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Communicators of the Floriculture Industry in Canada
of the Floriculture Industry in Canada |
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Written by Canadian Florist Magazine
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 William G. Tolton
In October 1947, Bill Tolton came to Canadian Florist as the associate editor with a knowledgeable background and high hopes. A graduate from the Ontario School of Agriculture in Guelph, Ontario, Tolton came to the magazine shortly after the hardships of the Depression and the distress of war, and brought Canadian Florist into a new era. In February 1948, he became editor, which was a position he held for over 30 years. In 1950, Tolton bought the magazine and moved the office from Toronto to Streetsville. In 1964, he sold the magazine to Edward Bowman, and continued as the magazine’s editor. He rejoiced with the opportunity to travel and visit members of the trade in Canada and abroad, studying and considering problems, as well as focusing his attention on the challenges facing the industry. His strength was in his clever pen, his common sense, and his love of discussion. The retirement of Bill Tolton in 1977 created a void in the magazine, which was nearly impossible to adequately fill. He became one of the unsung heroes of the florist industry in Canada, his editorials always directed towards the advancement and improvement of the trade. His understanding of the industry, clear thinking and way with words helped make Canadian Florist what it is today.
 Gordon Keith
Gordon Keith, an avid gardener, was an engineer by trade, but became a publisher of journals for the florist industry by following his dreams. He saw the need to develop a directory of industry members across the nation, particularly in light of the growing business in intershop flower orders; the ‘flowers-by-wire’ business was expanding rapidly. In the early thirties, there was no central organizing force in this field; FTD was a thriving but still rather small group. In 1932, he founded Keith’s Directory. From the very beginning, it was prepared and published with the fullest cooperation of all aspects of the commercial horticultural industry in Canada. Through the years, it became a valuable reference guide. The first issue contained 64 pages and was quickly adopted by the trade as a standard work of reference found in almost any trade establishment across Canada. During the 40s and 50s the majority of retail florists did not subscribe to a flower-by-wire service and they conducted their out of town business on a direct payment basis. At this point in time, it was difficult to run a retail shop without a copy of Keith’s Directory. The publication continued to grow, and by the time Keith passed away in 1945, it had become the authoritative standard for the industry. Keith’s Directory continued to be published until 2000 (garden centre magazine conception).
 Connie Keith
After graduating from MacMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. in 1934, Connie Keith became actively involved in the family publishing business – The Keith’s Directory. She was a legend in Canadian Floriculture – attending meetings across Canada, with a notebook in her hand since 1927. She was a regular contributor to Canadian Florist and for years, to Florist Review. Her involvement in the floral industry was acknowledged with a Flowers Canada National Honorary Membership. She was awarded the ‘Award of Merit’ from AFS in 1986 and the United Florists of Canada presented her with the ‘United Award of Excellence’ in recognition of outstanding contribution to the advancement of the floral industry in Canada in 1982. She passed away on May 28th, 1998.
 Edward W. Bowman
Former publisher of Canadian Florist, he purchased the magazine from Bill Tolton in 1964. During his 14 years as publisher, he became a well respected journalist and was honoured with numerous industry awards including: the Flowers Canada Outstanding Service Award, the FTD of Canada Award, and The Cecil Delworth Foundation acknowledged his ongoing efforts in the area of industry education and research.
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Mrs. Sanders (L) looks pleased as she
discusses new Oasis items with Peter Heywood (R), a new member of the Smithers organization.
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Peter Heywood
Born into the business, Peter Heywood began his career in the floral industry by working at his father’s flower shop. After a brief stint with the Bell Telephone Company, followed by his employment for Greenhouse Grower, Heywood worked for Teleflora in the late 1960s in the U.S. When he came back to Canada, he worked for Smithers Oasis, and in 1979, he bought Canadian Florist Magazine. His wife Arlene began working at the magazine in 1983.
“Once he started the magazine, he certainly didn’t miss the travelling,” says Arlene Heywood. “He was still very involved in the industry after he bought the magazine. Everything he had done in his professional career was good training for having the magazine.”
Pete Heywood was the publisher and editor of the magazine for 21 years. He passed away in February 2001, while negotiations for the sale of the magazine to Annex Publishing & Printing were being completed. Arlene Heywood retired after the sale of the magazine was completed in 2001, and she is now enjoying retirement in Northern Ontario.
 Sue Fredericks
In May of 1993, a new player arrived on the floral publishing scene in Canada.
Cut&Dried magazine was launched to fill the need to celebrate and recognize Canadian design talent. Against a background of information about industry news, and successful florist profiles, the magazine featured original design spreads in full colour, for the first time in Canada.
Publisher Sue Fredericks brought a background of retail merchandising and design to the pages, as well as a passion for Canadian success.
In 1998, Cut&Dried was incorporated into Annex Publishing, a company that Sue and her husband Mike had formed after acquiring a group of eight trade magazines.
In 2001, Canadian Florist was acquired by Annex Publishing and merged with Cut&Dried. The new Canadian Florist continues to celebrate Canadian talent and success.
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