master planning documents for archeology;
• completing research relating to treaties affecting their lands; and
• providing professional recommendations for projects within the region that may have in an impact on their community and Aboriginal and Treaty rights.

Most recently in 2019, they successfully advocated for the conservation and protection of approximately 250 acres of wetland, prairie and woodlands in the Chippewa of the Thames First Nation community, identified as habitat for species at risk.

Currently, the Treaties Land Environmental Department are actively working on creating a Land Code for Chippewa of the Thames First Nation.  This endeavor would empower more local decision-making to manage their own lands based on rules created by their own community including the creation of policies relating to land use planning, land transfers, environmental protection, and business policies.

Connect:

https://www.cottfn.com/lands-environment/

Certificate of Merit Award Recipient

ReForest London

for their years of action to improve the urban forest canopy of Ontario’s Forest City.

ReForest London was founded in 2005 as a not-for-profit with a mission “to improve London’s environmental health through the planting of trees throughout the community”. They work to do so through:

• Empowering community groups, businesses, and individuals to plant and care for trees;
• Improving London’s environmental health through planting native trees and shrubs in natural areas, parks, yards and along streets; and
• Educating Londoners about the importance of trees and how to plant and care for them.

After boldly daring Londoners in 2011 to undertake the Million Tree Challenge (MTC), a task with a clear objective to plant one million trees within the city, over 452,000 trees have been recorded on both private and public lands.

To date ReForest London has:

• Sustained growth with over ten thousand community volunteers and over 200 volunteer groups, supporting over 400 community park naturalization and schoolyard tree planting events events, various education programs, hikes, speaking engagements and tree depot giveaways for Londoners.
• Since 2018, provided environmental education programs in classroom settings influencing 3,900 schoolchildren in over 60 schools starting for Grades 4 through 6 throughout London and Middlesex County, including interactive site planning and tree plantings on school properties while educating youth about the importance and benefits of sustainable urban forest management.
• Worked with staff from Wellington County’s Green Legacy Program to study the feasibility of bringing a large-scale volunteer-based tree growing program to London, garnering an Award of Excellence for their commitment to exploring innovative solutions to environmental issues
• Most recently acquiring 14 acres of land and infrastructure to found the Westminster Ponds Centre to act as an environmental hub promoting health, wellbeing, sustainability and environmental excellence within the community.

ReForest London has left a lasting impression on the city ensuring that the Forest City continues to provide its inhabitants with clean air, a biodiversity rich environment, and more citizen advocates for environmental sustainability.

Connect:

reforestlondon.ca
milliontrees.ca
westminsterpondscentre.ca

Facebook: @reforestlondon
Twitter: @rfldn
Instagram: @reforestlondon
LinkedIn: @reforest-london

The OALA Research & Innovation Award recognizes the outstanding leadership, research and/or academic achievements of a member(s), or non-member(s), who, through scholarly activities and/or the development of innovative practices, inclusive of academic papers, research, publications, books, e-applications or public presentations, which contribute to the knowledge base that furthers the advancement of the art, science and practice of landscape architecture.

Click here to view the e-blast announcement for this award.

Michael von Hausen

Michael is this year’s OALA Conference Keynote speaker and author of significant books and publications in the fields of landscape architecture, real estate development planning, and urban design.

Michael von Hausen holds a BLA (honours) from the University of Guelph and a Master of Landscape Architecture in Urban Design with a specialization in real estate development economics from Harvard University. He is the only landscape architect in history given the honour of Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners and is a past-president of the British Columbia Society of Landscape Architects. He is also a LEED accredited professional and a certified Public Participation professional (IAP2). As a global consultant, Michael has worked in Canada, United States, Mexico, China, and Russia. He has represented Canada on missions to Russia and China.

In his latest book published by Vancouver Island University, “Small is Big: Making the Next Great Small to Mid-Size Downtowns”, Michael reveals that he “teaches, trains, and builds capacity in every community he works in.” He is passionate and excited about exploring the real potential of small to mid-size downtowns and has completed more than twenty downtown plans in western Canada.

Michael uniquely grounds his designs and programs with a seamless connection between economics and form response. He uses his teaching at Simon Fraser University and Vancouver Island University to explore the cutting edge of urban planning, economics, development, and design. Michael also facilitates the School of Development for the Urban Development Institute, Pacific Region to provide him with further awareness and ground his designs in real-world economics.

The titles of von Hausen’s publications reveal their relevance to landscape architecture conceived broadly as a profession engaged in city building. The work benefits landscape architecture students and landscape architects, as well as the public, given its clarity and brevity.

Michael’s publications are readily used as textbooks in many landscape architectural schools as well as associated programs such as Fanshawe’s Environmental Design Planning program, due the content which flows easily from design history, theory, analysis, to innovation and design examples.

His work is not about giving communities design solutions but providing them with the tools, knowledge and confidence to create their own “dynamic urban design”

Connect:
www.mvhinc.com

The Honorary category of membership is for non-landscape architects who have performed notable service in advancing the course of landscape architecture in the Province of Ontario for whom Council wishes to recognize for outstanding contributions in their own fields to improving the quality of natural and human environments.

Click here to view the e-blast announcement for this award.

Ian McAskile

Owner and President of Maglin Site Furniture Inc.

Ian McAskile started out by producing site furniture in 1983 from Woodstock Ontario in a very humble fashion. He keeps a slab of wood and some cast iron fittings of one of his first benches mounted in his office as a reminder of the hard work and determination it took for him to build such a well-respected site furniture company.

Over the three and half decades of addressing the needs of landscape architects for quality site furnishings, MAGLIN has garnered a strong reputation for innovative and modern designs through clean and environmentally sustainable manufacturing methodologies.

Ian has fostered staff to go the extra mile and ensure 100% client satisfaction. Many OALA members have had personal interaction with Ian and Maglin in some form or another through parks, trail, and urbanization projects and can attest to this dedication.

More notably, Ian is often a public voice for landscape architects; where often landscape architects (especially Canadian LA’s) can be humble about their work, Ian quite refreshingly speaks out and promotes the work of landscape architects and the OALA both personally and professionally through Maglin, year-after-year.

Connect:

• www.maglin.com
• www.linkedin.com/in/imcaskile