| Book Review: Acres of Glass by Dale O’Hara |
 Few people know the history behind why the City of Brampton, Ont., identifies itself by using a single, stylized rose as its logo. In her new book, Acres of Glass: The Story of the Dale Estate and How Brampton Became “The Flower Town of Canada”, released last fall, author Dale O’Hara shares the story of how in the early 1900s the Dale Estate established Brampton as a flower town.
In the 20th century, Dale Estate dominated the floral industry of Brampton as well as all of Canada, the U.S. and Europe, earning itself the distinction of being the largest greenhouse operation of its kind in the world. It’s a story that details the building of a floral empire, known for over a century for its highly prized, award-winning autographed roses, its over 500,000 orchid plants and its 40 acres of glass greenhouses. It is also the story of its sudden collapse that occurred within a span of 10 years. The acres of greenhouses were abandoned, the international reputation was forgotten and not a trace of the former company remained.
Brampton, no longer a small town, struggled through to the 21st century, searching for an identity to differentiate itself among the Greater Toronto urban sprawl, its glorious past all but forgotten by the rapid increase in population and development. It is only recently that the City of Brampton has begun to re-establish its connection with its floral heritage through initiatives such as the Flower City Strategy and winning accolades in the annual Communities in Bloom competition.
Author Dale O’Hara is the great-granddaughter of the founder of the Dale Estate. All proceeds from the sale of the book go towards a Literacy Endowment Fund for aspiring authors managed by the Brampton Arts Council.
The book is for sale for $29.95 (GST and shipping not included) at the following locations: in Brampton at The Region of Peel Archives, The Brampton Arts Council Office, Chapters Brampton, FlowerLand Florist, Beaux Arts, and Kiss Me I’m Irish, Forster’s Book Garden in Bolton, Ont., Booklore in Orangeville, Ont., The General Store in Inglewood, Ont., and directly from the author.
For further information, contact the Brampton Arts Council at 905-874-2919, or the author, Dale O’Hara, by phone at 905-838-3486 and by e-mail at
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