Features Profiles
Editorial: January-February 2017

We’re off and running with a new year—the 30th already for Turf & Recreation, if you can believe it.

The publication was founded in 1987 – owned and operated in Langley, B.C. – and made an immediate impact upon the professional turf and grounds maintenance industry in Canada. In 1994, Turf & Recreation began the second chapter of its existence when it was purchased by Bart Crandon of Delhi, Ont., who chose to relocate its offices to that part of southern Ontario.

A third chapter began only last September when Turf & Recreation was sold to Annex Business Media in Simcoe, Ont., the company which had been printing our magazine the past 22-plus years.

Noticeable changes to both the print edition and our website have already been quite apparent, especially on the digital side. Only a decade ago, our website was about as static as it got. It offered web surfers little in the way of new information and content. Some new life was injected into our website about seven years ago with a modern makeover, but, although it was a vast improvement over what had previously existed, it still wasn’t the be-all and end-all.  

With this latest chapter in the life of Turf & Recreation having begun last fall, yet another website makeover was initiated. We’ve now reached the point where we want to be with new content added daily to a livelier, more eye-catching site.

We’re now down to our last couple of issues before our print publication undergoes a significant redesign. We have our own creative department here at Annex, and this pending new look promises to be exciting. I’m not even sure what these talented individuals have in mind, but I’m looking forward to this. We’re confident we’ll be delivering a product that will please our Canadian subscribers and provide a solid one-two punch with our already revamped website.

Now, for what’s inside our January/February issue: It’s our annual irrigation issue that features a selection of relevant topics of industry interest. Also featured is a story of the starring role Toronto’s BMO Field played the past several months and how head groundskeeper Robert Heggie has stayed on top of continually reconditioning the field for such high-profile events as the Grey Cup and the Major League Soccer final as well as getting it back in shape again following January’s outdoor Centennial Classic hockey game.

It’s no wonder he was selected by Sports Turf Canada as its sports turf manager of the year for 2015.

Here’s to another good year for Turf & Recreation with more yet to come.

Stay tuned for all sorts of new and exciting changes. –