Ontario Association of Landscape Architects (OALA)

🚀 2025 1UP Conference Recap On March 29th & 30th, Urban Minds hosted their annual 1UP Conference. An inspiring event that brought together over 100 students from 28 GTA high schools with professionals and industry leaders to dive deep into all things city building!💡 From architecture and urban planning to landscape architecture, the conference was a hub of exciting panels, discussions, and workshops, with student presentations sparking new ideas on what shapes the world around us. 🌍 The OALA sponsored the event, and was pleased to have OALA members Matt Perotto, Gabriela Gallo, and Wayne Swanton represent and advocate for landscape architects. We’re excited to coordinate with Urban Minds to explore ways we can continue participating in their important mission to engage with students at the pre-university level! 🌟

We invite you to join OALA’s insurance partner, BMS on April 30th as they highlight and address many of the frequently raised questions and concerns received from OALA members. Presenters: Zach Lynch, Director and Jordan Heer, Broker, BMS Register now at www.oala.ca/events

✨Join us this May for the 2025 OALA Toronto & Guelph Spring Socials🌸 Catch up, unwind, and enjoy some great company in Guelph or Toronto! Grab a beer and come say hello. Whether you're dropping by for a quick chat or hanging out for longer, we’d love to see you there! 📍 Toronto: Thursday, May 1 | 5:30 PM @ Bier Markt - 58 The Esplanade, Toronto 📍 Guelph: Thursday, May 8 | 6:00 PM @ Baker Street Station - 76 Baker St, Guelph Register now at www.oala.ca/events See you there!

Each April, we celebrate World Landscape Architecture Month (WLAM) – an opportunity to raise awareness about the profession and recognize how landscape architects shape healthy, resilient, and beautiful communities. The OALA proudly promotes the profession. With that in mind, we share a range of tools and resources prepared by CSLA to help you advocate for the profession this month🌱 Find out how you can join in marking #WLAM: www.csla-aapc.ca/wlam

Registration is open for the 2025 CSLA-OALA Congress! Join us from June 5-7, 2025 in Ottawa for the CSLA-OALA Congress. You won't want to miss the keynotes for this year. Hear from Bianca Wylie and Marc Hallé as they address this year's Congress theme: Outside the Box! Learn more and register now at https://lnkd.in/eHcJ9D9Q

Reminder to join Jill Moore, Inclusive Play Specialist at Landscape Structures, for an informative webinar exploring strategies for creating a more inclusive park system with a limited budget. Date: Tuesday, April 29, 2025 Time: 12 PM Register now: https://lnkd.in/gRs5wqCs

🌿✨ OALA Leadership Meets with OLIP Interns at Queen's Park ✨🌿 On January 10th, the OALA leadership had the opportunity to meet with the Ontario Legislative Internship Programme (OLIP) interns at Queen’s Park. It was an incredible opportunity to introduce them to the impactful work of landscape architects in Ontario. OALA’s Executive Director Aina Budrevics, CAE and Intern Councillor Steven Shuttle represented OALA during the meeting. "We highlighted the vital role landscape architects play in creating communities that are both sustainable and vibrant," said Steven Shuttle. Check out the full blog post for more insights at 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gnEBwZKX

✨ New Category for the 2025 Toronto Urban Design Awards This year, the City has introduced a new category for PUBLIC ART in the Toronto Urban Design Awards. The Public Art category highlights the importance of public art in shaping Toronto’s urban landscape and cultural identity. This category celebrates artistic work that enriches our cultural fabric by enhancing and creating environments that inspire connection, dialogue and reflection. The awards given in this category will recognize projects site-specific works, whether permanent or temporary, that engage the public, integrate seamlessly into their surroundings and enhance the city’s identity and quality of life. Submissions may include, but are not limited to: sculptures, murals, digital or interactive installations, integrated artistic features and other creative works designed to engage and inspire the public. These works of art must be designed for publicly accessible spaces, such as parks, community centers, bridges, underpasses, laneways or Privately-Owned Publicly Accessible Spaces. Learn more about this, and all other categories at https://lnkd.in/gX7p2pGH.

⏰ Deadline approaching! Join OALA Council and help shape the future of landscape architecture The OALA is seeking four (4) Full Members to Council for the 2025-2027 term. This is your chance to make an impact, expand your network, and help advance the goals of the Association. Nominations are due Friday, March 28, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Elections will take place at the Annual Meeting on April 24, 2025. The Call for Nominations for Intern and Student Members to Council is also currently open and nominations are being accepted until Tuesday, March 25, 2025. View full details on our website: https://lnkd.in/gXaXy9_z

Join Jill Moore, Inclusive Play Specialist at Landscape Structures, for an informative webinar exploring strategies for creating a more inclusive park system with a limited budget. Date: Tuesday, April 29, 2025 Time: 12 PM Register now: https://lnkd.in/gRs5wqCs