Brad, it seems your climate and mine (Tasmania, Australia) are very similar; short growing season, cold winters, lots of rain, with a short but sometimes very hot, summer. We get struck by downy mildew badly each spring and powdery mildew in the Autumn when the days are warm and the nights cold. Black spot rules during the spring and summer and, like you have found, the newer Kordes releases are by far the best on offer to the point that I am almost ignoring releases from others. They just never live up to the hype ('Wildcat' won the most disease resistant rose in trial a few years back at the Australian Trial grounds and I've barely seen a leaf on it here). Many of the Kordes roses can be traced back to wichurana ( via 'The Fairy' and 'Immensee' + some others), and I think this has a lot to do with why they do so well here. Kim reports that a lot of wichurana hybrids get crown gall for him but I have never even seen crown gall here in Australia, though I'm lead to believe it is here. 'Pierre de Ronsard' (Eden Climber) is a strong and healthy rose here for the most part but does get black spot and rust and seems to have only a small window of spotlessness. It doesn't seem to affect the growth or flowering but when some roses are putting on a decent autumn show, PDR is languishing in black spottiness as it gears down early for winter. If you get a chance, try and get hold of 'Summer Memories' which is also one of the newer Kordes releases. It produces pollen and forms OP hips though I have not tried to germinate any of these yet. I suspect the germination rate won't be high and that it is probably triploid as Kordes seem almost to select for triploidy on purpose. It is rather spectacular here. 'Manita' is a good strong super healthy pink climber, also by Kordes, that your customers might like if you are looking for such a rose. It also forms many hips and the seeds germinate easily producing strong climbing seedlings. The flower form is not very appealing to me but I'm sure matched to the right parent this could be overcome. If you are looking to breed such a rose have a look at 'Pink Emely'. This little rose is quite amazing here. Right now, almost a month into winter, we are freezing solid almost every clear still night and PE is covered in leaves and flowers still. It is not overly vigorous but very, very healthy. It has accepted pollen from a range of roses this season for me and I am particularly looking forward to seeing what 'Pink Emely' x 'Cornelia' can turn up.

I don't believe there is any such thing as a rose that is healthy everywhere. In many ways I don't think it's something breeder's should be worried about as I like the idea of producing locally successful roses.

I have never seen any mildew ever on mine. My garden is in Richmond, BC just west of your nursery. My plant does get some blackspot but nothing to worry about. I bought in 1985, a multiflora graft from Pickering Nurseries. It has since been moved twice but has been in the same spot since 1992. It is squeezed between a eastern cedar and a holly bush and receives very little care, yet comes back every year with a steady supply of blossoms mostly in clusters with a few singles. It also has no problems producing basal breaks despite its age for a grafted rose. The leaves are thick and substantial.even when they have black spot and it never becomes defoliated because of it. You have never seen a plant without mildew, yet I have never seen mine with it. While I certainly have problem plants, Compassion is not one of them. I think this is consistent with it being a British bred cultivar. I wonder why your experience is so different from mine?