CSLA News
Message from Michelle Legault, CSLA Executive Director
Dear colleagues,
The CSLA-OALA Congress held two weeks ago was a forceful reminder of the relevance and importance of landscape architecture, and of the challenges that lay ahead of the profession. The sessions and keynote speakers reminded us to include beauty and humour in our work, to stop and think about our interactions as humans, to choose to make changes NOW which will impact generations. The CSLA Board and Leadership Group meetings which preceded the Congress addressed those generational challenges - recruitment and retention, compensation, continuing education, succession, labour mobility, supports to the practice, threats and opportunities in the profession. These are but some of the topics which your profession's leadership (the CSLA Board and component associations and LACF presidents and staff, and the chairs of the national committees) are addressing. Over the next few months, the CSLA will be calling for volunteers to help advance several of these areas. We invite you to get involved if you can help us move the needle on these priority areas. Stay tuned for our calls for volunteers - we can achieve wonderful things by working together, with many voices at the table. And speaking of voices, mine was raised higher with my surprise appointment as a CSLA Honorary Member at our awards gala two weeks ago. Thank you to the CSLA Board of Directors for this elevation: it is truly an honor to serve Canadian landscape architects.
Michelle
Summary of the Decisions of the June 2025 CSLA Board Meeting
- A revised 2025 budget submitted by the Finance and Risk Management Committee was approved
- The 2026 CSLA-APALA Congress budget was approved
- CSLA Honorary Membership was conferred upon Michelle Legault (in-camera)
- The Succession Task Force was instructed to seek proposals from recruiting firms to lead the hiring of the Executive Director
- The CSLA Parental and Pregnancy Leave Program was approved
- Honorary membership guidelines were approved
- Revisions to the Committee Manual were approved
- The 100th Anniversary Task Force Terms of Reference were approved
- A component grant application from APALA was approved
- Revisions to the IFLA Representative Policy were approved
- The Public Practice Task Force Terms of Reference were approved
- A volunteer group on contracts was instructed to undertake an environmental scan
- The JEDI-RAC Joint Action Plan was approved.
See Photos from the CSLA-OALA Congress
Photos from the 2025 CSLA-OALA Congress, held in Ottawa from June 5-7, are available in the folder below.
Thanks for joining us!
Right: CSLA-OALA Congress Delegates on the Parliament Hill Walking Tour | Image: Couvrette Photography Inc.
Recipients of the 2025 Recognition Awards
The CSLA Recognition Awards honor the work and commitment of Canadians to the profession of landscape architecture. The following awards were conferred at the CSLA-OALA Congress on June 7th, 2025:
- Jane Welsh - Schwabenbauer President's Award
- Wendy Shearer - Schwabenbauer President's Award
- Vincent Asselin - Lifetime Achievement Award
- Naomi Ratte - Emerging Professionals Award
- Ottawa Riverkeeper - Community Service Award
- Kìchì Sìbì Winter Trail - Community Service Award
CSLA Bestows Honorary Membership on Elder Whabagoon, Alan DeSousa, and Michelle Legault
Elder Whabagoon, Alan DeSousa, and Michelle Legault received their honorary memberships during the CSLA-OALA Congress last week in recognition of their notable service in advancing the cause of landscape architecture.
ASLA Climate Action and Biodiversity 101 Webinar - Open to CSLA Members
On June 26, 2025, at 1:00 PM (EDT), the ASLA Climate Action and Biodiversity 101 Webinar Series will feature three prominent CSLA members. The panel presentation, Local Leadership on Climate and Biodiversity: Lessons from Nunavut, Vancouver, and Toronto, will include Cameron Delong (Nunavut), Cameron Owen (Vancouver), and Jane Welsh (Toronto). Learn more about the webinar here.
The ASLA has generously provided a registration code for up to 200 CSLA members to access this event for free through their online learning platform. Registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
To Register:
- Create an account at: learn.asla.org
- Add the webinar to your cart
- Use the following discount code at checkout: CLIMBIO625CA
Landscape Architecture in Canada: Discover the final video in the four-part series!
In the fourth and final instalment, Urban Renaissance, Ron Williams takes viewers through the sixties and seventies, highlighting the remarkable landscape architecture projects that were realized across the country during this period.
Volunteer Opportunities
Are you interested in volunteering and supporting the work of the CSLA? Our volunteers contribute to professional advocacy, government relations, and the advancement of issues of national relevance to our members. There are many ways to get involved.
Roster of Climate and Biodiversity Champions
This is a network of dedicated CSLA members who bring passion, expertise, and vision to initiatives addressing climate change and biodiversity. Learn more about the roster here.
Municipal Roundtable
Are you a landscape architect working for a Canadian municipality? If so, we invite you to participate in the CSLA's Municipal Roundtable. To register, simply complete this short survey. We look forward to your involvement in shaping the future of landscape architecture in Canadian municipalities.
Stay tuned to our monthly bulletins for more opportunities. A formal call for volunteers for specific committees and task forces will be issued later this summer.
Landscapes | Paysages Call for Submissions: Winter 2025
Play & Pixie Dust
Queries/Drafts Due Date: September 2, 2025
Final Copy Due Date: October 3, 2025
"Let’s think beyond the playground and outside the sandbox. Let’s be brave when thinking of others before one’s self and explore the movement from grey and serious spaces to sites that embrace vibrancy, whimsy, humour, joy, art, and sense of discovery. We invite you to critically examine aspects of play in landscape architecture: how we could introduce play, how we already do, and the successes of doing so."
Did You Miss the Latest landADAPT Webinar?
Webinar recordings are archived on our website.
Member News
Claudia Villeneuve named president of AAPQ
The Association des architectes paysagistes du Québec (AAPQ) announces the appointment of Claudia Villeneuve as chair of its board of directors. Elected at the May 23 meeting, she becomes the 27th chair of the AAPQ, succeeding Catherine Fernet, who has led the Association with rigor and commitment over the past four years.
Learn more (French only)
12 Canadian Projects Shortlisted for 2025 Landezine International Landscape Awards
The CSLA congratulates the following firms for receiving this recognition:
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Rockcliffe Park Designated National Historic Site
On May 30, Ottawa's Rockliffe Park received its plaque marking it a National Historic Site.
Pictured from left to right:
- Gerry Lajeunesse, Linda Dicaire and John Zvonar
- Brian Dickson, Linda Dicaire, Vic Lanctis, Martha Edmond
AAPQ is calling for submissions for its PAYSAGES 2026 issue
Theme of the issue: Landscape and Economy
The Association des architectes paysagistes du Québec (AAPQ) invites planning professionals, researchers, and practitioners to submit an article for the 2026 issue of PAYSAGES magazine, to be published next April. Focusing on the theme of “Landscape and Economy,” this edition aims to explore the multiple, often complex and sometimes contradictory links between economic dynamics and the landscapes that shape our living environments.
Learn more (French only)
Partner News
Toronto Grey to Green 2025 Conference
June 19-20, 2025
The Toronto Grey to Green 2025 Conference is an engaging day of learning, networking, and inspiration. Explore the latest advancements in green infrastructure, including innovative solar green roofs, nature-based solutions for commercial roofs, and insights from Toronto’s leading Eco-Roof Incentive Program. Gain practical knowledge from industry experts, participate in in-depth sessions on installation and maintenance, and learn how Toronto continues to lead in sustainable urban development.
Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Fund Council Recruitment
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is inviting individuals from the private, environmental, academic, and nonprofit sectors to apply for a seat on the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) Council.
"We’re looking for a visionary leader—an environmental champion with governance expertise, strong decision-making, and management skills.
The ideal candidate will bring a passion for sustainability and help shape projects in energy, water, land use, transportation, the circular economy, and integrated community planning."
Applications are open until July 7, 2025.
C.A.S.T. Researcher in Residence Program
Fall 2025 – Winter 2026
Academic and industry researchers from around the world are invited to submit proposals to the Research in Residence program at The Centre for Architectural Structures and Technology (C.A.S.T.) in the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Manitoba. The appointment invites researchers to apply whose interests explore materials and assemblies; experiment with building techniques and construction methods; study the limits and potential of natural laws; investigate sustainable practices; cultivate Indigenous modes of making; and collaborate in the rigorous play of imagination. Strong preference will be given to candidates whose research proposals clearly define how their work responds to our ever-present and urgent environmental crisis.