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Ontario propagator honoured with IPPS award

January 30, 2008  By Greenhouse Canada


recommended3Canadale Nurseries president and manager Tom Intven was recently
presented with the prestigious Award of Merit from the Eastern Region
of the International Plant Propagators’ Society. The Award of Merit is
the highest recognition the Eastern Region bestows upon its membership.

Canadale Nurseries president and manager Tom Intven was recently presented with the prestigious Award of Merit from the Eastern Region of the International Plant Propagators’ Society. The Award of Merit is the highest recognition the Eastern Region bestows upon its membership. A single Eastern Region member is selected each year for significant contributions to the field of plant propagation. This can be in the form of scientific discovery or application of facts to the propagation of plants; development of new practices or techniques; services rendered to the science and practice of plant propagation; and/or extraordinary service to the Society.

Intven has been a member of the society since 1978. In his nearly three decades of membership, he has served on at least nine different committees, including the local site committee for two annual conferences. He has been a director and officer on the board of directors, serving as president of the IPPS Eastern Region in 2005.

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Canadale Nurseries, located in St. Thomas, Ontario, grows a wide selection of plants for their own garden centre and for the wholesale trade to other nurseries and garden centres across Ontario, Qu<1>bec and the United States. On 110 acres, they specialize in the production of Japanese Maples (30 varieties), top-grafted ornamentals (such as globe Catalpa, Rose Tree of China, Purple Sand Cherry, Fragrant Viburnum, Weeping Mulberry, Weeping Caragana, Weeping Pussywillow), Upright Japanese Yew, and many unique plants.

Canadale’s Garden Centre, managed by Pauline Intven-Casier, Tom’s sister, has been voted Ontario’s Favourite Garden Centre in 2007, and five of the six past years. Both the garden centre and nursery have received numerous Awards of Excellence honours.

Intven is highly involved in the green industry. He has twice served as the president of the London chapter of Landscape Ontario (LO) and is currently second vice-president of the provincial board. He is the recipient of LO Past President’s Award for outstanding contribution to the industry. Intven also serves as a board member of the Canadian Ornamental Plant Foundation and has been a radio garden talk show host in recent years.

Intven’s involvement extends to his community as well, with service to his church, the chamber of commerce, and the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Foundation. He and his wife Laurie have four daughters.

The International Plant Propagators’ Society is a non-profit organization of nearly 2,500 members organized into eight separate regions around the world. The membership is made up of those with a professional interest in plant propagation and production from businesses, colleges and universities, botanic gardens and arboreta. The motto of this non-commercial organization is “To Seek and To Share” knowledge and experience in plant propagation and production.


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