April 3, 2006

Landscape architects bestow kudos to recipients

The Ontario Association of Landscape Architects (OALA) has made Toronto mayor David Miller an honourary member in recognition of his leadership in areas of vital concern to the profession.

In bestowing the award, OALA president Linda Irvine, manager of parks and open space development for Markham, lauded the mayor’s many accomplishments, among them the clean and beautiful city campaign.

She also cited Miller’s establishment of two roundtables, one on the environment and the other on a beautiful city.

At its recent annual meeting, OALA granted additional awards for outstanding contribution to the profession and to the environment. Among the winners:

• Landscape architect Dan Euser received the OALA Pinnacle Award for outstanding professional accomplishment. Over his 20-year career, Euser has constructed more than 1,000 water features “of extraordinary complexity and inventiveness,” OALA said.

His water features exist around the world from the City Hall in Jerusalem to the Milwaukee Museum. In 2006, his prize-winning waterfalls for the memorial at the World Trade Centre will be built.

• Susan Fisher and John Zvonar received the OALA Public Practice Awards. OALA described Fisher as a landscape architect “who makes policy that shapes the communities we live in.” As a senior researcher in sustainable planning at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., Fisher writes guides to help homeowners improve their homes, gardens and communities. She pioneered an environmentally responsible multiple housing development in Ottawa, long before LEED green building certification occurred.

Zvonar is a conservation landscape architect in the heritage secretariat at Public Works and Government Services Canada. OALA said Zvonar’s cultural heritage projects “are well-known and loved by Canadians.” They include the Bar U Ranch in southern Alberta, Government House in Regina, the landscape around Parliament Hill and the landscapes around Vimy Ridge and Beaumont-Hamel war memorials in northern France.

DCN NEWS SERVICES

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