Urban Tree Specialist

ERNEST McLAURIN
After completing an aptitude test early on in high school, it was suggested to me that I was suited for a career as a forest ranger or a lumber jack. I thought that was a pretty comical idea at the time. While completing the Horticulture program at Algonquin College, I gained experience in the landscaping field and had the opportunity to diversify my knowledge as a technician at the Carleton University greenhouses. I have always loved the outdoors and as a kid spent hours climbing trees, never imaging that one day I would have a career doing that very thing. A temporary placement with a tree care company introduced me to an aspect of my training that I hadn’t yet discovered. Starting out as groundsman, I progressed through the positions of climber, foreman of my own crew and then eventually, the owner of my own tree care company. All the while I continued my education, becoming an Ontario Certified Arborist as well as an ISA Certified Arborist. It has been over seventeen years since I began my career. That being said, the passion for my work increases every year, and I look forward to my future in the industry that has given me so much.