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Floral Educators in Canada
in Canada |
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Written by Canadian Florist Magazine
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Alma Pratt
Alma Pratt started working in the florist business as a bookkeeper at the age of 16. Then in 1937, she and her sister, Louise Hughes, started their own flower shop in Hamilton, which thrived over the years. Pratt was a long time member of FTD and was the first woman director of the Florist Transworld Delivery Association. Among her other accomplishments in FTD was the founding of the FTD Foundation Junior Florists. She started the Hamilton and District Florists Association, and was chairman of the Niagara International Convention on several occasions. Pratt was a charter member of the American Academy of Florists, an organization formed in 1965 as an arm of SAF designed to encourage, measure, and recognize excellence in the floral industry. She served as the trustee of the Academy from 1967 to 1973.
For many years, Alma and her husband, Anson, ran the Canadian School of Art. This school was started by the Pratts and was still operating when they sold the business. She taught flower arranging for the Hamilton Board of Education. She died on Friday, December 28th, 1980.
 Norman Disch, AIFD, CAFA
Norman Disch’s prior training and employment in fashion and interior design equipped him with a solid background to aid him in his career in the floral industry. He joined Edna Miller Flowers in Hamilton in 1965, and then worked at Van Bassen Flowers. He eventually opened the Fairview Mall shop for Aberdeen Florist and later went on to become the manager of King Edward Florist. During this time, he had been teaching part-time at Seneca College, and when a full-time position became vacant, he took it. He officially retired as the coordinator of the Retail Florist program in 2004, after 25 years at the college.
Disch was instrumental in putting the exam process for the Flowers Canada Accreditation program together, and he was actively involved with the preliminary planning stages of CAFA in the late 1980s. His achievements and credentials are extensive. He conducted countless design shows, workshops and seminars throughout his career. Disch also taught the advanced level of floral design at Olds College in Alberta and at the Toronto School of Floral Design for 15 years. He once presented an AIFD program to 1,000 of the world’s finest designers and he did it all in carnations. He always insisted that his students come to respect and love carnations. A scholarship in Norman Disch’s name was established in 2004, which is awarded to the newer members of the industry to encourage and stimulate them into taking their career further – a concept that he himself practiced throughout his years at Seneca.
 Anthony (Tom) F. Colin
Tom Colin immigrated to Canada in 1952 from Holland. During his retail career, he worked at Reed’s Flower Shop, the Violet Flower Shop, and then Simmons and Sons Ltd. In 1960, he became manager and chief designer at Eunice Denby Flowers in Toronto. He resigned in 1978 to become director of the Floral Design course at Seneca College, which he helped launch. He was given a free hand in establishing courses and accepted the challenge with an enthusiastic interest that took him across North America and Europe to study courses in floral education. Colin was also a Principal Teacher at the Toronto School of Floral Design, where he taught evening classes.
Collins has been closely associated with industry organizations. He was president of the Toronto Chapter of Flowers Canada; a member of the Flowers Canada Accreditation Committee; Director on the Education Committee of Florists Education; and was past president of the Horticultural Teachers Association. Colin received outstanding achievement awards from United Florists of Canada, Teleflora Canada, Hort Teachers Association, Flowers Canada, and the Cecil Delworth Foundation. A celebrated author, lecturer, commentator, and floral design competition judge, Tom retired from Seneca College in 1991, to pursue his own firm, Tom Colin and Associates, which brings consultants for floristry professionals together.
 Bob Ross
The career of Bob Ross includes three decades of accumulated knowledge of floral design and management experience. Ross developed his own creative design abilities, while growing up in the family business. In 1974, he founded The Pauline School of Floral Design. The original design curriculum became the template for the current Professional Floral Design Program at the Institute of Floral Design in Toronto, Ont., where Ross has taught since 1988.
He has designed for the American Floral Socitey, FTD and Telefloral conventions.
 Lyn White
Graduating from Algonquin College in 1984 with training in landscape and a certificate in floral design, Lyn White expanded her knowledge by taking courses from: Flowers Canada/Ontario, Inc. School of Floral Design (Level 1 to 3, Accreditation Certificate); Guelph University; Ikebana Sogetsu School; Ohara School; AFS Education Centre; FTD; and Seneca College. In 1990, she received her teaching certificate from the Eastern Region Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology. She has been Teaching Master and co-ordinator of Algonquin College’s florist program since 1987.
 Sharon Paul
Having spent most of her working life in the floral industry, Sharon began her career working part-time at a florist in high school. She attended the Flowers Canada Design School and went on to graduate from Humber Colleges Retail Floriculture Program. She has taught courses at Conestoga College in Ontario and the University College of the Fraser Valley in B.C. Paul has since then attained the Canadian Accredited Master Florist designation from Flowers Canada. She has been the chief instructor of the full-time Commercial Floristry Program at Kwantlen University College in British Columbia since 1993.
B. Joan Fleetham CPFD
Working in the industry for over 30 years, Joan Fleetham’s experiences cover all aspects of the business including floral design, sales and customer service, accounting, purchasing, and consulting. She taught floral design for over 12 years before setting out to write a complete the Professional Flower Arranging Diploma Course. This course has been the standard for a number of school boards’ ‘Continuing Education’ classes.
 Joyce Anderson CPFD
Devoting her life to the floral industry in Canada, Joyce Anderson started as an apprentice, and eventually became a manger, owner, demonstrator, com-mentator and edu-cator throughout her career. Anderson, along with her sister B. Joan Fleetham, were founding members of the Canadian Professional Floral Designers Association. She has been a designer at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle, as well as being awarded the AFS. “Award of Excellence” for outstanding leadership in the Floral Industry, and the Cecil Delworth Foundation “Living Tribute” in recognition of her significant contribution to the industry.
Patricia Patrick AIFD, CAFA
Patricia Patrick received her floral training in England. She was inducted into the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) in 1987 and currently serves on the board of directors of the Northeast Chapter. She is a founder and past president of the Canadian Academy of Floral Art (CAFA).
A current member of the faculty of Seneca College, Patrick teaches the Retail Floral Program.
 Nancy Murray AMFM
Nancy Murray began her career by attending Flowers Canada (Ontario) Floral Design School 27 years ago, and then went on to study in Holland and Japan. She has won the prestigious Canada Cup and was one of the ten members competing in the World Cup Design competition in Japan. Murray attained accreditation as an Advanced Florist Manager with FTD and as a Floral Designer/Manager with Flowers Canada. A founding member of CAFA, Murray furthered her expertise by graduating from the SAF School of Commmentating. She is an instructor and chairperson at the Flowers Canada (Ontario) Floral Design School.
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