Allett Canada Takes on the West- The C34E/2 is launched at the WTCA show in Canada

The sports turf industry was buzzing with excitement at the recent 61st Annual Conference and Trade Show of the WTCA (World Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show), held at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond, BC. Over 500 turf management professionals, colleagues, and industry leaders converged for the event, making it one of the largest gatherings in the industry. The show provided a prime opportunity for networking, knowledge-sharing, and discovering the latest innovations in turf care.

Leaving behind one of the coldest winters on record in Ottawa, Ontario, Allett Canada’s Alex and James took flight to attend the WCTA Conference and Trade show in Vancouver. They were greeted by one of the coldest winters on record in Vancouver and a rare sight for the City, Snow! Being Rugby players and enthusiasts, they found themselves wandering Stanley park in pursuit of the Brockton Oval. A Legendary venue for Rugby and Cricket and one of the first areas clear cut out of the forest for this purpose. After a short pitstop at the Vancouver Rowing Club because of a sign out front advertising that they have a Rugby team, they forged onward through the snow, sleet and hail to meet their new friend Jeanette Gallant the general Manager at the Brockton Cricket and Rugby Pavillion. It became clear that the small pavilion is the heart of rugby on the west coast. Housing not only the BC Rugby Hall of Fame, but also every trophy and plaque a club could imagine lining the wall. Since time was running short A seaplane was chartered from Vancouver to Victoria Harbour. 

After a brief layover in Victoria visiting Family, Allett Canada delegates James and Alex visited the world famous Butchart Gardens to talk to their Horticultural manager and Turfgrass experts. There was a lot of interest in supporting sustainability goals and part of this conversation included battery mowers. The gardens are a nationally important historic site and still owned by the same family who built them. Since the family decided to open to the public, these gardens are worth a special trip. They are also near the ferry, so a perfect stopover on the way back to the lower mainland. 

After waving goodbye to Vancouver Island Alex and James looked towards the Mountains and caught up with their friend Dave Allett. Dave (Allett's Export Manager) travelled all the way from France and met them at the Conference Host Hotel, the River Rock Casino and Resort. The lobby was buzzing with excitement as delegates from all over BC, Alberta and even as far as Ontario piled in. After catching up, the plan was to meet our friend from Greenworks, Andrew Brownell,  on the booth, and set up the next morning. 

Setup went well and mostly everything went according to plan. Only one band-aid was needed and the booth was put together before lunch. Allett Canada and Greenworks were very excited to attend our first ever trade show working together. The Western Canada Turfgrass Association was chosen specifically to launch the Allett C-34 Evolution. This Greenworks Battery Powered Commercial unit has been available elsewhere in the world, but with the World Cup on the horizon and Vancouver chosen as a venue, James from Allett Canada decided this was the right time for this product in Canada. “I can’t think of a better place to launch this product in Canada” Said James Edgar, President of Allett Canada. “And we are thrilled to be doing this in lock step with Greenworks mowers and Dave Allett himself”. The demo model at this show was the first ever landed on Canadian Soil and it was received well by the Attendees looking for Battery Powered Sports Turf solutions. Several schools, gardens and municipalities have requested demonstrations and quotations. Ottawa Based Allett Canada has committed to investing more time and resources to the West Coast to support these customers. 

After packing everything up and shipping back to Ottawa, Alex and James headed up to Whistler-Blackcomb for a little ski trip, before catching a plane back to Ottawa. Having reached the summit and skiing all the way to the bottom of each mountain, they decided to call it quits and head back to Vancouver to catch flights back home to Ottawa. Upon their arrival they were greeted by their dog Louis and Cat, Puddles, along with 6 foot tall snow banks with another 6 inches in the forecast. They are currently shovelling their way out and should be free sometime next week. 

Dave Allett ''We are thrilled to launch the Allett C34E in Canada and couldn't think of a better location than beautiful Vancouver'. It’s inspiring to see how the turf care industry is embracing innovation and sustainability. Our collaboration with Greenworks at this event serves as a perfect example of how we can meet the demands of modern turf professionals who are striving to maintain high-quality pitches while also caring for the environment. We are committed to providing equipment that helps groundskeepers achieve excellence whether it’s for a local field or a professional sports stadium.”