CSLA News
Accessibility Training Series
The CSLA is pleased to present the Accessibility Training Series, three online sessions running from December 2026 to February 2027. The series brings together three speakers who approach accessibility from different vantage points, informed by both lived experience and professional practice.
- 📅 3 December 2026 - Register
Design with Disabled People Now: Tools for Designing for the Deaf & Disabled Communities Beyond Compliance
Alexa Vaughn, ASLA, FAAR, Design with Disabled People Now | Sasaki - 📅 20 January 2027 - Register
Everything is Accessibility: Navigating the Intersection of Living Experience, Design and Legislation
Sarah Manteuffel, RPP, MCIP, Urban Systems - 📅 25 February 2027 - Register
What Happens After We Call a Playground Inclusive? Getting there, playing there, staying there
Melody Smale, BCSLA, CSLA, Playground Belonging Project
Nominate your Colleagues for the 2027 Recognition Awards
The CSLA invites nominations for the 2026 Recognition Awards.
The award categories include:
- Schwabenbauer Award for Service to the CSLA
- Community Service Award
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Teaching Award
- Emerging Professional Award
The deadline to submit nominations is February 18, 2027 at 4 pm ET.
The Fall 2026 issue of LANDSCAPES | PAYSAGES is now available online!
trails + tribulations
"At their most elemental, trails can arise organically, tracing repeatedly travelled routes, without formal planning or design intervention. Yet, as the stories in this issue demonstrate, trails can also be complex, meaningful projects that ask a great deal of landscape architects."
– Patrick Beech + Daniel Scott, Guest Editors
Student Intern opportunity: The L|P Editorial Board is looking for a student intern - learn more here.
Call for Submissions: Read the call for submissions for the Spring 2027 issue: Northwards.
Let us know how we can make LANDSCAPES | PAYSAGES magazine an even more valuable resource! Take the Readership Survey
Call for Volunteers: CSLA-AAPQ 2028 Congress Planning Committee
The 2028 Congress will be held at the Sheraton Montréal Hotel from May 4-6, 2028 in Montréal, QC.
The CSLA and AAPQ offices will share the responsibility for the planning. However, we are looking for volunteers from across the country to join three committees to help the AAPQ and CSLA in the development of the event.
They are:
a) Program (Scientific) Committee: this committee will develop a theme, suggest keynote speakers, promote the Call for Abstracts, and evaluate proposed sessions. The involvement of the members of the Program Committee will also be required during the event,
b) Tours Committee: to develop and coordinate a series of tours during the event, and
c) Trade Show and Sponsorship Coordinator: to work with the AAPQ Executive Director and Officer of Awards and Honours to promote the call for exhibitors and sponsors and be an on-site resource for exhibitors during the trade show.
Meetings will be held by videoconference. Initial meetings will be held monthly, then will be held approximately every 2-3 weeks until the Congress, or as needed. The meetings will begin in January 2027.
If you are interested in serving, please contact Katherine Velluso, Officer of Awards, Honours, and Events, CSLA at awards@csla-aapc.ca by January 11, 2027 and indicate which committee interests you.
New CSLA College of Fellows Chair and Jury Members
We would like to extend a welcome to Peter Briggs, our new College of Fellows Chair, and Monica Giesbrecht, Jean-Francois Rolland, and Rob LeBlanc who will be joining the jury this year. The deadline to submit your nominations for the 2026 Class of Fellows is November 26, 2026.
Strategic Missions & Advocacy
CSLA Joins Nature on the Hill 2026
The CSLA participated in Nature on the Hill 2026, held October 19 to 21 in Ottawa. Together with over 70 other organizations, participants received advocacy training and met with 54 Ministers, Members of Parliament and Senators over two very busy days. A key topic of discussion was Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act. Participating organizations worked together to call for amendments that would keep strong environmental protections in place while supporting efficient approvals for major projects.
Hope Parnham, the CSLA’s Manager of Advocacy and Strategic Affairs, met with several MPs and collaborating professionals, contributing to the discussions around this year’s Nature on the Hill theme, A Canada Worth Building Puts Nature Up Front. Three key messages supported the theme:
- Nature is not red tape.
- Build major projects better with the mitigation hierarchy.
- Nature builds our economy.
Each representative also had the opportunity to share their sector’s concerns. Hope distributed copies of the CSLA’s Infrastructure Brief, Making the Case: Landscape Architects as Infrastructure Leaders in Canada, and spoke about:
- the role landscape architects play in nature conservation and restoration
- the value of nature in cities for public health and well-being
- the economic benefits of natural infrastructure and nature-based solutions for a resilient future
The CSLA thanks Nature Canada for organizing Nature on the Hill and inviting us to participate.
RAIC Buy Canadian Survey: What We Heard from the Landscape Architecture Community
The CSLA thanks the RAIC for including landscape architects in their survey on Buy Canadian policies and domestic manufacturing. Cross-professional collaboration strengthens the built environment sector's collective voice, and we are pleased that our members had the opportunity to contribute the perspective of landscape architecture firms to this work.
Landscape architecture firms made up about 26% of the total survey respondents, most of them small practices with one to four licensed staff, based primarily in Ontario, with additional representation from British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Quebec.
Domestic sourcing is already strong, and well understood. Landscape architecture firms reported comparatively high rates of domestic sourcing, with most respondents specifying 71% or more of their products and materials domestically.
Quality and reliability drive specification decisions more than cost. When choosing international products, respondents rated quality and performance characteristics, and supplier reliability, as more important considerations than cost differences. This suggests that Buy Canadian efforts should prioritize building confidence in the quality and consistency of domestic alternatives, not just closing price gaps.
The main barrier is availability, not resistance. Respondents consistently indicated that gaps in Canadian product categories were the primary limiting factor. Client or contractor reluctance to accept domestic substitutions rated very low, indicating the constraint is on the supply side, not the demand side.
LA firms are ready to move quickly. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they could meaningfully increase domestic specification within three months of a Buy Canadian policy taking effect, a notably faster readiness than non-LA respondents reported.
Interprovincial trade barriers matter most as a policy lever. While respondents did not rate current interprovincial barriers as a major day-to-day limiting factor, reducing those barriers was the highest-rated federal support option. Long-term federal procurement commitments and a national database of Canadian manufacturers also scored highly.
Strong appetite for advocacy. About 74% of respondents support the RAIC publicly advocating for a refined Buy Canadian framework for the built environment, while others explicitly called for a unified, cross-disciplinary advocacy approach, one that brings landscape architects, architects, engineers, and interior designers together under a shared strategy, noting that procurement reform works best with critical mass across the built environment professions.
The CSLA looks forward to continuing this collaboration with the RAIC and encourages readers to consult the full What We Heard report for the complete findings across all participating professions.
CSLA Joins Call to Put Nature on the Public Sector Accounting Agenda
The CSLA joined 85 other organizations and individuals in a joint letter to the Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB), responding to its consultation on the 2027–2032 Draft Strategic Plan.
Submitted on October 15, 2026, the signatories recommend one specific addition to Strategy 4: “Support forward-looking accounting and reporting initiatives”. This addition is for PSAB to explicitly name natural resources held for conservation and the service potential provided by their ecosystem services as a priority emerging issue. We also asked PSAB to support the development of guidance on how organizations measure and disclose natural assets such as wetlands, forests and rivers to help make the value of nature visible in the financial reports that guide public decisions.
The CSLA thanks the Climate Risk Institute for leading this submission and for its ongoing work to make the value of nature more transparent in our financial and accounting systems.
Member News
The 2026 recipients of the Frederick-Todd Awards (AAPQ)
At its annual conference, the Association of Quebec Landscape Architects (AAPQ) presented three Frederick-Todd Awards, the profession’s highest honor in Quebec. These awards, presented annually since 1995, aim to recognize the outstanding contributions of Association members and public figures to the advancement of landscape architecture—through their projects, publications, teaching, or advocacy—and to the promotion of values essential to Quebec’s landscape.
In Memoriam: Randy Sharp, BCSLA, FCSLA
We saddened to announce the passing of Randy Sharp on October 19, 2026.
In Memoriam: James Taylor, FCSLA, FASLA, FCELA
We saddened to announce the passing of James (Jim) Taylor on October 2, 2026.
A Celebration of Life will take place on Sunday, December 6 from 2:00 to 4:00 at the University of Guelph Arboretum Centre. All of Jim and Cecelia's friends, associates and former students are invited to attend.
For those who cannot attend in person, the event will be live-streamed here.
Partner News
Apply Now: CLARB Exam Success Grants
Applications for the Winter 2026 cycle of the CLARB Exam Success Grants are now open.
This program reimburses L.A.R.E. exam fees for candidates who demonstrate financial need. A jury selects recipients, and reimbursement is paid through the ASLA Fund after your passing score is verified by CLARB.
This cycle, a limited number of candidates will be selected. Applications close November 13, 2026, 11:59 pm PT. If you or someone you know could benefit, apply today.
Envision® ENV SP Training and PIEVC Protocol Training with CSCE
Build in-demand credentials in sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure! Join two virtual courses from the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE):
- Envision® ENV SP Training – Nov 24–25: Learn the Envision® framework for planning and designing infrastructure that performs better for communities and the environment, including parks, green infrastructure and ecological restoration.
- PIEVC Protocol Training – Dec 1–2: Learn a structured process for assessing how current and future climate conditions may affect infrastructure.
Take one or bundle both at a discount!
Help inform managed retreat research and capacity building across Canada
Communities across Canada are facing rising flood and climate-related risks, and we want to hear from you.
A national needs assessment on managed retreat survey is now live as part of the Retreating from Risk (RFR) project at the University of Waterloo. This research study will help identify the tools, resources, training, and support needed to advance proactive, equitable and community-centred approaches to managed retreat.
If you work in climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, planning, community resilience, or a related field, we invite you to share your perspectives and experiences.
Time commitment: 20 minutes
Canada Light Expo 2026: Connect, Innovate & Illuminate
November 18 - 19, 2026
“Canada's Premier Expo on Lighting Solutions” serves as a distinctive platform, bringing together industry leaders, professionals, and innovators to explore, collaborate, and exchange insights into the latest advancements shaping the future of lighting technology. As pioneers and visionaries unite, the Exhibition in Canada propels the lighting industry towards a brighter and more sustainable future. This is where innovation and sustainability converge at the forefront of the lighting industry. The expo is dedicated to showcasing the latest advancements in the industry.
CSLA members get free trade show entry by registering with code CLECSL200TS.
Fanshawe College 2027 Environmental Design Competition
The 2027 Environmental Design Competition invites post-secondary students to envision the future of waterfronts within the Great Lakes Basin.
Submission deadline: Friday, March 26, 2027
Call for Proposals: Park People & World Urban Parks Congress: Urban Parks Shaping Our Future
Park People & World Urban Parks is looking for practical examples, boundary-pushing ideas, innovative research, lived experiences, and stories of change from around the world. We want to learn from people and places doing things differently, celebrate what is working, and explore how successful ideas can be adapted, strengthened, and scaled.
Deadline: 4 December, 2026
LACF News
Tristan Jumeau is the recipient of the 2026 Frederick Gage Todd National Scholarship
"The jury selected Tristan Jumeau as the recipient of the 2026 Frederick Gage Todd National Scholarship in recognition of his mature understanding of ecological restoration, meaningful collaboration with Indigenous communities, demonstrated leadership, and commitment to service."
- 2026 Frederick Gage Todd Scholarship Jury
This $15,000 scholarship recognizes a student who demonstrates exceptional knowledge, skill and commitment directed to the advancement of Canadian landscapes through the practice of landscape architecture.
A graduate student at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Tristan Jumeau is entering his final year at the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA). He is looking forward to achieving both a Master of Landscape Architecture and a Master of Architecture in May 2027.
Sarah Siegel Receives the 2026 Robert N. Allsopp Urban Design Fellowship
The Fellowship is intended to provide a practicing landscape architect, whose work and exploratory interests are in urban design, with funds for research leave and will provide support for urban design research and related expenses which elevates the art, science, and practice of landscape architecture, contributes to the knowledge base of the profession and is beyond the scope of the projects in their office or practice.
Sarah Siegel will undertake the following research project: "Sponge Park, Square Peg: Fitting Flood Mitigation into the Practical Realities of Urban Parks"
LACF-funded Research Project Needs Your Input
You are invited to participate in an LACF-funded research project testing the use of a web-based, searchable map for locating and accessing landscape architecture archival records. A map-based discovery system differs from the text-oriented databases typical of libraries and archives, as users can find records by scanning a map without needing to know the details of a project in advance. A goal of this project is to broaden awareness of and access to records held in the Canadian Centre for Landscape Architecture Archives at the University of Guelph.
To participate in this research, please:
- Explore the Stanley Thompson Archival Records Dashboard.
With this pilot project you can explore the work of Stanley Thompson, Canadian golf course architect and designated Person of National Historic Significance, finding archival records for his personal life and design projects. - Complete the survey.
This project has been funded by the Landscape Architecture Canada Foundation with in-kind support from the University of Guelph (McLaughlin Library Archival & Special Collections) and the Stanley Thompson Society.
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Summary of Decisions of the October 2026 LACF Board Meeting
- The 2027 Research Grants Program budget was set at $75,000 for 2027.
LACF's New Mailing Address
LACF has a new mailing address. All mail, including donations, can be directed to the following address going forward:
114 Hardwood Drive
Woodlawn ON K0A 3M0