DONALD JAMES SALIVAN (APRIL 19, 1933 to MARCH 14, 2008)

Don Salivan took over the business in 1957, upon his father Nicolas’ death. Initially, Don took over simply to honour the contracts his father had with about 15 existing customers. He said he didn’t really want to be a landscaper because he had 2 other jobs at the time and the work was too hard. However, hard work was Don’s middle name . The passion and dedication Don exuded in his work quickly endeared him to his customers and hence, the business started to grow.

Don married Norma Simpson on September 26, 1958. He continued with his night shift job as a TTC bus service mechanic and performed his landscaping duties during the day. Don did this for 3 years while Norma worked at the Bell Telephone company. That was how they saved enough money to buy their first home.

By that time Salivan Landscape had grown to the point where Don needed to devote himself full time to the business in the field and Norma ran the office out of their home. Don started with basically one full time employee, Grant Foster, in the late 1950’s. Years later Grant went on to start his own landscape business in Toronto.

Salivan Landscape has enjoyed steady growth throughout its history. A landscape construction department was formed in the 1960’s to compliment the maintenance services always offered. About once every decade the company would move to a bigger and better office/shop/yard facility. From the Rosedale garages to the two Leaside shops and eventually to the larger Markham facility on Woodbine Avenue. Don’s philosophy was always to buy and not rent as he felt that was the way to success and company stability.

In 1957, Don took over from his father and grandfather who came to Toronto in 1923 from a small town in Italy and started a small gardening company. In the mid 1980’s, after college, Gregg Salivan joined the company full time, after working part time in it for most of his life. He became the proud fourth generation of Salivan men to eventually run the company.

By 1992 the company had outgrown its location again and acquired 5 acres in the east end of Toronto and built a 14,000 sq.ft. two storey facility comprised of an office, shop and yard. Today we employ approximately 80 people and have a fleet of 40 trucks. We provide grounds management, architecture and construction of the highest calibre to many different types of clientele within the GTA snd sometimes abroad.

Don was one of the founding members of Landscape Ontario and held stern in his belief that landscapers needed their own voice. He did not want the Ontario Garden Landscape and Maintenance Association to be amalgamated with other existing horticultural associations as he said we would lose our voice. Hence, Landscape Ontario was born. Don was also a member of the O.A.L.A. and served as president of the Toronto Chapter of Landscape Ontario in the early 1970’s.

All this company has become and all we will continue to be is a direct result of the incredible passion, commitment, love and dedication of Donald James Salivan.