CSLA News
MESSAGE FROM THE CSLA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dear Colleagues,
As I begin my 12th year of employment with the CSLA, I think it appropriate to celebrate this long relationship with a monthly message in the CSLA bulletin! Perhaps I am feeling nostalgic, but I suddenly realized how different our professional association is today from 12 years ago. I was initially hired as a part-time consultant to the CSLA, which quickly became a full-time position in 2014. Then, in 2020, we hired Katherine Velluso as Communications Coordinator.
By the month of May, we are hoping to have our third staff person in place: a Manager, Advocacy and Strategic Affairs. This position will round out the CSLA team, and help us add much needed resources to our ever-important advocacy initiatives, take advantage of opportunities and support the work of the committees.
We recently undertook a consultation on the 2023-2026 CSLA Strategic Plan, and there was overwhelming support for this role for the CSLA. At the upcoming Annual General Meeting on May 11th, you will have the opportunity to review the new Strategic Plan.
Staff and volunteers are currently busy planning the 2023 CSLA-SALA Congress and the CSLA Annual General Meeting on May 14th, coordinating awards programs, and eagerly working towards achieving actions identified by the committees. The leadership of CSLA and LACF, during the months of February and March, are undertaking visits with the students and faculty of every accredited program in Canada.
The Reconciliation Advisory Committee is developing a Guide to Land Acknowledgements for the profession and preparing a recommendation to the CSLA Board on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.
The CSLA's 90th Anniversary Celebration Task Force is currently working on a special logo to commemorate the anniversary in 2024 in addition to developing a historic timeline of the profession and the CSLA. You can check out a preview of the timeline and by all means, please share all important historic milestones we should add to the timeline by emailing me at executive-director@csla-aapc.ca. The task force has also submitted a proposal to the Royal Canadian Mint for a commemorative coin.
The Board of the CSLA recently approved a proposal by InterGroup, a Winnipeg-based consultancy firm, to undertake the Study on the Value of Landscape Architecture. We are kicking off the contract this month, and a report is expected by the Fall.
The Committee on Climate Adaptation has recently welcomed many new members, and has re-organized itself with two new working groups based on information collected in last Fall's member practice survey: the coastal issues workgroup, and the nature-based solutions workgroup. Members also joined the existing climate case studies workgroup, and we welcome the extra help!
The Canadian Landscape Standard Steering Committee will be releasing version 3 of the CLS at the end of March, with completely revised section 1 to 8 (excluding section 5). Last fall the CLS Steering Committee contracted Vineland Laboratories to write a new section 5 - growing medium. They have delivered that section and the committee is currently preparing to release it for a national consultation.
The Cultural Landscapes and Legacy Committee thanks everyone who participated in the workshop to determine which 25 cultural landscapes would be featured in the first edition of the CSLA's Cultural Landscapes Collection.
The Landscape Architecture Accreditation Council Manual of Standards is also under review. Last year, we hired Stephanie Rolley who will be delivering a final draft of the standards in time for review at a summit we are organizing with educators at the 2023 CSLA-SALA Congress.
In addition, the Human Health and Well-Being Committee is developing a political note on the link between nature and mental health, to be released this Spring.
Finally, in December, a JEDI Action and Operational Plan was circulated by the CSLA to LACF and all component associations who are currently reviewing it, and appointing members to a national JEDI Committee. The work of that committee will kick off its work this month. Our first order of business will be to create a summary version of the operational plan for distribution to all members. The operational plan was based on the action plan which was developed by Capillary Consulting last fall, and was a way for the CSLA, LACF and all component associations to work collaboratively on this important joint initiative.
I hope you have found this update useful, and that you will tune in again next month. I promise to keep these messages short (OK, shorter than this one...) and sweet!
Regards, Michelle Legault
Congress Registration is now open!
Join us June 15th to 17th in Saskatoon for the CSLA-SALA Congress - our first in-person gathering since 2019!
This year's event features:
- keynote speakers Florence Williams, Candace Savage and Joely BigEagle-Kequahtooway
- a trade show
- a selection of tours every day to explore Saskatoon
- an exciting welcome party held at the Remai Modern Gallery
- an awards gala
- a College of Fellows investiture ceremony
- two afternoons of educational sessions
- and much more!
Learn more about congress programming
Learn more about how to register
Sponsors
Ron Williams Receives the Governor General's Medal in Landscape Architecture at a Ceremony at Rideau Hall on January 24th, 2023
See the pictures from the event here.
Call for Submissions: Fall 2023 Edition of Landscapes | Paysages
In the Fall 2023 issue of Landscapes | Paysages, we would like to explore the following:
- Campuses exist not only to serve the needs of the academy, but also the communities in which they are located. How does the campus landscape invigorate, animate and bring life to the community?
- How does the campus instill a strong sense of place and pride?
- What role do campus landscapes play in provoking academic curiosity, supporting health and wellbeing, enriching social life and creating a memorable experience?
CSLA Member News
In memoriam: Barbara Magee Turner, OALA, CSLA
We are saddened to announce the passing of Barbara Magee Turner on February 2, 2023. Barb had been a full member of OALA since May 1990.
LACF News
LACF Awards $50,000 in Research Grants in 2023
Landscape Architecture Canada Foundation (LACF) is pleased to announce the recipients of funding in the 2023 Annual Grants Program in support of research, communication and scholarship. This year, 6 professional awards and two student awards were approved by the jury.
Watch the 2022 LACF Scholars Presentation on our YouTube channel
Watch the video | Learn more about the scholars
Partner News
The call for entries of the 16th edition of the International GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN Awards is open until April 1st!
CSLA members are invited to submit their projects/products to the prestigious and renowned GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN Awards.
The GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN Awards is an international competition that celebrates the excellence and talent of professionals and companies that have distinguished themselves through exemplary practice. The call for entries of the 16th edition is open until April 1, 2023, to participants from around the world and is intended for professionals as well as developers, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers.
Your best projects from the last three years are eligible, so we invite you to take the opportunity to submit one or more. Click here to view all eligible categories.
In addition to a long list of benefits offered to participants, see here, the contest offers guaranteed visibility among the best in the industry to all its candidates. The images of the products and projects submitted to the contest will be added free of charge on the Get Inspired search engine of the INT.design portal.
The winners and their projects are also featured in two special editions of INTÉRIEURS magazine entirely dedicated to the competition (here, the digital versions) and two Awards Galas, a true celebration of excellence, are held each year.
Winning the prestigious GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN Awards competition is a seal of excellence, a reference in itself that brings worldwide coverage, notoriety, and visibility.
To learn more about the competition and this opportunity, we invite you to visit our website
2023 Toronto Urban Design Awards: Call for Entries
The call for entries for the 2023 Toronto Urban Design Awards opens March 13. The call for entries deadline is April 24 at 12 p.m. (noon). The awards recognize the significant contribution that architects, landscape architects, urban designers, artists, design students and city builders make to the look and livability of our city.
Project entry details and program information is available here
The RAIC Conference on Architecture is back in-person for 2023! This year’s Conference will take place in Calgary, AB, on May 2nd -6th
Conference 2023 is packed with exciting opportunities. Learn from leaders in the field with 36 continuing education sessions and participate in events and activities that highlight excellence in Canadian architecture from the local level to the national stage - including studio crawls, architectural walking tours, and a special evening event hosted by the RAIC in collaboration with local architectural firms MBAC, Spectacle and MODA. Hear unique perspectives from distinguished guest speakers including renowned Indigenous architect and scholar Wanda Dalla Costa; Jyoti Gondek, Mayor of Calgary and Kate Thompson, President and CEO of Calgary Municipal Land Corporation.
Register before March 19th for early-bird rates on the Conference 2023 all-access pass, so you can enjoy the full conference experience for the best price.
You can find further details on the Conference 2023website, including information about discounts for the Calgary Hyatt(conference hotel) and flights: Conference 2023 Registration.
Join architects, interns, students and associates from across the country in this celebration of Canadian architecture - see you there!
Other News
New Park at 229 Richmond Street West, Toronto
A new 2,600m2 park is coming to 229 Richmond St. W (opens in new window). The site is currently leased to a restaurant and used as an outdoor patio. The City is conducting a two-stage design competition to select a creative and experienced design team for the new park. There will be various opportunities for the community to get involved in the park design process!