The Ontario Construction Report – April 2009 – PAGE OCR 9
Brydges
Landscape
Continued from page OCR8
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be creative to manipulate that character. We
can’t force it to do something it’s not meant
to do.”
With a service area that stretches from
Grand Bend to Tobermory, through Colling-
wood and Orangeville, Kitchener, Waterloo,
Guelph, Cambridge, the GTA, Burlington,
and Hamilton, it can be a challenge to find
the time to make his rounds. But he does.
“It makes for some long days, but I do
this because I love it,” he said. “I started my
firm almost five years ago, and the day I did
that is the day I retired.”
His dedication and unwavering commit-
ment to his unique designs has garnered
many awards and successful projects for the
young company, along with the many firms
he has teamed up with over the years.
“Last year was really a banner year for a
lot of the firms we worked together with on
projects,” he said. “We finished the season
by bringing home three Landscape Ontario
Awards”.
One of the most prestigious awards Bry-
dges has won for his work came in 2008 at
Canada Blooms. In conjunction with five
companies, his team won the People’s
Choice Award. has teamed up with others to help a col- gether into the landscape.” products from Galaxy Gas, including out-
However, Brydges’ team approach ex- league open a showroom in Toronto to put The showroom owner is Don Hindmarch door fireplaces, barbecues, and customer fire
tends beyond the work site. Known for cre- these on display. of Galaxy Gas. Hindmarch is the sole dis- features.
ating exciting specialty features that “The design centre (will show) people tributor for Canada for a line of copper gas- Hindmarch had been looking for ways to
incorporate natural stone with water, fire, some of the possibilities of putting stone, lit lights which Brydges is fond of using in showcase the copper gas-lit lights and other
metal, or an integration of all three, Brydges water, fire, and all of earth’s element to- his designs. Brydges specs all of his gas products to designers and clients in Canada.
The other two team members are Mike
Oldreive and Craig Robbins, owners of
Planit Earth, a landscape contractor Brydges
uses for most of his stone and masonry
work.
The showroom is called Elements by
Galaxy and is open by appointment at 50
Caroll Avenue, an old converted warehouse
in Toronto.
It currently only showcases the copper
gas-lit lights and fireplaces by Galaxy Gas,
however, Brydges and the team at Planit
Earth are working on some designs to put
into the showroom.
“We are working on one right now, that
is in the design process. (We want) to get
some fire visually floating on water. Using
the fire itself as a living sculpture, and the
water as a living sculpture, and then the
stone is how we ground it back to earth.”
The goal is to create a series of designs
for the showroom so other landscapers and
designers can come and use them in other
jobs, all the while creating new, unique de-
signs.
Currently, the team has a gas-light with
water design ready for the showroom, with
a major piece hopefully ready by May.
“It’s a way for people to start opening
their eyes to what we can do. It’s a win-win
for all of us.”
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