Ontario Program

In 1985, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) reviewed ways to provide horticultural information to the public. One of the ideas presented was the American Master Gardener program. It was investigated and adapted to the Ontario situation and the first pilot sites began in 1985. The program was directed by a Provincial Steering Committee and sponsored by OMAFRA and the Ontario Horticultural Societies. Three pilot sites in Brigden, Englehart and London began with 39 participants. In 1986, seven new areas, Brantford, Stratford, Ottawa, Windsor, Algoma West, Burlington, and St. Catharines were added bringing 154 new volunteers into the program. Experienced gardeners were recruited by local horticultural societies. The volunteers were introduced to the program at an orientation session, wrote an eligibility test, received local training on soil management, communication skills, pest and disease diagnostics and control as well as enrolling in the Horticulture Independent Study Courses from the University of Guelph . In return, the participants provided horticultural information to the public via garden clinics, telephone, letters, displays, workshops, television, radio and newspaper articles.  Ontario 's program was unique because of the horticultural Independent Study courses which make it possible for the volunteers to learn at home and gain credits that eventually could count towards an Ontario Diploma in Horticulture. In 1986, the Master Gardener program became an operating program with funds allocated from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food budget. Ruth Friendship-Kellar was the first program consultant and since that time Marc Bachand, Kathy Young, David Trivers, Laurie Scott and Ramona Cameletti have filled the position. By the end of 1989 there were 19 groups operating in the province with 337 active volunteers. In 1990 the program held a successful provincial conference at the University of Guelph . Subsequently conferences were held in Waterloo in 1993 and Ridgetown in 1996. A special part of the Ridgetown conference was the presentation of pins to Master Gardeners with 10 years of service.