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2006
marked the 25th anniversary of the CanWest Hort Show,
but it might be said that Association's first interest in creating
its own industry tradeshow materialized many years prior. In 1955,
the BC Nursery Trades Association (later BCLNA) staged a mini-tradeshow
in conjunction with its annual convention. Eight companies installed
commercial exhibits: Acme Peat Products, Western Arts, Rotary Equipment,
A & H Supplies (later Greenleaf Products), Ortho Products, BC Tractor,
Vitalearth Fertilizer, and Sanderson Cement Products. 
Photo caption: The official opening of the inaugural Western Canada Horticultural Trade Show at the PNE in 1981. Left to right: George Kato, Kato's Nursery Ltd.; Peter Hewlett, Massot Nurseries Ltd.; The Honourable Bill van der Zalm; Gord Papke, Kato's Nursery Ltd.; Joe Crocco, BCNTA Executive Director. In 1981, the first Western Canada Horticultural Trade Show was held in the Food Building of the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver. This original show featured 129 exhibitors in 168 booths, occupying 50,000 square feet of space; each 8' x 10' booth cost just $350. Six years later, the show moved to the new Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre where it remains today, 425 + booths, and over 100,000 square feet strong! Since 1981, the show has metamorphosed, both to improve on the product and to meet the changing needs of industry stakeholders. Just a year after its move to the Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre, the name was changed to the CanWest Hort Show. A year after that, United Flower Growers Co-Operative Association formally partnered in the show, and floral elements were introduced. Seminars and industry tours have been added to make this show a comprehensive professional development opportunity, and 2006 marked an increase in the education schedule with the addition of two afternoon seminars. In celebrating CanWest's silver anniversary, we also celebrated those companies that had been with the show from its inception. Here is the original exhibitor's list: Avenue Machinery Corp. Bock Nurseries BC Landscape & Nursery Association Cannor Nurseries Ltd. Eddi's Wholesale Garden Supplies Ltd. Haney Pottery Sales Ltd. Jack Van Klaveren (JVK) Ltd. Kato's Nursery Ltd. Listo Products Ltd. McConkey, J.M. Co. Inc. Pan American Nursery Products Inc. Paridon Horticultural Ltd. Spectrum (formerly Nu Gro Consumer Products, and before that, Green Leaf Garden Supplies) United Flower Growers Co-operative Association Van Noort Bulb Company Ltd. Van Vloten Nurseries Ltd. Western Pulp Products Xenios Dutch Grower Ltd. Yoder Canada |
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©
2008 CanWest Hort Show
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