This morning the weathered steel pedestrian bridge was installed as part of the Wilmot Recreation Complex/ Schmidt Woods Trail Design project in Baden. In a little over one hour crews had the bridge secured in place. The trail is expected to open Monday, October 3rd with an official grand opening scheduled for late October 2016.
Newly planted trees now stand as a symbol of peace in Markham.
On Saturday, the city hosted a park dedication ceremony to mark 100 years since the Armenian genocide.
Federal, provincial and municipal government officials and members of the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee for Canada waited in anticipation as the Forest of Hope was unveiled. The new Forest of Hope will be a place of peace and hope for the Armenian community across the GTA.
“This small forest conveys an enormous message of new life,” said provincial minister of international trade, Michael Chan, during the official opening ceremony of the memorial.
“These young trees will establish deep roots, grow tall and their branches will reach for the sky — just like the Armenian community.”
More than one-and-a-half million Armenians were systematically massacred by the Ottoman Empire starting in early 1915. Canada is one of two dozen countries that recognize the events as the first genocide of the 20th century.
“We know the meaning of genocide, its history and the importance of education,” said Armen Yeganian, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to Canada.
“We have to continue to educate, not just today, tomorrow or the first 100 years. But always, because unfortunately it still continues to happen.”
Many argue the Armenian genocide set a precedent for other mass killings such as the Holocaust during the Second World War as well as events in Kosovo and Rwanda in the 1990s. The Forest of Hope is one of about a 100 projects to commemorate the genocide’s anniversary across the country started by the Canadian arm of the Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee, which was founded four years ago.
“And this is the best one, because it calls for hope and peace,” Yeganian said.
The Forest of Hope is located in Ashton Meadows Park near Woodbine Avenue north of 16th Avenue. The park was designed by renowned landscape architect Haig Seferian and consists of 100 different trees, with different blooming time throughout the year.
“Despite being displaced, the Armenian community is determined,” said mayor Frank Scarpitti.
“The next generation of Armenians will be just as proud as the first Armenians who came to Canada. That’s a wonderful thing.”
Earlier this week, the Armenian community celebrated the 25-year anniversary of Armenian independence.
Ottawa – May 30th, 2016 – Today, the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA) announced that Hamilton’s Gage Park was selected as the recipient of the inaugural CSLA Legacy Project Award (2016).
According to Fred Eisenberger, Mayor of the City of Hamilton: “To be the inaugural recipient of the CSLA Legacy Project Award is a great honour and nod to an iconic landmark in Hamilton,” said Mayor Fred Eisenberger. “Gage Park is a destination for cultural events that highlight the diversity in our community. The restoration of the fountain along with numerous upgrades preserves the legacy of the park and its’ original designers.”
Gage Park, built in a style reflective of the Canadian City Beautiful movement of the 1920s, is one of Hamilton Ontario’s most iconic, historical and cultural landscapes. Not only has it retained what were forward-thinking concepts when developed in the 1920s, but it has continued to evolve to serve the needs of the community. Components of the park design that were critical to the grand vision are the Great Lawn, the broad meandering walkway system, the relationships of formal and informal spaces, and the creation and preservation of dominant vistas to the Niagara Escarpment.
Gage Park contributes year round in the quality-of-life factor for the adjacent neighbourhoods. It makes the inner-city neighbourhoods more livable, it offers recreation opportunities for at-risk youth, low income children and low-income families, and it provides places where neighbours can feel a sense of community.
“Our community is proud to be home to one of Canada’s best urban parks. Gage Park has a long history of hosting cultural, musical, and community events while offering a quiet escape from urban life right in the heart of Hamilton. We are proud to receive the inaugural CSLA Legacy Award. As Hamiltonians, we continue to grow with Gage Park,” said Hamilton Ward 3 Councillor Matthew Green.
The CSLA Legacy Project Award is intended to recognize distinguished landscape architecture projects which were forward-thinking for their time, contribute significantly to their communities, showed leadership and innovation, and are still relevant examples of excellence in the profession of landscape architecture. This award honours projects which have left and continue to leave a lasting impact on Canada’s landscape. Gage Park is the first project to receive the CSLA’s Legacy Project Award.
The Legacy Project Award will be presented at a gala during the CSLA Congress to be held at the Fort Garry Hotel and Conference Centre in Winnipeg on Saturday, June 25th, 2016.
READ FULL STORY > Designed by renowned landscape architect, Mr. Haig Seferian.
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One by one, carnations were carefully placed at its base.
The act was a showing of respect and moment of reflection for the some 200 people who attended the unveiling of the Armenian Genocide Memorial in St. Catharines Saturday, April 30, 2016.
The monument, which stands in front of the Armenian Community Centre on Martindale Road, recognizes the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians a century ago by Ottoman Turkish soldiers. The 1915 event is considered by many to be the first genocide of the 20th century.
The new outdoor space bears special meaning and resonates with each member of the Armenian community, said Sevag Belian, a member of the centre’s executive.
“(It) reminds us of our people’s resilience and perseverance, despite the hardships they faced,” he told the large crowd that gathered for a ceremony on the centre’s front lawn.
The memorial, created by Hamilton-based Jean Antikian, includes the names of the six provinces of Armenia, where most of the victims originated from, a flame to symbolize the eternal memory of those lost, and is topped by a phoenix, symbolizing the commitment of the Armenian people to rise from the ashes and live again.
READ FULL STORY > Designed by renowned landscape architect, Mr. Haig Seferian, the memorial grove will serve as a place of beauty, contemplation and community.
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In 2016, the Township of Wilmot will be undertaking a multi-purpose trail construction project within the woodlot surrounding the Wilmot Recreation Complex. These lands are being called Schmidt Woods named after Harold and Enid Schmidt whose estate donated a significant portion of the woodlot to the Township in 2015.
Approximately 2.0km of compacted stone dust multi-purpose trail (designed to meet accessibility standards), and 1.2 km of natural ground hiking trail will be created within the municipal forest surrounding the recreation complex. The trail will extend from the northwest corner of the WRC at the Nafziger Road entrance to the east end of the property, with a connection to the paved cycling lanes on Gingerich Road. The design also includes trailheads, signage, and rest areas with seating.
Planning for the trail began with the approval of the Wilmot Trails Master Plan. In August 2015, Seferian Design Group was retained to undertake the design and construction administration process for the new trail.
Made possible in part by The Canada 150 Fund, the Township intends to tender for the construction of the trail this spring, with project completion tentatively scheduled for late summer.
To stay up to date on the project and for contact information, please visit Wilmot.ca/SchmidtWoods.
Media release from the Office of the Mayor
Burlington, Ont., April 7, 2016 – The members of Mayor Rick Goldring’s Millennial Advisory Committee have been selected.
The committee will develop initiatives focused on how to keep and attract residents aged 18 to 35 in Burlington. It will also concentrate on creating opportunities to engage millennials with their community.
The members of Mayor Rick Goldring’s Millennial Advisory Committee are:
Interested applicants were asked to submit their name, age, contact information, profession/student status and a 500-word essay on their ideas for the committee that would help meet its mandate of helping Burlington foster and retain millennial-age residents. Applicants could live or work in Burlington.
Committee members will serve a term of one year starting April 2016. The committee will meet the second Thursday of each month from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at rotating city facilities across Burlington. Meeting details and committee updates will be posted at burlingtonmayor.com.
“I look forward to the ideas, insight and initiatives from this committee,” said Mayor Rick Goldring. “If we want to be successful in attracting and keeping young people in Burlington, we need them to help us create that city. This is another example of how we are working with the community on great city-building. Everyone’s voice matters and we have the opportunity to learn a lot from each other.”
STAYING AHEAD OF THE LEARNING CURVE, is essential to growing your business, so Belgard University is offering you an opportunity with Haig Seferian to expand your hardscape knowledge.
HAIG SEFERIAN OALA, CSLA, FASLA, LO, CLD, has been extremely active in the landscape industry’s many associations and is the founding member of the Certified Landscape Designer Association. Haig continues to help develop industry standards not only from the aspect of design but construction as well.
As a recognized authority on the various aspects of the built landscape, Haig has endeavoured to also educate the public by creating content for and hosting several TV shows, “Green Force”, “Best City Gardens”, “Canada Blooms”, “Landscape Challenge”, “Indoor Gardner” and “Garden Architecture” on HGTV. Haig has also authored a book titled “Hardscaping” and continues to strive for excellence within the firm and sense of duty of educating the public regarding the built landscape and the environment continues with each new project.
Haig has been appointed by the Minister of Education, to work as the chairman of the Provincial Advisory Committee for the Horticultural Industry. Currently along with his day to day involvement with the firm, Haig is also a Professor of Landscape Architecture at Humber College and Landscape Ontario’s School of Horticulture. With over three decades of industry experience, Haig is a well known lecturer, author and television personality.
Haig was the Keynote speaker at this year’s Outdoor Living Conference in associate with SOFA
Sometimes in life we are lucky enough to come across exceptional individualswho truly inspire us. This inspiration could take on many forms (business, relationships. Moral teachings, etc.), but what is true about all these figures is one very basic, but very important, ingredient: PASSION. If you have never been fortunate enough to see true passion in the eyes of an artist doing what he loves, then allow me to introduce you to Haig Seferian, for he is passion personified.
In 1992 Haig established Seferian Design Group Limited striving to attain new levels of innovative design. His goal has been to provide workable and imaginative solutions to the process of site development. Solutions that are functional, aesthetically pleasing and sustainable.
Seferian has a long list of achievements including host of HGTV’s Garden Architecture, author of Hardscaping: High Style, Low Maintenance Outdoor Spaces. Every year Haig is contracted to travel throughout the United States where he lectures about unique design applications and new construction techniques. Haig is also the founding member of the Certified Landscape Designer Association and has served as Professor of Landscape Architecture at Humber College and Professor at Landscape Ontario’s School of Horticulture.
“Facinated by wealth of knowledge being shared by Haig Seferian, Seferian Design Group @VisitSOFA. Getting us to imagine the potential when indoor and outdoor professionals combine creativity and expertise.” ~ Donna Barlett
Haig Sefarian, a graduate of University of Guelph and California’s Polytechnic School of Environmental Design has served our parks and green infrastructure sector in many ways over the years.
Haig founded the Seferian Design Group which continues to develop industry standards in Landscape Design and Construction. His firm, guided by his leadership, has assisted with accessibility design and construction guidelines for people with different abilities.
Haig is very generous with his time, especially when it involves educating the public on landscape design. Haig teaches how the use of both hardscape and horticulture can enhance our outdoor experience in both an aesthetic and practical manner. Examples of this are his hosting of the TV show Garden Architecture for HGTV as well as authoring a book on Hardscaping. Haig has previously been appointed by the Minister of Education as the chairman of the provincial Advisory Committee on Horticulture and was a Professor of Landscape Architecture at Humber College. Haig has been working with the Ontario Parks Association in helping to bring design skills to the participants of our Parks and Landscape course with the Learning Enrichment Foundation.
Haig’s generosity and sincere desire to share his knowledge are very much appreciated and are helping move our sector forward. Please join me in thanking Haig and welcoming him to come forward to accept his Award of Distinction.
Seferian Design Group received a Landscape Ontario Awards of Excellence for their work on the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board Outdoor Kindergarten Childcare Renovations. The annual competition features more than 40 categories of entries judged by a panel of respected horticulture industry experts. Only those entries deemed truly excellent are honoured with awards. The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB) is one of the largest and most diverse districts in Ontario, operating 149 Elementary and Secondary Catholic schools throughout Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon and Orangeville.
In 2015 , 22 schools were selected to have their Kindergarten Outdoor Areas renovated. The DPCDSB had a requirement: the transformation of plain, sterile asphalt yards into low-maintenance, yet dynamic outdoor learning environments, instead of just playgrounds. Former asphalt jungles were replaced with brightly coloured asphalt and soft turf, big outdoor blackboards, planters for gardening, dramatic play areas, and wooden stages. Painted mathematical shapes and the alphabet were provided to be used by the teachers as learning tools extended to the outside, where kindergarten kids are exposed to at least two 40-minute blocks each day.
After consultation with the kids, each school chose a unique carving created by a local artist. The carvings, always an animal indigenous to Ontario, provide an identity to each play area. In order to keep the project on budget, the design combined elements of naturalized yards with the existing asphalt pads, creating a hybrid version that provides fun opportunities of learning and discovery, and also promotes a re-connection with nature.