Claude Potvin, AAPQ, FCSLA
Claude graduated from the Université de Montréal in landscape architecture (1979). He worked briefly in the private sector and with Parks Canada however most of his career was with the National Capital Commission (NCC) in Ottawa – he occupied the position of Chief of the Landscape Architecture and Industrial Design group before officially retiring from the public service in 2015. Over the course of his career, he was responsible for a wide range of landscape architectural projects and studies in national parks, historic sites and within NCC portfolios such as the official residences, urban parks and transportation, as well as Gatineau Park and the Greenbelt. He was a member of the City of Gatineau’s Urban Planning Advisory Committee for over ten years. He is a past board member of AAPQ and CSLA, of which he was President in 2013. Claude was a jury member for various editions of the CSLA Awards of Excellence and for the National Urban Design Awards. He helped organize two CSLA congresses abroad (Cuba and Mexico) and participated in two Landscape Architecture Accreditation Council reviews. He periodically contributes to CSLA and affiliated associations while devoting time to community endeavours and to his painting.
Elaine vanTol Smit, SALA, CSLA
Elaine vanTol Smit SALA. BLA University of Guelph (2007), MES University of Waterloo (2012). Municipal and private practice, avid volunteer, currently on parental leave experiencing landscapes through the eyes of three rugrats.
Travis Martin, BCSLA, CSLA
Travis Martin holds duo degrees with a Bachelor of Urban Planning and Master of Landscape Architecture. He works as a landscape architect and is an associate with Van der Zalm + associates (VDZ+A) in Vancouver, BC. Since childhood, Travis has been fascinated by the intersection between nature, public spaces, and architecture. He values efficiently planned communities, safe pedal-powered transportation for all, and dynamic and fun spaces.
In design Travis seeks to push boundaries and expectations. He appreciates thoughtful design where form and function are successfully joined with a bit of whimsy. His design experience spans from development work of townhomes, mid and high-rise residential to recreational planning and design through large-scale skatepark master plans, parks, playgrounds, and parkour across Canada, US, and the UK.
A 2024 highlight was a school engagement with two groups of 70 children landscape architects planning to shape their world through the design of a destination playground.
Doug Fountain, OALA, CSLA
Doug Fountain is the Principal of Landscape Architecture at Fotenn Planning + Design, with offices in Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto. He is a full member of the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects, the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, l’Association des architectes paysagistes du Québec, Atlantic Provinces Association of Landscape Architects, and the American Society of Landscape Architects.
Over his 30-year career, Doug has collaborated with a host of disciplines and allied design professionals, which has instilled in him an appreciation for the challenges often faced in delivering good design that responds creatively to defined problems. His award-winning and diverse project work ranges from master planned communities, to detail design and execution of small-scale public realm improvements.
Carol Craig, AALA, FCSLA
Carol Craig is recently retired after 40 years in the profession, having worked for multidisciplinary firms before establishing Kinnikinnick Studio Inc in 2014. During this time, she developed an expertise in constructed wetland development, wetland rehabilitation, bioengineering, naturalized planting and low impact development while working in land development, highways, LRT, recreational developments and streetscapes. She also has considerable experience in public consultation.
Carol was actively involved in the Alberta Association of Landscape Architects (as treasurer and president) and was a member of the SALA and MALA before retiring. She filled many volunteer positions associated with the industry, including the Urban Development Institute (UDI), Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), and Edmonton Design Committee. Carol represented the AALA on the CSLA board from 2007 – 2011, and worked on accreditation, reciprocity, and sponsorship initiatives. She was inducted as a Fellow of the CSLA in 2012 for her professional work and for service to the profession.
Connor Budd, recipient of the 2024 Frederick Gage Todd National Scholarship
Connor Budd is currently finishing his final year of the Master of Landscape Architecture program at the University of British Columbia’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Raised on Salt Spring Island, the unceded lands of many Hul'qumi'num and SENĆOŦEN-speaking peoples, his practice is rooted in the landscapes, cultures, and communities of the Southern Gulf Islands and Southeastern Vancouver Island.
With a background in Fine Art from Langara College and a Bachelor of Design in Industrial Design from Emily Carr University (2021), Connor’s work investigates human relationships with "natural" spaces, both designed and otherwise. He has worked with First Nations along the Lower Fraser River as a research assistant and intern, focusing on flood mitigation, habitat restoration, and the reconnection of lost floodplains. His work prioritizes Indigenous stewardship, supporting the harvesting of food, medicine, and materials, as well as the exercise of territorial rights.
Connor has also examined ways for a Central Coast First Nation to reclaim territories impacted by colonial extraction, designed interventions for ecological grief in Stanley Park, and created graphic, experiential, and written work about Garry oak ecosystems.
Interested in the native plant communities of the Pacific Northwest, Connor’s work investigates the evolving relationships between people and these ecosystems. In his final year as a student of landscape architecture, he has been looking at how climate change is reshaping these interactions and what novel plant communities and landscape relationships may emerge in the future.