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Howard Stensson guided growth of Sheridan NurseriesDanny Gallaghera kid, but decided to go to schoolreorganized from a shareholderby hand. Remarkably, he also usedSPECIAL TO THE BEAVERto further his education. Hepoint of view.those hands to swim all five of theattended the Ontario AgriculturalI think what made my fatherGreat Lakes (Ontario, Erie, Huron,For almost a century, SheridanCollege in Guelph and thestand out as president is that theMichigan and Superior) with hisNurseries has been a major fixtureUniversity of Toronto, obtaining acompany rapidly expanded to 10best friend Alex Murphy in theon the horticultural landscape indegree in agricultural science.centres and survived two econom-1950s.the Greater Toronto Area.From there, he went to teachersic downturns, one in 1981 and theMy father and Alex actuallyDuring much of that time,college for a year and then took aother in the early 1990s, his sonswam the Great Lakes twice. TheHoward Stensson guided the busi-job surveying for tobacco farmerssaid. Like any company, you hadsecond time, they threw in Lakeness to become one of the pre-emi-in Norwich, near Delhi. to weather the storm and he keptSt. Clair so that nobody would dis-nent providers of nursery stock inIn 1940, he would begin a 24-the company on strong footingpute that they missed a lake, Billnortheastern North America.year stint as a science teacher atand also modernized the opera-said, laughing. Myself and a fewStensson, Sheridan NurseriesNorwich District High School. Intions over that period of time.friends swam the Great Lakes twopresident from 1972 until his1964 at 52, he would leave hisIn order to streamline opera-years ago to retrace my fathersretirement in 1993 at age 80, diedteaching post to return to the fam-tions, Stensson cut some stores,steps.in Oakville Jan. 16. He was 98,ily business as Sheridans nurseryadded some and there are nowAfter he retired, my fatheralmost as old as the company itself.manager at the behest of his fami-nine centres in operation. He hadalways kept busy, making mar-Stenssons father Sven Hermanly and Grubb, who would remaina hand in the company selling offmalade and making walking caneswas born in Sweden and was thepresident until he died a year later.its historic Oakville property andfrom wood for his friends. Whatformer chief gardener for theThey wanted my father totransferring headquarters toimpressed me most about him wasCrown Prince of Denmark atcome back into the businessGeorgetown. Using contacts, hethat he had a great interest inKnuthenborg Castle and at Kewbecause they needed more help,also saw the company become awhat employees and people had toGardens in England. In seeking aHoward Stenssonsaid Howards son Bill, who is cur-major supplier of goods to gardensay and what they were doing. Hebetter life, Sven answered an adrently Sheridans CEO.centres in eastern Canada and thelistened to people, no matter whatafter the town Sheridan, was oper-for a nursery manager and cameBy 1972, Howard was appoint-northeast/mid U.S.line of work they were doing.ated for about 50 years by itsto Canada with his family in 1914. ed company president and heldFor more than 25 years afterStenssons wake was held Jan.Born in Hitchin-Herts,founder and noted landscapethe post for 21 years. As a result ofhis retirement, Howard remained20-21 and a celebration of his lifeEngland in 1912, Howardarchitect Howard Grubb, whohis efforts, Sheridan grew toon the companys board of direc-took place Jan. 22 at Maple Groveemployed Sven as his first andStensson was two years old whenemploy 300 full-time employeestors and continued to use hisUnited Church in Oakville. Heonly employee for many years, butthe family immigrated to what wasand 700 part-timers. During hishands as a hobby, something heleaves his children Bill, Gay andalso allowed him to acquire com-then called Sheridan and what ispresidential reign, the Stenssonbegan doing when he was muchJanice, nieces Laurie and Karen,pany shares.largely known today as Oakville.family took over majority shares ofyounger: he built his own cottagenephew Karl and numerousHoward worked at Sheridan asSheridan Nurseries, aptly namedthe company in 1978 when it wasand the family home in Norwichgrandchildren.Fall in lovewith Downtown Oakville all over again...DOWNTOWNART IN THEFEBRUARYA TASTE OFOAKVILLEHEART FREEZEDOWNTOWNPHOTOGRAPHYSaturdaySaturdayFebruary 15th toCONTEST February 5thFebruary 12thFebruary 28thFebruary 1stto February 28thwww.oakvilledowntown.comFree Parking after 6:00pm and all day Sundaywww.oakvillebeaver.com OAKVILLE BEAVERWednesday, January 26, 2011 20