Courses & Workshops

Royal Botanical Gardens understands and respects the rights of all staff, volunteers, and program participants to be protected from infectious diseases.  Royal Botanical Gardens follows the public health and workplace safety measures and regulations as indicated by local public health units, local municipalities, and the Province of Ontario. As such, program participants are mandatorily required to adhere to the processes and policies that are put in place to mitigate effects of infectious diseases.  Such processes and policies include, but are not limited to: face coverings, daily medical screening, and social distancing.  Royal Botanical Gardens will make aware all program participants of required actions and measures in a reasonable amount of time before the start of a program and with a reasonable amount of time if and as regulations change within a program’s run time.  It is the right of Royal Botanical Gardens to restrict the access to or remove from its programs and properties to any individual who does not adhere to such processes and policies.

We are vigilant in our concern for the health and safety of all participants. Participants are required to wash their hands frequently. If you are not feeling well please stay home.

COVID assessment form: We will be asking participants to complete a self-assessment form prior to the start of their program. If participants fail the screening for any reason, they are asked to stay home and notify RBG.

Up-to-date health and safety guidelines: Our staff will comply with all organization, municipal, and provincial health guidelines, and will update guidelines as needed. Royal Botanical Gardens will make aware all program participants of required actions and measures in a reasonable amount of time before the start of a program if and as regulations change within a program’s run time.

Advance enrollment is required for all events with a registration fee. All program listed prices are subject to applicable taxes and fees. Full payment must accompany each registration. Participants may register online, in person or by telephone.

Register online at: www.rbg.ca/publicprograms

To register by phone, please call 905-527-1158, ext. 270 (open Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.). Telephone registrations require payment by VISA or MasterCard.

If you have questions about the online registration process, please contact us!

RBG reserves the right to cancel any event if the minimum number of registrants is not reached by registration deadline. Registrations may be accepted after the registration deadline provided the minimum registration number has already been reached.

RBG member discounts are application provided that registrations are received on or before the registration deadline and cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. The family membership category enables children to become active participants in all RBG family programs. Please visit RBG Members for membership information, or call 905-527-1157, ext. 514.

The pre-registration dates (indicated in the individual program descriptions) is the date we ask you try to register by to allow the program organizers to best prepare.

If the indicated “register by” date has passed, you may still be able to register for the program provided there is space still available. A hard cut-off date will be in effect (usually 48+ hours before program start, depending on the program). To check if you’re still able to register, click the “register now” button on the program page to see the corresponding Eventbrite page.

Up to ten days prior to a program start date or the indicated program registration deadline, all cancellations by registrants are subject to a 25% cancellation fee if a refund for that program/course/event is applicable. Check specific program descriptions for refund-excluded programs. No refunds of any kind are made after the registration deadline.

Should RBG cancel a program, registrants are notified by phone or email, and refunds issued. It is vital that you supply phone numbers where we can reach you both daytime and in the evening or on weekends, directly or by recorded message. We do not accept responsibility for inconvenience caused to those we cannot contact, whatever the reason.

Paid parking is not required at RBG Centre or Rock Garden. Pay and Display parking ($3 to $5 per hour) is in effect at all trail heads as well as Laking Garden and the Arboretum when garden kiosks are not in operation during peak bloom times. RBG members park for free at all properties by displaying their members’ parking pass in their vehicle.

If your course, program, or workshop takes place at the Arboretum, a parking pass will be emailed to you prior to the start of your program.

Most of our programs are offered rain or shine. In the event of severe weather some courses, especially outdoor workshops and guided walks, may be postponed or cancelled.

If you are unsure about conditions on the day of your program, please call our Program Update Line at (905) 527-1158 ext. 404. A message will be posted there at least two hours before the program is due to start. It is your responsibility to verify that your program is being offered; though we try, we are not always able to reach participants.

Royal Botanical Gardens assumes no responsibility for loss or damage to property, or for personal injury or mishap; all activities are at the risk of the participant. RBG reserves the right to change/cancel events should circumstances beyond our control arise.