Our Heritage

John Connon immigrated to Canada from Aberdeen Scotland in 1895. While working for the Robert Evans Seed Company of Hamilton, he realized the need for the sales and distribution of trees and shrubs to local farmers. In October of 1906, he fulfilled his dream of supplying farmers when the John Connon Floral Co. Ltd. was incorporated.

The greenhouses were located on Wentworth St. N. and the sales office was at 41 King St.W, both in Hamilton. In 1912 the new name, John Connon Company Ltd., was incorporated, and a catalogue from that year illustrates that Connon Nurseries supplied a comprehensive list of items. Several re-locations occurred in the first twenty years of the company (all within the Hamilton / Stoney Creek area), until 1922 when the family moved to First Street in Waterdown. 1931 saw the company move to Dundas Street in Waterdown.

Connon Nurseries continued to supply quality products to the retail public, as well as to the landscape contractors in the area. As sales grew from this location, it became necessary to develop our own production to support our sales and market demand and in 1989, our first production farm on Robson Road was acquired. Production of container-grown flowering shrubs, trees, evergreens, perennials, ornamental grasses, and water plants began and continue today on over 300 acres in the Waterdown area. In 2017, the Dundas Street location closed and re-located to our redeveloped, 20 acre site on Robson Road, now known as our Waterdown Sales Yard.

Connon Nurseries serves Eastern Ontario’s retail and wholesale market from a Sales Yard in Trenton, Ontario. The development of the Newmarket Sales Yard in King, Ontario, provides quality plant material from our farms to both markets. Over 20 acres on this site serve the surrounding areas of the GTA and beyond.

Reflecting back, we see how we have been blessed with good health, loyal customers, and excellent staff. We now employ over 200 full-time and seasonal staff that are knowledgeable and dedicated to their work. We value and thank them for their professionalism and experienced skills that have helped grow our company.

Looking forward, we have a vision similar to the roots from which Connon Nurseries began. We understand that being a good supplier begins with our customers, and the important, professional relationships developed there. To this day, we remain focused on supplying high-quality nursery stock and hard-goods related gardening products to the end user; to both the public and to the wholesale market. Our emphasis on remaining a one-stop supplier, with fast, professional service for the professional gardener continues today, and we anticipate for many generations to come.