Notes

A miscellany of news and events

awards
On June 8th, from 4-8 p.m., join us at The Loft in the Distillery District for a celebratory event. Beginning with a walking tour led by David Leinster, OALA, and Michael Ormston-Holloway, OALA, who have been working with the owners of the Distillery District since 2003 helping to create a four-season public realm that seamlessly integrates the new development projects with the existing heritage fabric. This tour will be jointly given by the landscape architects, and joined by Jamie Goad, an owner, architect, city-builder, and visionary. After the walking tour, we will gather on the outside, for drinks, canapes, and entertainment. We will then move inside for the awards ceremony, and volunteer acknowledgement, followed
by entertainment.

The event’s program includes:
• 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm - Walking tour
• 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm - Outside - patio reception with entertainment
• 6:45 pm - 7:15 pm - Inside awards ceremony
• 7:15 pm to 7:45 pm - Entertainment

Tickets for the evening are $25.00, and you can register at: oala.ca/events

OALA Honours. IMAGE/ Courtesy of OALA

books
Pierre Bélanger, OALA, alongside Ghazal Jafari, and Pablo Escudero have published a new book called A Botany of Violence. It is a richly visual book which details the history of the South American cinchona plant, which is used to make the anti-malarial drug quinine. From this starting point, it traces a history of colonialism and resistance that spans 529 years, and touches on communities over the world.

It was recently reviewed in Places Journal, which called it “a gripping, multimodal investigation of six centuries of rapacious environmental imperialism that slaughtered millions and laid vast territories to waste.”

It’s published by Goff Books, and you can find it at: goffbooks.com/products/botany-of-violence

Book cover. IMAGE/ OPSYS Media, design

Indigenous Uprising, 12 October 2019 (Quito, Ecuador) IMAGE/David Diaz Arcos

Pharmakina Cinchona Plantation, 2017 (Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo). IMAGE/ Abby Ross

conference
Join The Park People Conference, June 21-23, 2023 in Toronto for Canada’s only city parks gathering of community park group leaders, non-profit organizations, government staff and park professionals. It’s a stellar lineup including Akiima Price’s keynote presentation on the success of Friends of Anacostia Park, a National Park with some of the greatest income disparities and health inequalities in the U.S. A panel discussion on the budgetary, political and technical issues behind ambitious downtown park projects like The Bentway, University Park, and Corktown Common. And, a first look at The Port Lands Flood Protection Project creating a new alignment for the mouth of the Don River, including 30 hectares of new parkland and river valley habitat.

Visit parkpeople.ca/conference to see the Conference lineup and register.

new members
Ontario Association of Landscape Architects is proud to recognize and welcome the following new members to the Association:
Kevin Arthur
Nadine Bohner
Hillary DeWildt
Lauren Dickson *
Rachel Fraser *
Reinaldo Jordan
Brennan Guse *
Andrei Micu
Audric Montuno
Raj Patel *
Nicholas Stumpo
Victoria Walsh
Samar Zarifa *

Asterisk (*) denotes Full Members without the use of professional seal.

in memoriam
Barbara Magee Turner, OALA, CSLA
OALA is saddened to announce the passing of Barbara Magee Turner on February 2, 2023. Barb had been a full member of OALA since May 1990. The Association was notified on February 6, 2023. Barb’s colleagues at the City of Waterloo prepared an announcement highlighting her contributions to the profession:

It is with deep sadness and regret that we learned about the passing of a valued former member of City Staff, Barb Magee Turner. Barb joined the City of Waterloo in 1991 after working as a landscape architect in the consulting sector. She held various roles with the City over the years, working from both the Service Centre and City Hall. Throughout her 28-year career with the City, she contributed to the Barrel Warehouse Park; The Uptown Public Square; King Street Streetscape; David Johnston Research + Technology Park; Waterloo’s Parkland Strategy; Numerous neighbourhood park designs; and Wonders of Winter, to name a few. Barb also led the way with the establishment of Waterloo’s “Spruce Up Your City” program, and was recognized for her incredible work by OALA and received the Public Practice Award. Barb will be missed by her colleagues and landscape architectural community. Barb leaves behind her husband Richard and two children, Andrew, and Courtney.

Barbara Magee Turner. IMAGE/ Courtesy of OALA