We have had some exciting changes over the summer and the start of the fall here at PVMA. 

To start there is a new issue of The Vegetation Manager online! It has some great information on how to use technology to improve systems in our industry, benefits of using social media for business and increasing public knowledge of what our industry does. You can also find important updates on committee decisions, administrative updates and get to know some of the members. 

October 25th will be an exciting day of learning and networking at the Fall Seminar and General Meeting taking place at the Balzac Community Hall. Andrea Sawatzky will be presenting some important information on Pesticide Application and PPE use. Our directors will also take the opportunity to provide an update on what they have been busy with the last while.
Be sure to get your registration forms in now to ensure your spot! Trade show booths and sponsorship opportunities are also available for the day, please contact the office to get your payment in for those. 

There will be a Fall Re-certification Course offered at Olds College for those Utility Tree Workers/Trimmers who have expired already and those who expire next year and want to get a jump on school to be ready to go for next season. The course will take place November 15th & 16th, 2018. You can see additional details here.

The 2018 Scholarship and Bursary program is open for applications for post secondary students. Deadlines are quickly approaching for both the scholarship (November 30th, 2018) and the bursary (October 31st, 2018). They can find all the information they need and application forms here.

Another important update is the clarification from our board in regard to the hours needed for certification. We are now able to count hours prior to attending school towards the total hours needed for certification. So for example previously workers would need to attend school and then work an additional 1200 hours before being eligible to apply for certification.  Now that same worker who perhaps had 1800 hrs before attending school, would only need to work an additional 600 hrs to be eligible to certify. 
Workers still must have 1200 logged hours to attend school. To certify as a UTT, 600 hrs still need to be aerial.

Looking forward we have the big Spring 2019 Conference coming up at the end of February that we are excitedly preparing for. In April 2019 the Utility Tree Trimmer/Worker courses will be offered again. We encourage all those who have their 1200 hrs and proficiency book pages 1-15 completed to get their school applications in early to ensure their spot in April.