Ontario Horticultural Association

The Ontario Horticultural Association (OHA) is a horticultural organization in Ontario, Canada. It was organized in 1905,Template:Sfn established in 1906, and incorporated by the Government of Ontario in 1924 via an ActTemplate:Sfn in the Ontario Legislature, which split the Agricultural and Horticultural Societies into the Ontario Agricultural Fairs Association and the OHA. Its founding motto was "Keeping Ontario Beautiful".Template:Sfn

Membership to the Ontario Horticultural Association is granted to those horticultural societies that satisfy the requirements of the Ontario Horticultural Societies Act.Template:Sfn Each local society may become an affiliate member of the OHA upon remittance of an affiliation fee, and each receives an annual grant based on paid memberships.Template:Sfn

The OHA consists of 19 districtsTemplate:Sfn comprising autonomous local societies in its region. Its executive council has representatives from each district. Each member society defines guidelines for beautification of its community, including planning, development and maintenance of urban parks.Template:Sfn Each local society is also responsible for fundraising, organizing conservation programs, and operating youth programs, and sets its own membership fee.Template:Sfn

Purpose

At inception, the organization was established to promote horticultural practices in the province, with a specific focus on ornamental plants.Template:Sfn It did so by organizing shows, staging competitions, and hosting courses to "interest juniors and others in the study of horticulture".Template:Sfn Today, it is focused on food gardening,Template:Sfn for example by promoting the installation of bee nesting boxes by local societies.Template:Sfn

The organization presents nine awards at its annual convention,Template:Sfn some of which have been awarded since the organization's establishment.Template:Sfn Its most prestigious award is the Silver Medal Award.Template:Sfn The Silver Fir Award is given to an individual who demonstrates "outstanding service" to the horticultural society in Ontario to which that individual belongs.Template:Sfn Others are the Trillium Award, Award of Merit, Community Improvement Award, Environmental Award, Youth Leader Award, and the Honour Roll.Template:Sfn

Grants are provided to societies by the OHA for various activities, such as establishing a seed exchange program.Template:Sfn

At the 2014 Fall Convention, it established GardenOntario Week, an annual program organizing horticultural events and activities throughout the province.Template:Sfn

See also

• Ottawa Horticultural Society