Now is the time of the year when organization is key. Although we are still in the midst of winter weather, Spring always comes up suddenly, leaving us in the construction industry frantically trying to prepare for upcoming projects. We are lucky this year as there are already quite a few green roof projects confirmed for the upcoming Spring, Summer and Fall, and I am trying to be prepared!

The majority of Snips' green roof projects in the past have been located in Toronto, since green roofs are more popular there - most likely due to the green roof bylaw the city has in place. I will be the first to admit that it is a little bit harder to make these installations go smoothly in a busy city, where you have to consider traffic, road closures, parking, set-up space, travelling back and forth etc... It can make for quite the challenge, which I do enjoy, but there is something very rewarding about working closer to our neck of the woods.

I have been working hard to spread the word on green roofs and about Snips Landscape in the Niagara Region. This year, I am pleased to say that the majority of our upcoming projects are not in Toronto, and interest continues to grow here. This makes me very happy, since I fully believe in the benefits of green roofs and how they can advance Niagara's conservation efforts. I want to not only keep Niagara beautiful, but do my part to make it even more ecologically progressive.

We have a few great projects coming up; such as a green roof at the new Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton, and another on a new library, also in Hamilton (a little bit outside the Niagara Region, but still exciting!). We are looking forward to installing a green roof and landscape at a new multi-use facility at Fort George in Niagara on the Lake. Snips is also working with a company in St. Catharines who wants to put a green roof and a recreational area on their building. On top of all that, we are in the design stage for a green roof project in Welland, which is where our office is located and also where I live, so this is particularly exciting. This would be the first green roof in Welland - so my fingers are crossed!

We do of course have a few green roofs coming up that will require work in Toronto, but I do look forward to the challenge and to adding a little bit of green space to a city that very much needs it.