Wild Rose Award

Each year, members of the Alberta Association of Landscape Architects put forward names to be considered for the recipient of the Wild Rose Award; persons in our Association who have inspired and set an outstanding example for the profession. Garth Balls is the recipient of the Wild Rose Award for 2010.

Mr. Garth Balls, AALA, ASLA, FCSLA, is an Associate with IBI Group and Senior Landscape Architect with 35 years experience in the landscape architecture profession; passionately contributing to the field of landscape architecture here in Alberta and throughout Canada.

Garth received a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from Utah State University in 1976, also receiving the ASLA’s Certificate of Merit that year. He accepted an offer to work in Calgary for the summer and has lived here ever since.

Garth is a past president of the Alberta Association of Landscape Architects, served on the Organizing Committee for the 2003 IFLA World Congress in Calgary, and has been honoured with membership in the College of Fellows of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects due to his outstanding contributions to the profession and award winning designs.

Garth has completed projects in Alberta and British Columbia with his firm of Landplan Associates, and the more recent IBI-Landplan venture. Landplan operated in Calgary since 1969 and was one of the longest-standing landscape architect/urban design practices in Western Canada. Landplan, and IBI-Landplan, have provided planning and design expertise for many highly regarded and recognizable projects including Galt Gardens Revitalization, Shaw Millennium Park, Banff Refreshing and Downtown Enhancement Plan, Kananaskis Village, Eau Claire Plaza Redevelopment, Fernie Downtown Revitalization, James Short Parkade, SAIT Parkade, Okotoks Downtown Vitalization, Tuscany Community and the Calgary Airport expansion, to name only a few.

Garth’s cheerful and helpful personality is greatly appreciated by everyone and he is a huge asset to the AALA. His achievements are remarkable and he is a highly respected professional whose opinions and views are invaluable to his colleagues and fellow professionals.

Past Recipients:
Ron Middleton, 2008
John Buchko, 2007
Bob Gibbs, 2006
Otto Hammer, 2005
Lynne Herzog, 2004
Cathy Sears, 2003
David Brown, 2003
Pat Butler, 2003
Hugh Knowles, 2003
Jim Laidlaw, 2003