I am thrilled to serve as the OGSA President for a second consecutive year! With significant momentum heading into 2025, I’m eager to work alongside our dedicated board and staff to ensure this year is an outstanding success.
This past winter brought extreme weather events with record amounts of snow across much of the province. In addition, we experienced intense cold temperatures during the latter part of the season. As the weather breaks in early spring and the snow melts, I hope everyone’s turf emerges healthy, setting golf courses up for another excellent start to the 2025 season.
I’d like to welcome Ken Tilt, Superintendent at the Club at North Halton, to the OGSA board this year. Ken has already proven to be an invaluable asset, stepping up as one of our First Green liaisons and securing his club for the 2025 Assistants’ Tournament—an excellent start to his role as director.

This year began on a high note with The Canadian coming to Ontario. Our Ontario members and suppliers rose to the occasion, welcoming colleagues and friends from across Canada. With over 550 delegates and 340 suppliers in attendance, this was undoubtedly the largest turfgrass management conference hosted in Canada in recent memory. We were thrilled to collaborate with the CGSA to bring this national event to our province. Our collective efforts created an excellent template for future conferences, and we look forward to partnering with the CGSA the next time they come to Ontario. A special thank you to all the sponsors who powered the event, donated to the auction, and participated in the tradeshow. We couldn’t ave done it without your contributions, participation, and support.

On March 26 and 27, 2025, the board will meet to further define our objectives for the year and the outcomes from those meetings will be shared in the June issue of ONCourse. Key topics on the agenda include Rounds for Research, fundraising partnerships, regional and industry outreach, education and services, and upcoming event opportunities. As we strive to reach 1,000 members, I see an opportunity to expand our membership by providing additional benefits and educational resources for equipment managers. This will be a key focus for 2025 and beyond, creating more opportunities for EM members within the association and industry. I encourage you to speak with your colleagues about joining the association. Participate in our events, apply for available scholarships, and connect with us to help us serve you better.

Looking ahead, the OGSA remains committed to engaging youth through innovative programs like First Green and fostering future leaders via our scholarship initiatives. We encourage our members to continue adopting the Ontario BMP and to explore opportunities for crafting facility-specific BMP documents for their courses. Additionally, we will continue providing opportunities for networking and skill development through our education program. Next year’s conference will take place at the Blue Mountain Conference Centre in Collingwood, January 20–22, 2025. Planning is already underway, and we’re eager for your feedback on how to continue elevating the conference experience so you and your teams can maximize the benefits of this 2.5-day education and networking event.

As we move into the 2025 season, make space for team development, acknowledgment, and downtime. Our Assistants’ Tournament on August 11 is a wonderful opportunity to connect your assistants with others in the industry to reflect on the season, enjoy a day of golf, and share good food and company before the season concludes. It’s a great reward for their contributions to making the golf season a success.

The Championship will take place at Deerhurst Highland and Grandview Golf Courses on September 22 and 23. This event offers a fantastic chance to unwind and share experiences with colleagues. We expect it to sell out again, so mark your calendars and watch for registration announcements in Clippings.

I wish everyone a fantastic start to the season, and I look forward to seeing you out there.

Sincerely,
Ian McQueen