April 15, 2009
A pioneer of the landscaping industry was honoured posthumously by the Hamilton-Halton Construction Association, naming Joseph DeLuca as the recipient of the 2009 Construction Hall of Fame Award.

Bill DeLuca accepted the honour at the association’s AGM in February on behalf of the family. Joseph DeLuca passed away on July 7, 2007.

Joe DeLuca began his landscaping career in 1952. It was noted at the induction ceremony that he nurtured his admiration for the land into one of the largest landscaping contractors in North America, Aldershot Landscaping. Many of DeLuca’s  innovations changed the face of landscaping. Over the years he won many awards and accolades for his innovative designs and attention to detail.

In the mid-1950s, landscaping was predominantly sod and a walkway, with a patio for good measure. “Joe DeLuca’s early designs helped change all that. He would use moss covered rocks and the best materials in his early work on some of Burlington’s finest homes,” stated the short history presented at the ceremony.

Aldershot Landscaping was also a pioneer in engaging landscape architects and designers for its projects. Under Joe’s leadership, the firm grew from a maintenance company to large scale design and construction management business, throughout Ontario and Quebec.

When Joe DeLuca was well past the age of retirement, it was common to see him traveling to project sites to ensure the job was up to his standard. He would not allow a project to be considered complete, until he saw each imperfection corrected.

“For 55 years he operated a company whose success is built on quality and performance. From hard working parents, he learned the value of effort, along with the benefit of a kind word. He came to love the land and echo that love in his work. We welcome Joseph DeLuca into the Construction Hall of Fame as an example of the spirit of our construction industry,” were the words that officially inducted Joseph DeLuca into the hall of fame.

The company and family have been involved with Landscape Ontario for many years. In 1994, Joe DeLuca was one of only four people to receive the Landscape Heritage Award for creating a legacy of excellence that positively influenced the profession.

The Hamilton-Halton Construction Association initiated the Construction Hall of Fame to recognize excellence of service to building, to the construction community, to its associations, and to the community.

Caption: Joseph DeLuca with his wife Jean DeLuca