November 5, 2018
Snowposium, the annual education and networking event for snow and ice contractors, was held Sept. 25 at Lionhead Golf and Country Club in Brampton, Ont. An initiative of the Landscape Ontario Snow and Ice Management Sector Group, this year’s event had over 260 attendees, 14 exhibitors, and a multitude of sponsors.

This year, conference attendees were treated to a comprehensive legislative update, including a Smart About Salt (SAS) overview, and a detailed session on “Understanding and Using the Landscape Ontario Standard Form Winter Maintenance Service Contract,” by Robert Kennaley from Kennaley Construction Law.

During the day, there were two very informative legal sessions: Claims Management, with Greg Davis at ClaimsPro; and Civil Litigation, with Ian Main and Bronwyn Martin from Moodie Mair Walker LLP.

This year’s conference schedule also included an important session on Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety, with Cst. Vito Pedano, a 20-year veteran of Peel Regional Police Service, 13 of those years spent in Road Safety Services.

The conference ended with an open discussion on the salt shortage issue, led by Jamie Perras, Chair of the LO Snow and Ice Management Sector Group. The shortage is due to a number of factors, including a 12-week summer strike at a salt mine, and contractual obligations to municipalities. The supply of salt may be drastically reduced, and prices will likely be higher. LO’s Snow and Ice Management Sector Group met with key players and advisers in August to discuss operational strategies, as well as the risk factors and legal implications to contractors.

For more information and resources on the salt shortage, visit HortTrades.com/salt-shortage-resources-page.

Snowposium also offers attendees the opportunity to visit one-on-one with suppliers, distributors and manufacturers. This year’s exhibitors and suppliers included: Holder Tractors, Tillson Brands, SiteOne Landscape Supply, HortProtect, WPE Landscape Equipment, Bobcat of Toronto, Duke Distribution, Pro-Power Canada, SpecBilt, Draglam Salt, Manulift, Metal Pless, Eloquip and B.R. Dickson Equipment.

Organizers would like to recognize the event sponsors: Holder Tractors, Tillson Brands, SiteOne Landscape Supply, HortProtect, WPE Landscape Equipment and Bobcat of Toronto, and thank Draglam Salt for donating the door prize: a set of two tickets to a Toronto Maple Leafs game, won by Jay Todd of the City of Vaughan.