CFA Accomplishments Report 2023

Canadian Franchise Association Accomplishments Report 2023

Chair’s Message

The Power of Community

As a longstanding member of the CFA and its Board of Directors, I have seen first-hand the vital role community plays within the Association. There was no better display of the power of community than the commitment franchising professionals within CFA membership demonstrated to their industry over the past few years. Through strong participation in a wide range of virtual and in-person programming, we saw CFA members lift each other up and keep the Canadian franchising industry strong while facing unprecedented challenges.

We are a small but strong community because we support and encourage each other. Over the past year, the CFA helped foster the community’s power with in-person networking events like Meet & Greets, golf tournaments, and the new CFA CEO Circle Reception. We also made it easier for members to connect beyond these networking events, and revamped our CFA.ca website to make it easier to learn more about the CFA and our programs. We also began work on the new strategic plan that will help us meet the needs of our CFA community through the coming years.

The common thread of these initiatives has been what we as an Association bring to the table as a collective entity. As a community, CFA members support each other by acting as a key resource to help navigate the increasingly challenging business landscape as the most authoritative voices of our industry.

This philosophy of CFA members helping other members grow their businesses by sharing their own best practices and insight into the franchise model is showcased here in the 2023 CFA Accomplishments Report. As a community, we have continued to achieve a number of “firsts” within our four pillars of Community, Education, Advocacy, and Lead Generation. None of these accomplishments could have been achieved without a collaborative effort between the CFA’s Franchise System and Support Service Supplier members.

Backed by the CFA programming highlighted here, I am certain that together, as an association and a community, we will continue to grow the franchise industry as a viable and attractive contributor to everything that small business brings to the Canadian economy and GDP. To produce strong programming, however, we need to get all CFA members involved and engaged with the Association.

Thankfully, there’s no shortage of tools at your disposal through the CFA to engage with the greater Canadian franchise community, and as a result, grow your system to its fullest potential: You can join one of our committees to help develop CFA programs and tackle any areas of concern for the franchise community. You can engage with the CFA community at our various events and tradeshows across the country to meet like-minded franchisors within your market. You can also attend Convention, which encapsulates what it means to be a part of the Canadian franchise community.

The expectation is for everyday Canadians to continue to choose franchising to be in business for themselves but not by themselves, and to fulfill their desires to be self-employed businesspeople providing for their families.

There have never been more opportunities for franchisees or franchisors than right now. With all of us focused together, along with your Canadian Franchise Association, we can make the dream of franchising a reality for more Canadians than ever before.

David Druker Chair, CFA Board of Directors

Growing the CFA Community Together

The past few years have showcased the strength and resilience of the Canadian franchising industry, despite the uncertain economic climate. This can be seen in the industry’s contribution to the national GDP, which grew to $120 billion in 2022, a 20 per cent increase over 2021, in tumultuous times. Franchising is now the 12th largest industry in the country and employs almost two million Canadians.

This is a testament to the work of our Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) community, the authoritative voice of franchising in Canada. In the face of many unprecedented challenges, our members have been Growing Together® to help push franchising to the forefront.

As set out in our strategic plan, everything we do at the CFA is to reach our ultimate goal of helping everyday Canadians realize the dream of building their own business through the power of franchising. We do this by amplifying the understanding and impact of franchising in Canada by advocating on the issues that impact this dream, connecting people with opportunity, and delivering learning opportunities that make franchising stronger.

To help us achieve these goals, the CFA established a strategic plan that focuses on four key pillars: community, education, advocacy, and lead generation. We use this strategic plan as our guiding light to ensure we’re meeting the needs of our members and continuing to grow the franchising community in Canada.

Throughout 2022, our members set new benchmarks for success in a changing economic world, and the CFA stepped up to provide the resources and support to navigate these new challenges. With the efforts of more than 350 volunteers in 2022, the CFA not only adapted existing programs and processes, but also developed new initiatives to better address the new needs of our members. The 23 CFA committees, including five introduced in the past year, helped to drive these changes in accordance with our strategic plan.

The fundamental focus of the CFA is community, as we strive to not only grow the CFA community through member acquisition, but also find new ways for our members to connect with and learn from one another.

In-person networking events returned in 2022, with our members participating in six different Meet & Greet events across the country, three golf tournaments, and the first-ever CEO Circle Reception for the leaders of our CFA member brands.

To help address the growing member need for labour solutions, we developed partnerships with Humber College and the Immigration Settlement Organization: Working Women to help connect the next generation and new Canadians with employment opportunities in franchising.

Providing our members with the resources they need to propel their businesses forward is another key focus for the CFA.

Our events programming remained an important avenue for educating our members: we provided 206 hours of education in the past year, with 32 total events covering a wide range of topics. The pinnacle of franchise education is our CFA National Convention, which was a major success in 2022, as members came together in person in Ottawa to network, share best practices, and grow together.

On the advocacy front, our CFA team continued to meet with government and public officials to outline the importance of the franchise business model to Canada, and to explain the integral franchisor-franchisee relationship. We also celebrated big policy wins, as changes we lobbied for to the Small Business Finance Program came into effect in July, making it easier for franchisors and franchisees to access financing, including ‘soft cost’ items such as the franchise fee and training school. We also worked with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC), which adopted the CFA proposal to government that will allow Canadians to access their RRSP funds for the purchase of a business. We will continue to lobby the government on this issue.

Our lead generation vehicles like the Franchise Canada Show educate the general public about franchising. In-person tradeshows returned in 2022, with events held in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, with the Vancouver event breaking attendance records. We further raised awareness about franchising through our public relations efforts, which resulted in more than 62 million media impressions in the past year.

As these achievements highlight, the CFA has made great progress in raising awareness about franchising in Canada and growing our CFA community, but our work isn’t done yet. We recently embarked on the development of a new strategic plan to ensure that we continue to meet our members’ needs. While this strategic work is still underway, one thing is certain for the future of the CFA: community remains our top priority as we get set to navigate a new set of challenges in the years to come. We achieved so much by working together in 2022, and I thank you all for your continued commitment to and support of the CFA. By contributing your time and knowledge, each one of you has made a lasting difference to our community, and we couldn’t do it without you. I look forward to continuing to grow together in the year ahead.

Sherry McNeil President & CEO, Canadian Franchise Association

Recent Accomplishments

In the past year, the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) has continued under its mission statement of Growing Together® to continue to strengthen the franchising industry in Canada, grow the CFA member community, and connect Canadians with franchise opportunities.

In 2022, that meant working with our CFA community to adapt to the “new normal” of franchising in Canada and to prepare for the next changes that will shape the future of franchising. Developments across the CFA’s strategic pillars of community, education, advocacy, and lead generation helped us continue to meet the changing needs of our members, with many milestone accomplishments along the way.

These key developments of the last year were about growing our community of members, delivering learning opportunities, advocating on issues that impact franchising, and bringing more Canadians into the franchising fold. Along with these accomplishments were many “firsts,” which you’ll see highlighted throughout this section.

Community (Membership & Networking)

The CFA is focused on growing our membership and creating opportunities for our members to connect. This past year, we streamlined our processes, provided our members with new programs and benefits, offered opportunities for members to share experiences and learn from one another, and developed strategic partnerships to help address member needs.

Created opportunities to connect. Live networking opportunities resumed in 2022, with CFA members connecting and learning from one another at six Meet & Greet events, three regional golf tournaments, and the first-ever CEO Circle Reception.

Celebrated franchise excellence. 2022 CFA awards program winners were celebrated at the Awards Gala, held at CFA National Convention in Ottawa, and highlighted in our CFA publications.

Welcomed new members. The CFA’s Member Onboarding committee and monthly onboarding webinars helped educate new members about the CFA and its offerings, as the CFA welcomed 87 new franchise brands and 39 new support service/supplier members to our community this year.

Simplified our processes. The CFA made it easier for our members to renew their membership with a new online renewal process that now includes an online payment form. We also streamlined the membership application forms for both FS and FSS members.

Developed strategic partnerships. The CFA developed strategic partnerships with Humber College/The University of Guelph-Humber and the Immigration Settlement Organization: Working Women to help connect the next generation and new Canadians with franchise employment opportunities. The CFA also established strategic partnerships with the International Franchise Association (IFA), MVF Global, Global Franchise magazine, and the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG).

Embarked on the next strategic plan. The CFA began work with member volunteers and the Board of Directors to determine the CFA’s next priorities so we can best meet our member needs in the years to come.

Launched the FIRST online membership renewal payment form for CFA Members

Held the FIRST CEO Circle reception

Held the FIRST Montreal Meet & Greet event in conjunction with the Franchise Canada Show in Montreal

Held the FIRST member focus group to solicit feedback for the next strategic plan

Created the FIRST Strategic Planning Committee

Launched the FIRST job board on CFA.ca

Held the FIRST franchise career-focused events to connect the next generation with franchise employment opportunities

Education

The CFA is committed to providing our members with the tools and information they need for franchise success and to prepare for the future of franchising, from demystifying franchise law and offering expert insights to facilitating peer-to-peer support and sharing best practices. Engaged members through educational events. The CFA offered 32 different educational events this past year, all aimed to deliver informative, accessible learning for our members and the general public.

Prepared members for the future. Events like the 2022 CFA National Convention and Franchise Law Day delved into the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for the Canadian franchise community.

Continued to support women in franchising. The Women in Franchising roundtable resumed in 2022 to provide women in the franchising space with the opportunity to support and learn from one another.

Expanded the scope of our CFA committees. The CFA established new committees to help develop educational programming, including the Education Advisory Committee, Women in Franchising Committee, and more.

Shared member content through The Franchise Voice The Franchise Voice returned as a digital publication in early 2023, and in conjunction with the Members Only Area, continues to be a forum for members to share their insights and expertise with the CFA community.

Fuelled professional growth through the CFE program. The “Canadianized” version of the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) program, licensed from the International Franchise Association (IFA), allowed CFA members to work toward accreditation while expanding their expertise in the field of franchising.

Lead Generation

Part of the CFA’s work is to educate the general public about the benefits of franchising as a path to self-employment, and to connect prospective franchisees with opportunities. Through magazine and website content, social media, tradeshows, podcast episodes, videos, and public relations efforts, we continued to promote franchising and increase awareness of opportunities for Canadians to realize their dream of business ownership.

Promoted franchising to those seeking self-employment opportunities. Through Franchise Canada content, social media, PR work, and educational seminars, the CFA educated our audience about the franchise business model, highlighting its strength and resilience. Shared franchisee success stories. We highlighted the stories of Canadian franchisees who are continuing to find success in the pages of Franchise Canada magazine and through exclusive web content, on our social media platforms, through the Franchise Canada Chats podcast, and in Franchise Canada TV videos.

Generated leads for our CFA members. Through all of our lead generation properties, we provided 26,076 leads to our CFA members.

Grew our general public audience. We reached 476,552 prospective franchisees through our lead generation program in 2022 (not including media impressions on social media posts about brands). We grew our Franchise Canada E-News/Magazine audience to more than 27,700 subscribers, increased our E-Blast subscriber list to more than 20,000, and grew our social media following to more than 19,400 followers.

Created media interest in franchising and its many opportunities. This year, our public relations efforts resulted in more than 62 million positive media impressions. Reached the next generation in franchising. The CFA provided education on franchising to the next generation, including university and college students and the Immigration Settlement Organization.

Connected prospective franchisees with opportunities through Franchise Canada tradeshows. This year, 15,374 people registered to attend our four Franchise Canada Show events, held in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Held the FIRST live CFA National Convention since 2019

Launched the FIRST CFA Women in Franchising and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion committees

Held the FIRST Franchise Fundamentals event to educate the general public about franchising Developed the FIRST CFE Credit Reference Guide and Onboarding Presentation

Issued the FIRST CFE Program transcripts

Launched the FIRST CFA Guidebooks to help members package educational content and generate leads

Held the FIRST Franchise Canada Show in Montreal in four years

Allowed CFA members to complete tradeshow booth bookings online for the FIRST time

Featured Canadian franchise industry veterans Jim Treliving and Graham Cooke on the Franchise Canada Chats podcast for the FIRST time

Advocacy

The CFA continues to work tirelessly to help make governments understand the needs of franchised businesses and to ensure programs designed to help businesses work for Canadian franchises.

Kept CFA members informed. Through weekly Advocacy Updates and an updated Advocacy page on CFA.ca, the CFA kept members in the know on government and political news, economic change, and available resources and programs.

Provided vital education to the government. The CFA continued to provide education about the franchise business model and franchising’s positive contributions to the Canadian economy.

Raised awareness about franchising. During Franchise Awareness Day in Ottawa in April, the CFA met with 22 federal politicians and staff members to lobby for the issues that are important to the franchising community.

The CFA also held its Advocacy Awareness Month campaign in June, which resulted in more than 51,000 social media impressions.

Held key meetings with government representatives across Canada

The CFA participated in meetings with 10 provincial representatives plus staff members in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, met with the British Columbia government regarding gig labour, and consulted with the Ontario government in respect to the Employment Standards Act.

Changes to the Canada Small Business Finance Program came into effect. Through these changes, the CSBFP will now allow intangible assets (franchise fees, incorporation costs, permits and licenses, etc.) and working capital costs to be financed as a term loan. This was a CFA win! No one else has been lobbying for these changes!

Worked with the Chamber of Commerce to improve access to capital. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) adopted a policy resolution, put forward by the CFA, that asks the federal government to create a program to allow RRSP withdrawals for the purchase of a new or existing business.

Sent a joint letter regarding anti-replacement worker legislation. The CFA participated in a joint submission with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and 75 other Chambers and Associations, urging the government to reconsider its plan to introduce legislation that would prohibit the use of replacement workers in federally regulated sectors. Improved access to labour. The CFA met with the federal government to lift restrictions on international student workers. This was a CFA win, as the restrictions were lifted!

Successfully lobbied for changes to the CEBA program. The CFA lobbied for a loan repayment extension for the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) from December 2022 to December 2023. This was a CFA win, as the extension came into effect!

CFA FIRSTS

Completed our FIRST Atlantic Canada tour to meet with provincial representatives in June

Changes to the Canada Small Business Finance Program came into effect for the FIRST time

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce adopted the CFA's resolution that will allow Canadians to use RRSP contributions for the purchase of a business for the FIRST time

Our Members: A Snapshot

CFA Membership Breakdown -

Where Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) member franchise systems operate

CFA Membership Breakdown

What Does the CFA’s Membership Look Like?

More than

574 member brands Operating in over 60 different sectors CFA members represent 48,000+ franchised outlets across Canada

This logo identifies franchise systems and supplier companies as members of the Canadian Franchise Association. Canadians are encouraged to look for this symbol when researching franchise opportunies or assembling support professionals to assist in their search because CFA members are commited to excellence in franchising and follow the CFA’s Code of Ethics.

Community (Membership & Networking)

Community is the cornerstone of the CFA, and it’s important to not only continue to expand this community through membership acquisition, but to also enhance our programming to allow our members to connect in meaningful ways.

This past year, the CFA helped to foster those invaluable relationships by providing in-person networking events like Meet & Greets, golf tournaments, and the new CFA CEO Circle Reception. We also revamped our CFA.ca website to make it easier to learn more about the CFA and our programs and developed strategic partnerships to help support our members and expand the reach of our community. We also began work on the new strategic plan that will help us meet the needs of our CFA community through the coming years.

CFA Community FIRSTS

This year, we:

• Relaunched the CFA.ca website with a fresh look to make it easier to learn more about the CFA and our programs

• Implemented an automated online form for membership renewal and payment, and streamlined the membership application forms for both FS and FSS members

• Created new committees to help move the strategic plan forward, including the Education Advisory Committee; Women in Franchising Committee; Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee; and Marketing Day Committee

• Held a member focus group regarding the strategic plan to get direct input from our members

• Held an exclusive keynote session with Walter Bond as part of the membership renewal incentive program

• Held the first-ever Montreal Meet & Greet event in conjunction with the Franchise Canada Show in Montreal

• Introduced the CEO Circle Reception in partnership with RBC

• Developed a strategic partnership with Humber College to help promote franchising to the next generation of entrepreneurs and to provide labour solutions to members

• Created a job board on CFA.ca where members can post job vacancies

• Launched the Virtual Franchise Career Day and Virtual Franchise Career Fair events in partnership with Humber College to help connect members with young talent

• Delivered presentations on franchising for the next generation at McGill University (Women in Business) in Montreal and Humber College in Toronto

• Established a relationship with the Immigration Settlement Organization: Working Women to help connect new Canadian women to opportunities in the franchise industry

“I like the wide variety of webinars and learning resources available.”

Cathy Thompson, Beyond the Classroom Systems Inc.

“Franchising is hard. The CFA’s goal is to help franchisors grow and succeed. As a franchisor, you want to be part of the ecosystem that supports that and provides tools and resources to make it easier.”

Yuliia Bozhok , Transition Squad Downsizing Services

“I’m a huge fan of the webinars - whether they’re being offered by a representative of the CFA or a supplier, I always find myself with excellent takeaways. I attended my first CFA Convention this year and it was so well done. Bringing together such a variety of franchise systems and learning from one another is so important.”

Megan MacDonald, Jani-King Canada

“We really liked the conference and the ongoing engagement month to month. Keeps us on our franchise game!”

Rob Zylstra, REACH OG Learning Centres Inc.

“I love the learning provided and the opportunities to meet and socialize with others in the franchise community.”

Stacey Vassos, Comfort Keepers

Member Satisfaction

This year, we continued to stay in touch with our members through the Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey. The NPS survey allows us to check in with members about how their businesses are faring, how the CFA can continue to offer support, and more.

The feedback you provided was positive, with our latest NPS score reaching 65%. This represents a big improvement over the 42% score we received when we launched the program in 2016.

Have feedback? In addition to sharing your feedback through the NPS survey, you can contact us any time. Please contact Stephen Symonds at ssymonds@cfa.ca

First NPS, vs. Recent NPS

Franchise Meet & Greet Events

2022 marked the return of in-person networking events for CFA members! These Meet & Greet events allowed members to get together to connect and engage in casual conversations, while also discussing hot franchising topics, challenges, and opportunities, and taking the time to celebrate successes.

The CFA held several in-person Meet & Greet events, including alongside the Atlantic and Pacific Golf Tournaments and the Franchise Canada Shows in Toronto and Montreal, along with the Holiday Social hosted by the CFA in December. We also held the inaugural Vancouver Meet & Greet in conjunction with the Franchise Canada Show in November, allowing our west coast community members to connect through this new forum.

Since April 2022, the CFA has hosted 6 Meet & Greet events, with 367 total registrations and 6 sponsors.

Community by the Numbers

Total Member Count Franchise System Members:

326 Support Service/Supplier Members:

153

The CFA welcomed

87 new franchise brands and

39 new support service/supplier members to our community in 2022-2023.

This equals a 32% increase in new franchise brands and a 39% increase in new support service/ supplier brands over last year.

1,156 new contacts added to Salesforce since April 1, 2022

63 members won a combined

112 CFA Awards in 2022

146 franchise system members received renewal incentives (representing 249 brands)

67 support service/supplier members received renewal incentives (representing 68 brands)

246 inquiries about membership

CEO Circle Reception

In November, the CFA launched our first-ever CFA CEO Circle, an exclusive cocktail reception for leaders of the CFA’s member franchises, sponsored by RBC. Attendees learned about the state of the economy, especially as it pertains to franchising, and connected with other senior executives to help strengthen their brands.

CFA Golf Tournament

CFA members returned to the golf course in June for three CFA Golf Tournaments, including the Central event, held on June 4 in Brampton, ON; the Pacific tournament on June 18 in Richmond, BC; and the Atlantic event on June 27 in Moncton, NB.

Exclusive to franchisors and industry suppliers, our Golf Tournament is designed to help franchise leaders make business connections and enjoy friendly competition, all while supporting the CFA’s advocacy work.

New and Improved CFA.ca and CFA Member Portal!

The official corporate website of the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA), www.cfa.ca, as well as the CFA Member Portal, http://www.cfa.ca/members-only, have a new and improved look!

Based on member feedback, users of CFA web properties seeking to learn more about the Canadian franchising industry and our Association as well as access exclusive content produced specifically for CFA Members can now have an online experience that is:

• Faster: CFA.ca and the Member Portal are now running at lightning-fast speeds across all devices.

• Easier to navigate: We redesigned CFA.ca and the Member Portal to provide a simpler, easier-to-navigate layout and page structure.

Franchise Career-Focused Events

To help our members address labour shortages, the CFA launched Franchise Career Day in October 2022 and the Virtual Franchise Career Fair in March 2023. In partnership with Humber College, these events helped students looking for employment opportunities connect with CFA members with job vacancies within their franchise systems.

825 Potential employees 22 Employers 2 Sponsors

Help us grow the CFA community!

Do you know a franchise or supplier that should join the CFA? Participate in the CFA’s Refer-a-Member program! Your referral will help us to recruit more new members into the CFA community so we can work to fulfill our mission of Growing Together®.

More members in our CFA community means:

A stronger collective voice for franchising as part of the CFA’s advocacy and government relations work

Greater buying power for the CFA Member Savings Program

A broader network to connect with (and learn from)!

Become a Star Recruiter: For every company you refer that joins the CFA, you’ll receive $100 CFA Bucks that you can put toward any CFA digital offering!

Thank you to the following Star Recruiters, who helped bring in new CFA members over the past year:

• Cam Bawol, MNP LLP

• Debi Sutin, Gowling WLG

• John DeHart, Franchise GrowthLab

• John Evans, EverLine Coatings and Services

• Jordan Druxerman, Garfinkle Biderman LLP

• Joseph Adler, Hoffer Adler LLP

• Kirk Allen, Reshift Media

• Larry Weinberg , Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

• Lisa Raffaele, Bubblegum Canada

• Marietta Snetsinger, Ascend Franchising

• Megha Karia, UCMAS Canada

• Nicolas Desjardins, B-Protek Concrete Resurfacing

• Randy Mahil, Pizza Depot

• Steve Collette, East Brands

• Sumit Chouhan, TELUS

• Thomas Wong , Chatime Canada

All Recruiters will be recognized in our CFA Updates at the CFA National Convention

For more information, contact Lou Gervasi at lgervasi@cfa.ca or visit https://cfa.ca/refer-member

Education

Providing education to our more than 550 corporate members, prospective franchisees, and the broader franchise community is a top priority for the CFA. Through a wide range of educational events and resources, we aim to share the latest information and best practices, foster franchise growth, and forge partnerships.

While we continued to develop virtual offerings for members to access from anywhere in the country, 2022 marked the return of in-person educational events, including CFA National Convention, which brought our CFA community together in Ottawa, Ontario to network, learn, and address the theme of “Today. Tomorrow. Together.”

We introduced new events, like the Franchise Fundamentals virtual series serving as a franchising primer, reintroduced events like Marketing Day which will launch in the coming months, and continued with our core educational lineup, including Franchise Law Day, which saw recordbreaking attendance numbers this year, among many others.

We also brought back The Franchise Voice member publication as a quarterly digital publication and continued to grow our Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) program, both in terms of registrants and available education credits.

CFA Education FIRSTS

• Held the first in-person CFA National Convention since 2019

• Highest-ever attendance for Franchise Law Day, with 156 attendees

• Brought back The Franchise Voice, our member newsletter, as a digital publication

• Reached 100 Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) enrollments, since the program launched in Summer 2021

• Grew the available CFE education credits from 300 to more than 1,800

• Created new committees to help move the strategic plan forward, including the Education Advisory Committee; Women in Franchising Committee; Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee; and Marketing Day Committee

• Launched the first Franchise Fundamentals event, a three-week virtual series aimed to provide a primer to the general public about the franchise business model

• Relaunched CFA.ca and the Members Only Area to make the sites easier to navigate

• Brought back the Marketing Day event to help members bolster their marketing efforts

• Developed the first online registration form for CFA National Convention

Learn & Grow Webinars

In 2022, the CFA continued our series of Learn & Grow webinars, providing a platform for leading franchise experts to share and promote discussion on a variety of pressing topics in franchising, such as ways to beat the hiring crisis, turning reviews into revenue, selecting the right location, how to get press for your franchise, and more.

9 Webinars 300 Registrations

Education by the Numbers

349 speakers shared their knowledge

206 total education hours provided

90+ educational content pieces published in the Members Only Area

32 educational events offered by the CFA

CFA National Convention

CFA National Convention, the premier franchising event in Canada, took place in April, bringing our CFA community together for the first in-person Convention since 2019. This three-day event was jam-packed with opportunities to network with other members and learn from the extensive lineup of educational sessions and inspiring keynote speakers. The theme was “Today. Tomorrow. Together.” and focused on the belief that we can accomplish greater things working together with others than we can individually. The 2022 Convention harnessed the power of community through Collaboration, Community, Communication, Commitment, and Creativity, sharing best practices for today and tomorrow.

300 Registrations 130 Speakers

75 Educational Sessions

Franchise Law Day

On September 22, the CFA hosted Franchise Law Day in person at the Old Mill Inn & Spa in Toronto, featuring keynotes and plenaries, concurrent sessions, and roundtables headed by Canada’s leading franchise lawyers. This year’s theme was “Adapting & Growing in New Marketing Realities,” and sessions delved into the legal issues shaping the future of franchising. Topics included managing the impact of new marketing realities, disclosing in the new world, mergers and acquisitions, international expansion, and many more. The 2022 Franchise Law Day event hit record-breaking attendance numbers as the franchise community came together to address the latest developments in the legal world.

156 Registrations 39 Speakers

Smart Growth for Emerging Franchisors

The Smart Growth webinar series and seminar took place starting in March 2022 and addressed the challenges franchisors face as they scale their franchise brands. The live webinar series included four webinars and culminated in a half-day workshop—“Executing On the 3 Habits Required to Scale Past 25 Units and Still Love Franchising!”—focused on the must-haves for franchise systems to strategically and operationally scale their brands. This intensive series focused on the systems franchisors need to avoid the common pitfalls and challenges that arise when you reach 10, 25, and 50 locations, and that impact your path to successfully scaling your franchise business.

Webinar topics included “Learn the 3 Key Habits Franchisors Need to Scale Past 25 Units,” “How to Sell 12 Franchises in 12 Months” (Parts 1 and 2), and “Getting Franchise Partners Started with Wind in Their Sails: Building a Powerful and Scalable Onboarding System.”

233 Registrations 39 Speakers

Franchising Meets the Money

In October, the CFA hosted “Franchising Meets the Money,” our annual virtual Growth & Exit Strategies event. Through webinar presentations, industry-leading professionals and peers shared their wisdom and expert advice to franchisors about when and how to sell their businesses, and current trends in the market. It also created a space for Canadian and American potential investors and buyers to connect directly with the Canadian franchise community.

80 Registrations 14 Speakers

Women in Franchising Roundtables

Franchising offers immense opportunity and potential for women, but females in the franchising industry also face a unique set of challenges. This year, the CFA continued our roundtable events for women in the franchising space. The 2022 roundtable event provided members the opportunity to connect with and learn from other women in business through small, facilitated discussion groups delivered virtually.

98 Participants

Franchise Your Business

Four virtual Franchise Your Business seminars took place throughout the past year, with Pacific, National, and two Toronto-focused events. These sessions provided information and advice for business owners interested in franchising their brand quickly, cost-effectively, and successfully. The virtual events featured consultant, legal, accounting, and marketing experts, along with franchisor success stories.

4 Events 158 Registrations 34 Speakers

Franchise Fundamentals

In fall of 2022, the CFA introduced the Franchise Fundamentals event to provide our general public audience with a primer on the franchise business model. This educational threeweek series was designed to guide entrepreneurial-minded Canadians through the fundamentals of franchising, so they can better assess whether franchising is the right path to help them turn their business dreams into reality.

It included eight different sessions, covering topics such as What is Franchising, What Does a Franchise Look Like, What are the Basic Steps for Financing a Franchise, and more.

193 Registrations 12 Speakers

8 Educational Sessions

The Franchise Voice and Members Only Area

The Franchise Voice returned as a digital flipbook in February 2023 to provide our members with a platform to share their stories as they navigate the landscape of franchising in Canada and beyond. Through the pages of this digital flipbook, along with the content hosted on our CFA.ca Member’s Only Area, CFA members shared their insight into building successful franchised businesses in Canada, looking at elements such as Franchise Growth, Management, Operations, and pressing Legal issues.

Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) Certification Program

The CFE Program is designed to educate individuals and organizations to the highest standards in franchising. This program is a necessary resource to help franchise executives, managers, and business owners accelerate their growth in franchising. Certification demonstrates a higher standard of excellence and raises the bar for franchise training as a whole.

The CFA has partnered with the International Franchise Association (IFA) to licence their Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) program for Canada. The goal of the CFE program is to educate individuals and organizations to the highest standards. This program is a leading resource to help franchise executives, managers, and small business owners accelerate individual and organizational growth. After “Canadianizing” the course content, the CFA launched the program in July 2021. Participants in the CFE program need 3,500 credits to receive the CFE designation, which they typically earn over the course of two years. These credits are given in the categories of education, participation, and experience. All CFE candidates must also complete the Fran-Guard program and an online final exam to receive their designation.

To learn more about the program and how to register, visit cfa.ca/cfe-program

CFE Program, FIRSTS

• Education Credits (This was achieved mostly through accreditation of events and educational programming): 2021 = 300; 2022 = 1,800

• Approval of Membership activities toward CFE designation: Candidates can receive Participation credits for yearly CFA membership and for committee membership and activities

• Enrollments: Over 100 in 2022

• Graduates: 2 in 2021, and 5 in 2022.

• Issued first transcripts

• Created first Credit Reference Guide

• Created CFA CFE Onboarding Presentation

CERTIFIED FRANCHISE EXECUTIVE™ PROGRAM

By the Numbers

107

enrollments to date in the CFE Program

28

enrollments to date in the first online Fran-Guard course

2 graduates in 2021

$100

Fran-Guard Online Course

The Canadian Franchise Association’s (CFA) Fran-Guard course is based on the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) Fran-Guard program and is a mandatory component of the CFE Program.

5 graduates in 2022

For more information on the Certified Franchise Executive Program, please visit: https://cfa.ca/cfe-program/

company:

The Fran-Guard course was created to safeguard your franchise by having your key employees fully trained on the franchise sales management and compliance process. It gives you the tools to manage your compliance program and avoid costly mistakes that can potentially wreck your franchise system.

date issued:

NON-TRANSFERABLE. NO CASH VALUE. 1 PER COMPANY

Contact David Black at dblack@cfa.ca for more details.

CFA’s Fran-Guard program is for senior executives, franchise development professionals, lawyers, and compliance managers. The program features both the legal and business aspects of compliance taught by legal experts. Compliance not only reduces risk, but it can result in better company profits.

OFF 1st Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) enrollment & $50 OFF the 2nd CFE enrollment OR $100 OFF one (1) Fran-Guard registration (CFE’s required course on franchise legislation across Canada)

Advocacy

Staying on top of the laws, regulations, government programs, and emerging issues that might impact franchised businesses and the franchising industry in Canada is a big job. The CFA’s advocacy team works tirelessly to ensure that decision makers across the country understand the importance of the franchise business model to Canada’s economy and to the livelihoods of the almost two million Canadians who are employed in franchising.

In-person meetings with government and public officials resumed in 2022 as we continued to raise awareness about franchising and the integral franchisor-franchisee relationship. More than 20 meetings took place through Franchise Awareness Day in Ottawa on April 7, and we also embarked on an Atlantic Canada tour in June, meeting with representatives in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to discuss key issues, including common employer, minimum wage, access to labour, and more. CFA representatives also met with government officials in Ontario and British Columbia to provide insight into how legislation could impact the franchise industry.

We also celebrated big policy wins, as changes we lobbied for to the Canada Small Business Finance Program came into effect in July, making it easier for franchisors and franchisees to access financing, including ‘soft cost’ items such as the franchise fee and training school. We also worked with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC), which adopted the CFA proposal to government that will allow Canadians to access their RRSP funds for the purchase of a business.

Advocacy FIRSTS

• The changes to the Canada Small Business Financing Program the CFA lobbied for came into force in July 2022, making it easier for franchisors and franchisees to access financing

• Put forward a resolution that was adopted by the Chamber of Commerce to help unlock RRSP savings to buy a new or existing business

• Relaunched the Advocacy page on CFA.ca to more clearly communicate vital information to members

• Participated in meetings with government officials across Atlantic Canada in June

• Consulted with the British Columbia government regarding gig economy workers in late 2022

• Consulted on the Employment Standards Act (ESA) with Ontario officials in January 2023

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS Changes to the Canada Small Business Finance Program are Now in Force

After several years of advocacy, the CFA successfully lobbied to make key changes to the Canada Small Business Finance Program (CSBFP) to better help franchisors and franchisees. These changes to the Canada Small Business Financing Regulations came into force on July 4, 2022.

Through these changes, the CSBFP will now allow intangible assets (franchise fees, incorporation costs, permits and licenses, etc.) and working capital costs to be financed as a term loan.

These were previously ineligible for financing under the program and had to be paid for out of pocket or through other credit products that were offered by financial institutions.

The changes to the CSBFP give lenders and small businesses additional financing products, a new class of loans, increased loan amounts and terms, improved loan conditions, and decreased administrative burden.

Now that the changes are legally in force, the banks can start to incorporate them into the financing products that they offer. Each bank will implement the changes based on its own internal rollout process that is outside of the control of both the federal government and the CFA.

Canadian Chamber Adopts CFA Resolution to Create a Program to Help Unlock RRSP Savings to Buy a Business

At its Annual General Meeting, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) adopted a policy resolution, put forward by the CFA, that asks the federal government to create a program to allow RRSP withdrawals for the purchase of a new or existing business.

The proposal would allow individuals to withdraw up to $100,000 from their RRSP/RESP accounts to make a down payment on the purchase of a new or existing business, without having to pay tax on the withdrawal.

The program would then require the individual to repay, on a non-deductible basis, the amount withdrawn over a period not exceeding 15 years, beginning the second calendar year following the calendar year in which the withdrawal was made. This is similar in structure to the First Time Home Buyers Plan.

Joint Letter - Replacement Workers

As part of the Government’s supply agreement with the NDP, they have committed to introduce anti-replacement worker legislation by the end of 2023 that would seek to prohibit the use of replacement workers in federally regulated sectors. The proposal to introduce such legislation raises serious concern for Canadian business, including many that play an essential role in growing our economy and ensuring that our supply chains operate efficiently.

The CFA participated in a joint submission with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and 75 other Chambers and Associations, urging the government to reconsider its plan to introduce this legislation. The full joint letter is available in the Advocacy section of the Members Only Area at CFA.ca.

Franchise Awareness Month

In June 2022, the CFA highlighted member franchisees as local small business owners, with a focus on their community contributions, through our Franchise Awareness Month campaign. We drove this key messaging about franchising via social media and the CFA’s weekly email campaigns.

Franchise Awareness Month helped to raise awareness among all Canadians about the franchise industry, from sharing success stories about franchisees and celebrating the ways that franchising gives back to the community, to educating about the various franchise sectors, and more.

Key social media stats:

51,015 impressions 446 clicks

419 likes 221 shares

48% of all social impressions generated in June 2022 were attributed to the Franchise Awareness Month campaign, and there was a 177% increase in social impressions in June 2022 compared to June 2021.

46% of all social shares generated in June 2022 were attributed to the Franchise Awareness Month campaign.

Franchise Awareness Day in Ontario

The 2022 Franchise Awareness Day took place on April 7 in Ottawa, Ontario, alongside CFA National Convention. The CFA met with 22 Members of Parliament (MPs) and staff members to raise awareness of the franchise business model and important franchisee-franchisor relationship, and to lobby for the issues that are important to the franchise business community. Some of the issues the CFA brought to the attention of these public officials and politicians included the clarification of common/joint employer designation, postpandemic supports for franchised businesses, reducing red tape, and fair treatment under environmental legislation.

The MPs and staff members we met with included:

• Tony Baldinelli, MP, CPC

• James Bezan, MP, CPC

• Kelly Bryant, LPC staff

• Adam Chambers MP, CPC

• Michael Coteay, MP, LPC

• Ed Fast, MP, CPC

• Tracy Gray, MP, CPC

• Damien Kurek, MP, CPC

• Stephanie Kusie, MP, CPC

• Marie-France Lalonde, MP, LPC

• Melissa Lantsman, MP, CPC

• Philip Lawrence, MP, CPC

• Eric Melillo, MP, CPC

• Rob Moore, MP, CPC

• Yash Nanda, LPC staff

• Zachary Nixon, LPC staff

• Churence Rogers, MP, LPC

• Kyle Seeback, MP, CPC

• Clifford Small, MP, CPC

• Francesco Sorbara, MP, LPC

• Lawrence Zhang, LPC staff

• Bob Zimmer, MP, CPC

Atlantic Canada Meetings with Government Officials

In June 2022, CFA representatives headed to Atlantic Canada for meetings with government officials regarding key issues in the region. These messages included: franchised businesses are local businesses, the economic impact of franchising, common employer, access to labour, access to capital, and fair treatment under environmental legislation.

The CFA met with the following elected officials:

Nova Scotia:

• Hon. Jill Balser, Minister, Labour, Skills and Immigration (PC)

• Ava Czapalay, Deputy Minister, Labour, Skills and Immigration

• Ben Jessome, Critic, Advanced Education (Liberal)

• Kelly Regan, Critic, Finance (Liberal)

Other participants included Cecilley Carroll, Special Advisor to the Minister, LSI and Shannon Bennett, Executive Director of Policy and Planning, Economic Development.

New Brunswick:

• Cameron Bodnar, Director, Research, Policy & Analytics (Team), Opportunities NB

• Gilles LePage, Critic for Economic Development and Opportunities New Brunswick

• Peter MacNutt, Executive Director, Policy, Competitive Regulation and Operational Excellence (Team), Opportunities NB

• Robert McKee, Critic for Finance and the Treasury Board

• Roger Melanson, Interim Leader of the Official Opposition (Liberal)

• Nicole Picot, Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Official Opposition

Ontario Bill 88 – Working for Workers Act, 2022

CFA representatives met with Brandon Crandall, Senior Manager of Stakeholder Relations, Ministry of Immigration, Labour, Training & Skills Development on February 24, 2023, to discuss Ontario’s Bill 88, “Working for Workers Act, 2022,” which passed in the Ontario Legislature and is awaiting Regulations for enactment. The purpose of the bill is to establish certain worker rights for workers, regardless of whether those workers are employees.

The CFA discussed the common employer issue with special references to labour as it pertains to the franchisor/franchisee arrangement, stressing the similarities and differences between the franchisor and franchisees, and how grouping the two can lead to unfair economic treatment for small business owners. The CFA offered valuable input and will continue to update the Ministry of Labour on specific concerns.

Other Key Meetings

In 2022, the CFA consulted with the British Columbia government regarding gig economy workers, which is a key issue for our members, as small businesses could be impacted by regulations that introduce certain benefits to temporary workers.

In January 2023, David Druker, Chair of the CFA Board of Directors, consulted with the Ontario government regarding upcoming changes to the Employment Standards Act (ESA).

Updated Advocacy Section in the Members Only Area

We updated the Advocacy section along with the rest of the site, organizing all advocacy content into one page that serves as a hub for our advocacy content and resources, making it easier for our members to find the tools and information they need. This page is regularly updated with any relevant information and policy briefings, along with all weekly Advocacy Updates.

The CFA sent out 48 advocacy updates to members in the past year, keeping them in the know on government and political news, updates to government programs, economic news, and any other news or resources that may be helpful for franchisors and franchisees.

What’s on the Agenda for 2023

Advocacy is always about looking forward. Over the coming 12 months, we’ll continue to raise awareness about the franchise business model and the positive impact it has on the Canadian economy, and will also fight to ensure government regulations and programs don’t negatively impact franchise businesses.

Key items on our list include common employer, minimum wage, the Employment Standards Act, and the gig economy.

Don’t miss the opportunity to connect face to face with Ontario Members of the Provincial Parliament (MPPs) at the 2023 Franchise Awareness Day to help raise awareness about the importance of franchising to the province and nationwide. This year’s Franchise Awareness Day will take place on May 31, 2023 at Queen’s Park in Toronto, Ontario.

We look forward to continuing to effect change and provide the support that you, our members, need.

Lead Generation

The CFA’s lead generation program helps to connect our members with the right franchisees to grow their brands. It also provides education to the general public about the franchise business model as a way to make their business ownership dreams come true, and provides the resources, tools, and expert advice to help them successfully launch their franchise business.

In 2022, the Franchise Canada brand continued to play a key role in providing information about franchising and CFA member brands to prospective franchisees. Four Franchise Canada tradeshows took place in three different regions throughout the year, where members connected face to face with prospective franchisees. We also continued to evolve and grow our content across all channels, which resulted in a 46 per cent increase in Franchise Canada E-News subscribers and 11 per cent growth in Franchise Canada E-Blast subscribers. We also developed new social media and PR strategies that helped grow our social media followers by 19 per cent and created more than 62 million positive media impressions.

Lead Generation FIRSTS

• Increased our CFA social media following to more than 19,400 followers

• Achieved record-breaking numbers for Franchise Canada email lists, including more than 27,700 subscribers to Franchise Canada E-News/Franchise Canada Magazine (46 per cent increase) and more than 20,000 E-Blast subscribers (11 per cent increase)

• Launched CFA Guidebooks to help members package educational content and build leads, while deepening connections with our community of franchise professionals

• Achieved record-breaking attendance at the Franchise Canada Show in Vancouver

• Held the Franchise Canada Show in Montreal for the first time in four years

• Tradeshow booth bookings went virtual, with members able to book their booths through ExpoFP

• Achieved more than 62 million positive media impressions

LookforaFranchise.ca

Throughout 2022, the CFA implemented various features on LookForaFranchise.ca—our official online franchise directory—to enhance the user experience and visibility for advertising brands on the website. These included the introduction of the Franchise Fit Quiz to help users find a franchise that aligns with their previous experience, investment level, and personality profile. The CFA team also implemented search engine optimization (SEO) for all 64 franchise category pages.

The LookforaFranchise.ca site has continued to grow and has become an important lead generation tool, generating an average of 36,970 unique visitors monthly.

Franchise Canada magazine & Franchise Canada Online

Each issue of Franchise Canada magazine is published on FranchiseCanada.Online, which received almost 100,000 page views in 2022. All Franchise Canada content is also promoted to the CFA’s 19,400+ social media followers and in Franchise Canada E-News to our more than 27,700 subscribers.

The digital Franchise Canada magazine flipbook is a highly interactive product, with 101,595 impressions and 14,465 reads between April 2022 and March 2023.

We continued to highlight franchisee success stories on FranchiseCanada.Online, with a focus on Diversity in Franchising, Women in Franchising, and the Next Generation in Franchising. We also developed additional educational content, including new animated learning videos.

The Franchise Canada Chats podcast, also hosted on the site, received more than 6,000 listens on SoundCloud between April 2022 and March 2023. Season 6 featured interviews with franchise industry veterans including Jim Treliving of Boston Pizza and Graham Cooke of A&W Food Services of Canada. Season 7, which focuses on overcoming franchising challenges, is now underway, and is guest hosted by Gary Prenevost of FranNet.

Franchise Canada Shows

In-person tradeshows returned in 2022, allowing our members to connect face to face with prospective franchisees on the tradeshow floor. The four Franchise Canada Shows (FCS) held throughout the year helped to increase awareness about franchising in three key regions across the country, including Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. The FCS in Montreal marked the return of the event after a four-year hiatus, and the Vancouver event achieved record-breaking attendance numbers. We also updated the educational lineup to provide the most relevant educational content to those interested in franchising, including introducing new topics like franchise resales and franchise formats.

4 Franchise Canada Shows

15,374 Registrations

56 Educational sessions

CFA Guidebooks

3 Different regions across Canada

94 Speakers

154 Exhibitors

36 Sponsors

In 2022, we launched CFA Guidebooks to provide our members with the opportunity to package educational content into a valuable resource that can be used as a lead generation tool. In partnership with the sponsors, we created two CFA Guidebooks that cover important topics for franchise professionals, including Leveraging Data & Analytics to Scale Your Franchise and Top 5 Franchise Digital Marketing Trends for 2023. These Guidebooks are a free resource for members, available on the CFA.ca website.

Public Relations

The CFA has continued to promote franchising and advocate for the issues that affect our members through public relations work. As we move away from the pandemic, we took the opportunity to refocus our energy on promoting the power of franchising:

• as a business opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs

• as an economic force

• as a job creation tool

• as a way to give back to the communities in which franchises operate

We achieved this by sharing franchisee success stories, providing information about available opportunities, and sharing resources to help prospective business owners find success through franchising.

These opportunities resulted in media coverage and the reposting of our media releases to a wider audience helping us to achieve 62,501,574 media impressions in the past year.

Social Media

With the success of last year’s campaign for Small Business Month, we decided to move forward with building additional social media campaigns to help reach more followers and fuel the growth of the CFA’s digital properties. These campaigns included:

• Franchise Awareness Month (see the Advocacy section for further details!)

• Small Business Month

• New Year’s Resolutions Campaign

Through these campaigns, we saw growth over last year’s social media numbers:

16% increase in followers

188% increase in engagement

13% increase in impressions

Lead Generation by the Numbers

476,552 prospective franchisees reached through our lead generation program

26,076 leads delivered to members across all channels

62,501,574 Media Impressions (April 2022 to January 2023)

943,823 Social Media Impressions (April 2022 to February 2023)

19,400+ Social Media Followers

27,700+

Franchise Canada E-News Subscribers

20,000+ Franchise Canada E-Blast Subscribers

45,900+ unique monthly visitors on FranchiseCanada.Online and LookforaFranchise.ca

443,645 unique pageviews between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022 on LookforaFranchise.ca

99,611 unique pageviews between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022 on FranchiseCanada.Online

6,312 plays on the Franchise Canada Chats podcast via SoundCloud (April 2022 – February 2023)

Celebrating Franchise Excellence

Our annual CFA awards program celebrates the foundation of Canadian franchising by recognizing excellence across the industry. Participation is free and exclusive to CFA members, with winners receiving free editorial with the CFA, bonus media coverage, and a powerful marketing tool to recruit franchisees.

The awards program includes the Awards of Excellence, Franchisee of the Year, Franchisees’ Choice Designation, and Recognition Awards.

The 2022 Franchisees’ Choice Designation Recipients

Introduced in 2011, the Franchisees’ Choice Designation recognizes CFA Awards Program participants who have achieved a score that exceeds the benchmark established by the CFA and have demonstrated excellence in franchisee relations, teamwork and communications.

• Massage Addict

• MaxWell Realty

• Metropolitan Movers

• MOLLY MAID

• Motel 6

• New Creations

• Orangetheory Fitness

• Oxford Learning Centres

Celebrating Consecutive Years of Franchise Excellence

12 Consecutive Years

• CertaPro Painters

• COBS Bread

• Edo Japan

• Home Instead, Inc

• Mary Brown’s Chicken

• Pizza Nova

• PropertyGuys.com

• Symposium Cafe Restaurant & Lounge

• TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

8 Consecutive Years

• A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.

7 Consecutive Years

• Hickory Dickory Decks

• Metropolitan Movers

• A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.

• BeaverTails

• Booster Juice

• CertaPro Painters

• Chatime

• COBS Bread

• Ctrl V

• Days Inns Canada

• Driverseat

• Edo Japan

• EverLine Coatings and Services

• FASTSIGNS International Inc

• Fatburger

• Fire-Alert

• Hickory Dickory Decks

• Home Instead, Inc.

• Inspiration Learning Center – Tutoring And Private School

• InXpress Canada

• Jani-King Canada

• LEAKPRO

• Lice Squad.com

• Mary Brown’s Chicken

• Oxygen Yoga & Fitness

• Paul Davis Restoration Canada

• Pizza Nova

• Pizza Pizza

• Prep’n Sell

• Print Three

• PropertyGuys.com

• PuroClean

• Quesada Burritos & Tacos

• Right at Home Canada

• Scholars

• SpeedPro Canada

• Symposium Cafe Restaurant & Lounge

• The Lunch Lady

• Triple O’s

• TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

• UCMAS Mental Math Schools

• Wendy’s Restaurant of Canada

• White Spot Restaurants

• Willowbrae Academy

• WP Creations

• UCMAS Mental Math

• Scholars

11 Consecutive Years

• Lice Squad.com

• PuroClean

6 Consecutive Years

• Driverseat

• Triple O’s

10 Consecutive Years

• FASTSIGNS International

• SpeedPro Canada

9 Consecutive Years

• BeaverTails

• Fire-Alert

• Pizza Pizza

• Print Three

• White Spot Restaurants

5 Consecutive Years

• Fatburger

• Inspiration Learning Center - Tutoring and Private School

• InXpress Canada

• LEAKPRO

• Orangetheory Fitness

• Oxford Learning Centres

• Paul Davis Restoration Canada

CFA Recognition Awards

The CFA’s Recognition Awards celebrate individuals and franchise systems for their outstanding achievements, contributions, and philanthropic endeavours within the franchise community.

DISTINGUISHED FRANCHISE SUPPORT SERVICE/SUPPLIER AWARD: Sherrard Kuzz LLP

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION CHAMPION AWARD:

McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada

HALL OF FAME AWARD:

Wendy’s Restaurants of Canada

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:

U. Gary Charlwood, Charlwood Pacific Group

CFA OUTSTANDING CORPORATE CITIZEN AWARD:

KFC Canada

CFA VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE AWARD:

Rick Chittley-Young, MNP

Awards of Excellence

The highest standard of franchising excellence in Canada, the CFA Awards of Excellence recognize franchise brands that have demonstrated superior franchise relations, leadership, business planning, marketing, training and support, ongoing operations, and communications in the Traditional Franchise and Non-Traditional Franchise categories.

TRADITIONAL FRANCHISES

6-15 FRANCHISEES

GOLD Inspiration Learning Center –Tutoring And Private School

SILVER Lice Squad.com

BRONZE Ctrl V

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

TRADITIONAL FRANCHISE

Inspiration Learning Center –Tutoring And Private School

TRADITIONAL FRANCHISES

16-29 FRANCHISEES

GOLD Symposium Cafe Restaurant & Lounge

SILVER MaxWell Realty Inc.

BRONZE Willowbrae Academy

TRADITIONAL FRANCHISES

30-99 FRANCHISEES

GOLD Triple O’s SILVER Motel 6

BRONZE Wendy’s Restaurants of Canada

TRADITIONAL FRANCHISES

100+ FRANCHISEES

GOLD Pizza Nova

SILVER Oxford Learning Centres

BRONZE A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

NON-TRADITIONAL FRANCHISE

EverLine Coatings and Services

NON-TRADITIONAL FRANCHISES

6-15 FRANCHISEES

GOLD Driverseat

SILVER Metropolitan Movers

BRONZE Prep’n Sell

NON-TRADITIONAL FRANCHISES

16-29 FRANCHISEES

GOLD EverLine Coatings and Services

SILVER CertaPro Painters

BRONZE Paul Davis Restoration Canada

NON-TRADITIONAL FRANCHISES

30+ FRANCHISEES

GOLD New Creations

SILVER Paul Davis Restoration Canada

BRONZE WP Creations

Franchisee of the Year

The CFA Franchisee of the Year Award is presented to franchisees who have demonstrated an overall star quality within their franchise. Awards are presented to Gold, Silver, and Bronze franchisees in the Traditional category (brick and mortar locations) and in the Non-Traditional category (mobile or home-based franchises), all of whom have been franchising with their brand for at least two years.

TRADITIONAL FRANCHISES

GOLD

Carolyn Genest, Days Inn by Wyndham (award accepted by Jesse Tiefenbach, pictured above right)

SILVER

Chris Vlemmix, SpeedPro Canada

BRONZE

Naghmeh Razmpoosh, Oxford Learning Centres

NON-TRADITIONAL FRANCHISES

GOLD

Sylvie Levesque, Paul Davis

Restoration Canada (pictured above)

SILVER

John Bailey, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

CFA Board of Directors 2021/2022

*Executive Committee Member

BOARD CHAIR*

David Druker The UPS Store Canada

DIRECTOR

Stephen Schober Metal Supermarkets Family of Companies

1ST VICE CHAIR*

Ryan Picklyk A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. DIRECTOR

Thomas Wong Chatime

TREASURER

Lyn Little BDO Canada LLP

PRESIDENT & CEO*

Sherry McNeil Canadian Franchise Association

CHAIR, FRANCHISE SUPPORT SERVICES*

Kirk Allen Reshift Media Inc.

DIRECTOR

Steve Collette 3rd Degree Training/ East Coast Brands

DIRECTOR

John Gilson COBS Bread

CHAIR, LEGAL & LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE*

Darrell Jarvis Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP

DIRECTOR

Chuck Farrell Pizza Pizza

2ND VICE CHAIR

Todd Wylie Master Mechanic

PAST CHAIR*

Gerry Docherty Good Earth Coffeehouse

SECRETARY & GENERAL COUNSEL*

Larry Weinberg Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP DIRECTOR

Rimma S. Jaciw, CFE WSI Digital

DIRECTOR

Ken Otto Redberry Restaurants

DIRECTOR

Gary Prenevost FranNet

DIRECTOR

Joel Levesque McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada

DIRECTOR

John Prittie TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

DIRECTOR

Andrew Hrywnak Print Three Franchising Corporation

CFA Board of Directors 2022/2023

BOARD CHAIR*

David Druker The UPS Store Canada

DIRECTOR

Stephen Schober Metal Supermarkets Family of Companies

1ST VICE CHAIR*

Ryan Picklyk A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. DIRECTOR

Thomas Wong Chatime

TREASURER

Lyn Little BDO Canada LLP

PRESIDENT & CEO*

Sherry McNeil Canadian Franchise Association

CHAIR, LEGAL & LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE*

Andraya Frith Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

CHAIR, FRANCHISE SUPPORT SERVICES*

Kirk Allen Reshift Media Inc.

DIRECTOR

Steve Collette 3rd Degree Training/ East Coast Brands

DIRECTOR

John Gilson COBS Bread

DIRECTOR

Chuck Farrell Pizza Pizza

2ND VICE CHAIR

Todd Wylie Master Mechanic

PAST CHAIR*

Gerry Docherty Good Earth Coffeehouse

SECRETARY & GENERAL COUNSEL*

Darrell Jarvis Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP DIRECTOR

Rimma S. Jaciw, CFE WSI Digital

DIRECTOR

Ken Otto Redberry Restaurants

DIRECTOR

Gary Prenevost FranNet

DIRECTOR

Joel Levesque McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada

DIRECTOR

John Prittie TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

DIRECTOR

Andrew Hrywnak Print Three Franchising Corporation

*Executive Committee Member

CFA Committees

Volunteers are key to the excellence of the CFA’s work, and many individuals volunteer their time, energy, and expertise in a number of ways to help us fulfill our mission and vision. CFA committees typically represent a cross-section of CFA members, and are responsible for strengthening the programming and services provided by the CFA. These committees allow CFA members to provide valuable input, feedback, and perspectives that help the CFA’s programs and services succeed and meet the needs of the franchise community.*

*As of March 22, 2022

Franchise Law Day Committee

Liisa Kaarid (Co-Chair), Sotos LLP

Noah Leszcz (Co-Chair), Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Ellery Lew (Co-Chair), Witten LLP

Dixie Ho (2023 Co-Chair), MBI Brands

Sukhdeep Sidhu (2023 Co-Chair), KMB Law

Peter Snell (2023 Co-Chair), Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Amy Delisle, KMB Law

Lara Di Genova, Teplitsky Colson LLP

Helen Fotinos, Dentons Canada LLP

Andraya Frith, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Frédéric Gilbert, Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP

Christopher Horkins, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Darrell Jarvis, Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP

Ned Levitt, Dickinson Wright LLP

Andrae Marrocco, McMillan LLP

Michael Melvin, McInnes Cooper

Judy Rost, Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP

Rebecca Valo, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Larry Weinberg, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Chuck Erman, Canadian Franchise Association

Kenny Chan, Canadian Franchise Association

Franchise Support Services / Supplier FSS Committee

Kirk Allen (Chair), Reshift Media

Paul daSilva (Vice Chair), RBC

Frank Zaid, Frank Zaid FRANlegal Support Services

Jennifer Tyrwhitt-Gory (Past Chair), Insurance Portfolio

Angelee Brown, FranOvation

Amy Delisle, KMB Law

Patti Hone, As You Like It Marketing

Lori Karpman, Lori Karpman & Associates Ltd.

Jason Kealey, Whirl Insights Inc.

Glenn Kerekes, Beyond Digital

Lyn Little, BDO Canada LLP

Corey Nicholson, Cadence Franchising Inc.

Natali Peters, Business Alliance Inc.

Jim Robeson, PiinPoint

Marietta Snetsinger, Ascend Franchise Solutions

Charmaine Tavares, Scotiabank

Stephen Symonds, Canadian Franchise Association

Lou Gervasi, Canadian Franchise Association

Government Relations Committee

John Gilson (Chair), COBS Bread

Rick Chittley-Young, MNP

David Druker, The UPS Store Canada

Chuck Farrell, Pizza Pizza

Traci Folkins, Canada Bread

Phyllis Hegstrom, Home Instead Senior Care

Robert McNamara, Jani-King Canada Inc.

Leah Mulholland, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited

Gary Prenevost, FranNet

Geoffrey Shaw, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Peter Snell, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Jacquie van Hatten, Canada Bread

Peter Viitre, Sotos LLP

Larry Weinberg, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Marcelline Riddell, Canadian Franchise Association

Sherry McNeil, Canadian Franchise Association

Legal & Legislative Affairs Committee

Andraya Frith (Chair), Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Clark Harrop (Vice Chair), Dale & Lessmann LLP

Darrell Jarvis (Past Chair), Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP

Joseph Adler, Hoffer Adler LLP

Sheldon Disenhouse, Dentons Canada LLP

Chad Finkelstein, Dale & Lessman LLP

Helen Fotinos, Dentons Canada LLP

Frédéric Gilbert, Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP

Brad Hanna, McMillan LLP

Dixie Ho, MBI Brands

Paul Jones, Jones & Co.

David Kornhauser, Macdonald Sager Manis LLP

Richard Leblanc, Miller Thomson LLP

Ellery Lew, Witten LLP

Edward (Ned) Levitt, Dickinson Wright LLP

Andrae J. Marrocco, McMillan LLP

Matt Maurer, Torkin Manes

Dominic Mochrie, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Arturo Pugliese, Loopstra Nixon LLP

Blair Rebane, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

David Shaw, Dale & Lessmann LLP

Geoffrey Shaw, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Adam Ship, McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Peter Snell, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Daniel So, McKenzie Lake Lawyers LLP

Debi Sutin, Gowling WLG (Canada)

Larry Weinberg, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Derwin Wong, Morrison Brown Sosnovitch LLP

George Wowk, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

John Yiokaris, Sotos LLP

Frank Zaid, Frank Zaid FRANlegal Support Services

Jonathan Zepp, Robins Appleby LLP

Editorial Subcommittee of the CFA Legal & Legislative Affairs Committee

David Shaw (Chair), Dale & Lessmann LLP

Joseph Adler, Hoffer Adler LLP

Chad Finkelstein, Dale & Lessmann LLP

Daniel So, McKenzie Lake Lawyers LLP

Jonathan Zepp, Robins Appleby LLP

Lauren Huneault, Canadian Franchise Association

Andrew Schopp, Canadian Franchise Association

CFA Legs & Regs Review Subcommittee of the Legal & Legislative Affairs Committee

Larry Weinberg (Chair), Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Darrell Jarvis (Secretary & Vice Chair), Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP

Adrienne Boudreau, Sotos LLP

Clark Harrop, Dale & Lessmann LLP

Dixie Ho, MBI Brands

David Kornhauser, Macdonald Sager Manis LLP

Michael Melvin, McInnes Cooper

Adam Ship, McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Peter Snell, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Marcelline Riddell, Canadian Franchise Association

Sherry McNeil, Canadian Franchise Association

Membership Acquisition Committee

Steve Collette (Chair), East Brands

Sean Douglas, FranPro Consulting

Joel Friedman, Wing’n it Restaurants

Bruce Winstanely, NFI

Tracy Woods, Oxford Learning Centres

Lou Gervasi, Canadian Franchise Association

Shivam Sharma, Canadian Franchise Association

Om Mehta, Canadian Franchise Association

Membership Onboarding Committee

Ryan Picklyk (Chair), A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.

Viraf Balliwalla, Transition Squad

Shawn Campbell, BMO

Maureen Catania, ServiceMaster

Amy Delisle, KMB Law

Andrea Mackey, Wise Cracks Concrete

Charmaine Tavares, Scotiabank

Frank Zaid, Frank Zaid FRANlegal Support Services

Melanie Silver, Canadian Franchise Association

Lou Gervasi, Canadian Franchise Association

National Convention Program Committtee

Safiah Arooz (Chair), Mary Brown’s Chicken

Fiona Styant (Vice Chair), MOLLY MAID Canada

Noah Leszcz (Vice Chair), Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

David Druker (Past Chair), The UPS Store Canada

Ruth Agbaji, Code Wiz

Angelee Brown, FranOvation

Angela Cote, Angela Cote Inc.

Deanna Loychuk, 30 Minute Hit

Shafik Mina, 2inspire

Dominic Mochrie, Osler, Harkin & Harcourt LLP

Josh Stevenson, New Creations

Eric Steward, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors

Liv Thomson, Xero

Stacey Vassos, Comfort Keepers

Cailin White, Boston Pizza

Lenka Whitehead, Oxford Learning Centres

Kenny Chan, Canadian Franchise Association

Chuck Erman, Canadian Franchise Association

Nominating Committee

David Druker (Chair), The UPS Store Canada

Gerry Docherty, Good Earth Coffeehouse

Ryan Picklyk, A&W Food Services of Canada

Larry Weinberg, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Todd Wylie, The Master Mechanic

Sherry McNeil, Canadian Franchise Association

Past-Chair Emeritus Committtee

Ken LeBlanc (Chair), PropertyGuys.com

Gerry Docherty, Good Earth Coffeehouse

Stephane Breault, Imagine Franchise

Graham Cooke, A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.

Gigi Harding, Hand and Stone Massage & Facial Spa

Ash Vasdani, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada

John Wissent, N/A

John DeHart, Franchise GrowthLab

Sherry McNeil, Canadian Franchise Association

Board Composition Committee

Ryan Picklyk (Chair), A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.

David Druker, The UPS Store Canada

Larry Weinberg, Cassels, Brock & Blackwell LLP

Sherry McNeil, Canadian Franchise Association

Vice Chair Selection Committee

Ryan Picklyk (Chair), A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.

David Druker, The UPS Store Canada

Kirk Allen, Reshift Media

Larry Weinberg, Cassels, Brock & Blackwell LLP

Sherry McNeil, Canadian Franchise Association

C-Suite Engagement Task Force

David Druker (Chair), The UPS Store Canada

Aaron Abrams, MOLLY MAID

John DeHart, Franchise GrowthLab

Sherry McNeil, Canadian Franchise Association

Kenny Chan, Canadian Franchise Association

Compensation Committee

Ryan Picklyk (Chair), A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.

Gerry Docherty, Good Earth Coffeehouse

David Druker, The UPS Store Canada

Lyn Little, BDO Canada LLP

Sherry McNeil, Canadian Franchise Association

BC Labour Relations Board Committee

David Druker, The UPS Store Canada

Larry Weinberg, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Andraya Frith, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Matthew Badrov, Sherrard Kuzz LLP

Michael Sherrard, Sherrard Kuzz LLP

Sherry McNeil, Canadian Franchise Association

Membership Renewal Committee

Ryan Picklyk (Chair), A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.

David Druker, The UPS Store Canada

Kirk Allen, Reshift Media

Rick Chittley-Young, MNP LLP

Steve Collette, East Brands

Patti Hone, As You Like It Marketing

Stephen Symonds, Canadian Franchise Association

Lou Gervasi, Canadian Franchise Association

Social Media Taskforce

Jennifer McDonnell, Reshift Media

Maria Brito, PropertyGuys.com

Erik Carlson, Prep ‘n Sell

Vanessa Divers, Sunset Grill

Lisa Raffaele, Bubblegum Canada

Jessi-Lyna Wan, Canadian Franchise Association

Sabina Cichy, Canadian Franchise Association

Education Advisory Committee

John DeHart (Chair), Franchise GrowthLab

Joseph Adler, Hoffer Adler LLP

Robert Bruski, Ctrl V

Lori Karpman, Lori Karpman & Associates Ltd.

Noah Leszcz, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Jackson Loychuk, 30 Minute Hit

Paul Pickett, Wild Birds Unlimited

Gary Prenevost, FranNet

Michael Scida, Environics

Josh Stevenson, New Creations

Patrick Wyness, Franchise GrowthLab

Sherry McNeil, Canadian Franchise Association

Kenny Chan, Canadian Franchise Association

Pauline Flores, Canadian Franchise Association

Lauren Huneault, Canadian Franchise Association

CFE Programming Committee

Joseph Adler (Chair), Hoffer Adler LLP

Jania Bailey, FranNet

Brian Bazely, Driverseat

Jason Gehrke, Franchise Advisory Group

Rimma Jaciw, WSI

Ken LeBlanc, PropertyGuys.com

Thomas Wong, Chatime

Stacey Vassos, Comfort Keepers

Sherry McNeil, Canadian Franchise Association

Kenny Chan, Canadian Franchise Association

Pauline Flores, Canadian Franchise Association

Lauren Huneault, Canadian Franchise Association

Women in Franchising Committee

Lenka Whitehead (Chair), Oxford Learning Centres

Jania Bailey, FranNet

Kerry Boarder, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada

Angelee Brown, FranOvation

Cindy Hill, Cadence Franchising

Christine Hofmann, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada

Lori Karpman, Lori Karpman & Associates Ltd.

Angela Lynzintis, MNP LLP

Sherry McNeil, Canadian Franchise Association

Kenny Chan, Canadian Franchise Association

Chuck Erman, Canadian Franchise Association

Pauline Flores, Canadian Franchise Association

Marketing Day Committee

Kirk Allen, Reshift Media

Yvonne Anderson, COBS Bread

Meaghan Ariss, Pizza Pizza

Patti Hone, As You Like It Marketing

Corey Nicholson, Cadence Franchising

Chuck Erman, Canadian Franchise Association

Kenny Chan, Canadian Franchise Association

If you’re interested in volunteering with the CFA, please visit cfa.ca/participate for more information.

To find out more about this program or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lou Gervasi, Director, Development & Member Services, at lgervasi@cfa.ca or 416-695-2896 ext 243

Program sponsor:

CFA Staff Resources

The CFA team is proud to serve the Canadian franchise community, and we’re always available to answer your questions and provide assistance. Email us at the following addresses:

Key Membership & Lead Generation Contacts

Membership Sales:

Lou Gervasi Director, Development & Member Services

lgervasi@cfa.ca

(416) 419-3100

Tradeshow and New Membership Sales: Jill Todd Manager, Business Development jtodd@cfa.ca

(647) 988-4545

Executive Office

Sherry McNeil President & Chief Executive Officer smcneil@cfa.ca

(905) 407-3270

Samantha Cormier Executive Assistant & Office Manager scormier@cfa.ca

Government Relations

Marcelline Riddell Senior Manager, Government Relations mriddell@cfa.ca

Finance and Administration

Shanna Minkoff Senior Manager, Finance sminkoff@cfa.ca

Membership, Development & Sales

Lou Gervasi Director, Development & Member Services lgervasi@cfa.ca

(416) 419-3100

Jill Todd Manager, Business Development jtodd@cfa.ca

(647) 988-4545

Om Mehta Manager, Sales & Development omehta@cfa.ca

(647) 500-3021

Stephen Symonds Manager, Member Services ssymonds@cfa.ca

(416) 803-1064

Melanie Silver Membership Specialist msilver@cfa.ca

Shivam Sharma Sales Administrator ssharma@cfa.ca

Sponsorship and Advertising Sales: Om Mehta Manager, Sales & Development omehta@cfa.ca

(647) 500-3021

Events

Chuck Erman Senior Manager, Events cerman@cfa.ca

Breanne Cheeseman Events Coordinator bcheeseman@cfa.ca

Kyle Damji Events Coordinator kdamji@cfa.ca

Hannah Wohl Events Coordinator hwohl@cfa.ca

Content & Marketing Kenny Chan Vice President, Content & Marketing kchan@cfa.ca

Lauren Huneault Senior Manager, Content & Marketing lhuneault@cfa.ca

Jessi-Lyna Wan Manager, Marketing & Communications jwan@cfa.ca

Member Services and Benefits:

Stephen Symonds Manager, Member Services ssymonds@cfa.ca

(416) 803-1064

Andrea Lee Senior Designer, Creative Services alee@cfa.ca

Andrew Schopp Content Producer, Content & Audience Development aschopp@cfa.ca

Pauline Flores Manager, Education pflores@cfa.ca

Sabina Cichy Coordinator, Marketing & Communications scichy@cfa.ca

Daniel McIntosh Editorial Assistant dmcintosh@cfa.ca

Serene Nekoui Coordinator, Education snekoui@cfa.ca

Rahaf Farawi Coordinator, Content rfarawi@cfa.ca

CFA Volunteer Recognition Program

The CFA provides a full range of programs and services to help our members grow through the support of the franchise community. These include advocacy, education and training, industry information and best practice articles, networking, and lead generation.

None of these programs and services would be possible without the help of our volunteers! Many of our members have volunteered their time and expertise as event speakers, task force members, committee members, article contributors, and events volunteers. The CFA launched the Volunteer Recognition Program to show our thanks. We are honoured to recognize the contributions of our franchise system and franchise support/supplier members.

Thank you to all of our outstanding CFA volunteers!

Aaron Abrams, MOLLY MAID

Kenny Adewoyin Just Like Family Home Care

Joseph Adler, Hoffer Adler LLP

Ruth Agbaji Code Wiz

Kirk Allen, Reshift Media

Susan Allison, Wendy’s Restaurants of Canada

Mark Amery, Puddle Pool Services

Yvonne Anderson, COBS Bread

Meaghan Ariss, Pizza Pizza

Andrew Arminen, Metal Supermarkets

Safiah Arooz, Mary Brown’s Chicken

Karan Arora, WingsUp!

Russ Arthurs, Boston Pizza

Grant Assman, M&M Food Market

Matthew Badrov, Sherrard Kuzz LLP

Jania Bailey, FranNet

John Bailey, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Canada

Majinder Bal, Jani-King

Joseph Balfour, Ctrl V

Viraf Balliwalla, Transition Squad

Brian Bazely Driverseat

Greg Bechard, Just Like Family

Home Care

Sean Bell Fat Bastard Burrito Co

Madison Black , Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Kerry Boarder McDonald’s

Restaurants of Canada

Walter Bond, Walter Bond Worldwide Inc.

Charles Bonfiglio, Tint World

Michael Booth, AXIS Integrated

Michèle Boudria McDonald’s

Restaurants of Canada

Lisa Bourcier, Pet Valu

Kaylee Bradshaw Fortitude

Construction Management

Stephane Breault, Imagine Franchise

Hugo Breton, ActionCOACH

Jason Brisebois, Sotos LLP

Maria Brito, PropertyGuys.com

Angelee Brown FranOvation

Carla Browne, Real Property Management

Robert Bruski Ctrl V

Grant Bullington, FranNet

Steve Buors, Reshift Media

Ruthie Burd, The Lunch Lady

Kevin Burns, SpeedPro Canada

Stuart Burns, SpeedPro Canada

Ashley Caldwell, McKenzie Lake Lawyers LLP

Shawn Campbell, BMO

Dave Cannon, Orangetheory Fitness

Erik Carlson, Prep ‘n Sell

Darren Czarnogorski, WingsUp!

Andrew Carter BMO Bank of Montreal

Maureen Catania, ServiceMaster

Hadi Chahin, Mary Brown’s Chicken

Mahmoud Chahrour, Les Rotisseries Piri Piri

Andrew Chapman, PuroClean

Gary Charlwood, Charlwood Pacific Group

Martin Charlwood, Uniglobe Travel

Cecilia Chen, Inspiration Learning Center - Tutoring and Private School

Rick Chittley-Young, MNP

Darren Clark , New Creations

Scott Clarke SilverChef

Mike Cline, Image360

Todd Cohen Sales Leader LLC

Steve Collette, East Brands

David Collier, Prep ‘n Sell

Graham Cooke, A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.

Jeffrey Cooke Bark Busters

Matthew Coons, Xero

Angela Cote, Angela Cote Inc

Johanna Coutinho, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Canada

Erin Craven, UROSPOT

Mark Cunningham, Smoke’s Poutinerie

Taylor Currie Mary Brown’s Chicken

Veronica D’Silva, Allegra Marketing Print Mail

Christine D’Sylva Pizza Pizza

Cassandra Da Re, Dale & Lessmann LLP

Paul daSilva, RBC

Nathan Dautovich, PropertyGuys.com

Paul Dean, CEFA Early Learning

Felix DeCata, Boston Pizza

Julian Deck Franchise GrowthLab

John DeHart , Franchise GrowthLab

Amy Delisle KMB Law

Stéphanie Destrempes, Cain Lamarre

Manish Dhankher Pizza Hut Canada

Stefanie Di Francesco, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Lara Di Genova, Teplitsky Colson LLP

Pino Di Ioia, Beavertails

Allan Dick , Sotos LLP

Sheldon Disenhouse, Dentons Canada LLP

Vanessa Divers, Sunset Grill

Gerry Docherty, Good Earth Coffeehouse

Tosha Doiron, Stagecoach Theatre

Arts

Sean Douglas, FranPro Consulting

Sarah Douglas, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada

David Druker, The UPS Store

John Duang, Aisle 24

Jake Dyck , M&M Food Market

Jessica Dyck , M&M Food Market

Jeff Ellis, PuroClean

Tariq El-Noqrashy Robin’s Donuts

Idan Erez, Hoffer Adler LLP

John Evans EverLine Coatings and Services

Sarah Evans, WAXON Laser + Waxbar

Michelle Faber Little Yogis Academy

Barry Falcon, iFranchise Group

Steve Falk Prime Data

Mahshaz Fareen, Sotos LLP

Chuck Farrell Pizza Pizza

Ken Ferguson, CertaPro Painters

Chad Finkelstein, Dale & Lessman LLP

Traci Folkins, Canada Bread

Helen Fotinos, Dentons Canada LLP

Jordan Fox, Massage Addict

Dino Fragaglia, Global Pet Foods

Jessie Frampton, Fuzz Wax Bar

Laflèche Francoeur, Pacini Italian Restaurants

Chris Frederick , Pest Detective

Carrie Freestone, RBC

Joel Friedman, JSF Franchise Group

Andraya Frith, Osler Harkin & Harcourt LLP

Shelley Gable, Mr. Lube Canada

Kristen Gale, THE TEN SPOT

Renae Gaudette, Once Upon A Child

Rosemarie Gauthier, Telpay

Florence Gaven Rossavik , Fuzz Wax Bar

Jason Gehrke, Franchise Advisory Group

Carolyn Genest, Days Inn by Wyndham

Liz Geraghty, Wendy’s Restaurants of Canada

Frédéric Gilbert, Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP

Steve Gill Quesada Burritos & Tacos

Nicky Gillam, Allegra Marketing Print Mail

John Gilson COBS Bread

Lauren Goddard, Stagecoach Theatre Arts

Shawn Goldmintz Water Babies

Michael Going, Good Earth Coffeehouse

Graeme Green, RBC

Tanbir Grover, Pet Valu

Ashley Gundlach British Swim School

Kim Hamm, Dogtopia

Daniel Hamson Sotos LLP

Brad Hanna, McMillan LLP

Gigi Harding Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa

Kate Harrison, Recipe Unlimited

Clark Harrop Dale & Lessmann LLP

Phyllis Hegstrom, Home Instead Senior Care

Paul Hilder Wendy’s Restaurants of Canada

Cindy Hill, Cadence Franchising

Dixie Ho MBI Brands

Sara Hodson, LIVE WELL Exercise Clinic

Christine Hofmann McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada

Robert Hogue, RBC

Patti Hone As You Like It Marketing

Dan Hopkins, Paul Davis

Restoration

Christopher Horkins Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Hank Horkoff, Steamoji Education

Jeff Horst RocketBarn

Andrew Hrywnak , Print Three

Andrae J. Marrocco McMillan LLP

Rimma Jaciw, WSI

Tom Jacques Hickory Dickory

Decks

Mark Jameson, FASTSIGNS

International

Nathan Janzen RBC

Darrell Jarvis, Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP

Paul Jones Jones & Co.

Craig Jooste, Local Handyman Group

Liisa Kaarid Sotos LLP

Karim Kara, Mr. Lube Canada

Lori Karpman Lori Karpman & Associates Inc.

Tom Kasbohm, Snap-on Tools

Jason Kealey Whirl Insights Inc.

Glenn Kerekes, Beyond Digital

Mathieu Kernaleguen, Skill

Samurai

Zaid Kharouba, KFC Canada

Galium Ko, Inspiration Learning Center - Tutoring and Private School

David Kornhauser, Macdonald

Sager Manis LLP

Angel Kuang Inspiration Learning Center - Tutoring and Private School

Heidi Kugler, M&M Food Market

Terry Kugler, M&M Food Market

Abiahjit Kular Driverseat

Daniel Lambert, Aisle 24

Eric Lavergne-Giroux EverLine Coatings and Services

Martha Lawrence, Lice Squad. com

John Leavitt BDO Canada LLP

Richard Leblanc, Miller Thomson LLP

Ken LeBlanc PropertyGuys.com

John Lemieux, Dentons Canada LLP

Brian Leon, Choice Hotels Canada

Noah Leszcz, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Joel Levesque, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada

Sylvie Levesque, Paul Davis

Restoration

Edward (Ned) Levitt, Dickinson Wright LLP

Ilan Levy, Dentons Canada LLP

Ellery Lew, Witten LLP

Lyn Little, BDO Canada LLP

John Logan, Telpay

Deanna Loychuk , 30 Minute Hit

Jackson Loychuk 30 Minute Hit

Angela Lynzintis, MNP

Kipling Macartney Moneris

Mike MacDonald, OPA! of Greece

Cohen MacInnis DermaEnvy

Skincare

Andrea Mackey, Wise Cracks

Concrete

Peter Mammas Foodtastic Inc.

Patrick Marcovecchio, BeaverTails

Nedelka Marin-Martinez

Chiquicuts Kids Hair

Andrae Marrocco, McMillan LLP

Graham Marsh Choice Hotels Canada

Heather Martin, Comfort Keepers

Jon Martin Maverick’s Donuts

Ken Martin, Comfort Keepers

Matt Maurer, Torkin Manes

Jacqui Mazereeuw, UROSPOT

Sue McConnachie, Quality Credit

Reporting

Jennifer McDonald, Reshift Media

Stacie McGill, Maverick’s Donuts

Robert McNamara, Jani-King

Canada

Paul Medeiros, CIBC Corporate

Finance

Michael Melvin, McInnes Cooper

Lexi Miles Corrin, WAXON Laser + Waxbar

Mike Miller, Alliance Franchise Brands

Shafik Mina 2inspire

Dave Minnett , Edo Japan

Dominic Mochrie Osler Harkin & Harcourt LLP

Catherine Monson, FASTSIGNS International

Dawn Mucci, Lice Squad.com

Leah Mulholland, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada

Candida Ness, Dairy Queen Canada

Y Nguyen, BDO Canada LLP

Corey Nicholson, Cadence Franchising

Beth Nilssen, Great Clips

Jaime Ninatype, Workstream

Matt O’Neill, Pest Detective

Ijeamaka Ojeifo, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Canada

Joyce Ojeifo, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Canada

Ben Osmow, Osmow’s Shawarma

Ken Otto, Redberry Restaurants

Murray Oxford, Jani-King

Dharmesh Patel, Choice Hotels Canada

Natali Peters, Business Alliance Inc.

Tom Peters, PiinPoint

Paul Pickett Wild Birds Unlimited

Ryan Picklyk , A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.

Alexia Pilla Fuzz Wax Bar

Joseph Pisani, BMO

Linda Poirier MOLLY MAID

Sandra Porteous, MNP

Gary Prenevost FranNet

Jason Primmer, We Wash Windows

Domenic Primucci, Pizza Nova

Irwin Prince, Realstar Hospitality

John Prittie, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Canada

Arturo Pugliese, Loopstra Nixon LLP

Lisa Raffaele, Bubblegum Canada

Naghmeh Razmpoosh, Oxford Learning Centres

Blair Rebane, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Debbie Reed, Driverseat

Chuck Resnick , TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Canada

Jim Robeson, PiinPoint

Paul Rocchio, International Franchise Association

Chancie Romain, CIBC

Derek Ronde, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Brenda Rosati, Comfort Keepers

Judy Rost, Alexander Holburn

Beaudin + Lang LLP

Jesse Sadja, NiceJob

Stephen Schober, Metal Supermarkets

Axel Schwan, Tim Hortons

Michael Scida, Environics

Naveen Seth La Prep

Simon Shahin, BUILD IT by DESIGN

Geoffrey Shaw Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

David Shaw, Dale & Lessmann LLP

Michael Sherrard Sherrard Kuzz LLP

Adam Ship, McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Gautam Shourie Pet Valu

Aditi Shourie, Pet Valu

Sukhdeep Sidhu KMB Law

Gemma Sidhu, Second Cup

Mark Siebert, iFranchise Group

Bikram Singh, Mamma’s Pizza

Bud Singh Gill, Bimbo Canada

Lara Skripitsky, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada

Kayla Smith, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Charlotte Smith, Global Franchise Magazine

Peter Snell, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Marietta Snetsinger, Ascend Franchise Solutions

Daniel So McKenzie Lake Lawyers LLP

Ranvir Sohi, Bimbo Canada

Mika Solway THE TEN SPOT

John Sotos, Sotos LLP

Josh Stevenson New Creations

Eric Steward, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors

Dan Steward Pillar To Post Home Inspectors

Fiona Styant, MOLLY MAID

Debi Sutin Gowling WLG (Canada)

Catherine Tan-Gillespie, KFC Canada

Charmaine Tavares Scotiabank

Reid Teichroeb, Under the GUI

Satish Thiyagarajan, Zebra Robotics

Jeff Thomas, Meridian Credit Union

Guy Thomas Telpay

Anna Thompson-Amadei, Sotos LLP

Liv Thomson Xero

Travis Tinning, Franchise GrowthLab

Tracy Tran Pizza Nova

Jim Treliving, Boston Pizza

Jason Tsoukas, Foodtastic Inc.

Neil Turkington, Triple O’s

Jennifer Tyrwhitt-Gory, Insurance Portfolio

Tony Valle, Clear Summit Group & College Pro

Rebecca Valo, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Jacquie van Hatten, Canada

Bread

Liam Vance, Hallmark Gold Crown

Steven Vanloffeld, eSupply Canada

Ash Vasdani, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada

Stacey Vassos, Comfort Keepers

Jessika Venne, Aisle 24

Peter Viitre, Sotos LLP

Vevette Villahermosa, COBS

Bread

Tony Visca, DoughBox Wood Fired Pizza and Pasta

Geoff Vivan, Maverick’s Donuts

Chris Vlemmix SpeedPro Canada

Ben Voo, Minuteman Press International

Jessica Voo Minuteman Press International

Dan Vukovic, M&M Food Market

Alex Walderman Avida

Lyn Walker, Telpay

Lawrence Weinberg Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Anita Wells, Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa

Belle White, Angela Cote Inc

Cailin White, Boston Pizza

Lenka Whitehead Oxford Learning Centres

Thank you, Advocacy Donors

Stephen Wilk , Orangetheory Fitness

Mike Williams, NOVUS Glass

Bruce Winstanely, NFI

Dale Wishewan Booster Juice

Thomas Wong, Kevito Group (Chatime Canada)

Derwin Wong Morrison Brown Sosnovitch LLP

Tracy Woods, Oxford Learning Centres

Brian Woods, Neighbourly

Joel Worthington, Mr. Electric

George Wowk , Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Craig Wright , RBC

Todd Wylie, Master Mechanic

Patrick Wyness, Franchise GrowthLab

Vanessa Yakobson, Blo Blow Dry Bar

John Yiokaris, Sotos LLP

Frank Zaid, Frank Zaid FRANlegal Support Services

Naazir Zariwala, Eggsmart

Jonathan Zepp, Robins Appleby LLP

Jennifer Zhang, Jones Law Professional Corporation

Catherine Zhang, Wendy’s Restaurants of Canada

The CFA is always fighting to advocate for the issues facing the franchised business community. By supporting the CFA’s advocacy work with a financial donation, these donors helped strengthen our advocacy initiatives on behalf of all CFA members. A special thank you to our members who have donated to support franchising in Canada!

ADVOCACY CHAMPIONS ($5,000+)

ADVOCACY LEADERS ($1,000-$4,900)

ADVOCATES ($500-$999)

• 30 Minute Hit

• BeaverTails Canada

• Dogtopia

• Good Earth Coffeehouse

• Hoffer Adler LLP

• Insurance Portfolio Inc

ADVOCACY SUPPORTERS ($365-$499)

• Fire-Alert Franchising

• FranNet

ADVOCACY ALLIES (UNDER $365)

• Ascend Franchise Solutions

• Pro Fleet Care

• Right at Home Canada

• Comfort Keepers

• Quesada Burritos & Tacos

• Transition Squad

• WingsUp! Restaurants

• Macdonald Sager LLP

In Your Words: CFA Member Feedback

“Each step of the way we had guidance from the association, other members, and the franchising community to ensure we took the right steps forward. Consider us raving fans and members for life!”

Ken LeBlanc, PropertyGuys.com

“The work, research, and support this incredible team manages to provide to its franchisors is unbelievable. I’m so grateful that we made the decision to join the CFA almost 30 years ago.”

Lenka Whitehead, Oxford Learning Centres

“The association has been Canada’s voice for the franchise industry, driving a multitude of initiatives each year that serve the industry and its members. It will be one of the best investments that you can make for your franchise business.”

Michael E. Booth, Axis Integrated

“In my view, anybody who’s actually serious or dedicated to being in the franchise industry in Canada should be a member of the Canadian Franchise Association because of the benefits you get in terms of the education, the relationships, the information flow, the knowledge of what’s going on in franchising, legal assistance, marketing ideas – it is just a very strong association and it’s full of very good and willing people at the CFA office who want to see you succeed.”

Stephen Schober, Metal Supermarkets

“The community at CFA is very supportive with lots of opportunities to network and learn from others in the industry. If you want to elevate your franchise brand, being a CFA member is a must.”

Dawn Mucci, Lice Squad.com

“We found in the CFA both a source of comfort and of vast knowledge and resources. The learning, the camaraderie, the resources… it [franchising] became simple, seamless, and dare I say, even fun!”

Pino Di Ioia, BeaverTails

“The CFA has always been amazing and great at supporting franchisors, franchisees, and the industry overall. Thank you to the CFA for your great work in supporting and protecting the franchise community.”

Angela Cote, Angela Cote Inc.

“It’s so important for all my companies to be members of the Canadian Franchise Association, because not just myself and my team, but the whole company just learns more, develops more, and just become better franchisors. The number of people you meet – fantastic people from all industries, all walks, all sizes – and you always continue to learn. The resources of the Canadian Franchise Association, if you use them, are astronomical. I could never, ever give back to the CFA what the CFA has given to me.”

Steve Collette, East Brands

“I have worked in the retail and hospitality industries for over 20 years now; however, I was relatively new to the function of franchise sales and development when I got involved with the CFA about a year and a half ago. In this time period, the CFA has been an invaluable resource for me to learn, grow, and build a strong network of colleagues. I have taken advantage of the educational opportunities, socials, and of course the CFA convention to achieve this.”

Chuck Farrell, Pizza Pizza

“The CFA has given me the opportunity to learn, to meet franchisors, to collaborate with franchise support service suppliers, to participate at all levels, to speak and write, and to make lifelong friends.”

Frank Zaid, Frank Zaid FRANlegal Support Services

“The CFA has been an excellent source of education and knowledge for its members. Their advocacy efforts have enabled the franchise industry to develop and mature into an industry sector that is recognized as significant and professional. During this period, I have met some wonderfully talented people and developed many lasting and meaningful relationships. The CFA is a great organization.”

John Prittie, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Canada

“I’ve been a CFA member for just about 10 years, and within that time frame, I’ve been able to grow as a communications professional, share my insight and gain valuable insight, and meet some of the most diverse faces in franchising. It really is a sense of community, which I personally love. It’s helped me in my career, with my lead gen development, but it’s also helped even personally. One of my fondest memories was last year in Ottawa [at National Convention], where I was able to sit down with a group of very strong female leaders. It was a Women in Franchising roundtable, and I was so amazed at the women sharing their stories and me sharing my stories. Some of them were similar, some were different, but what came out of it were some wonderful relationships, professionally and personally, and I was able to learn and grow from these women who were in the exact same boat I was. I really loved sharing that sense of strength and building that sense of community. The CFA is exactly that – one big franchise community.”

Lisa Raffaele, Bubblegum Canada

Thank You, CFA Sponsors

The CFA thanks the companies that sponsor the Association and its programs and events throughout the year.

National Sponsors

Event Sponsors

LAW FIRMS: SHOWCASED FRANCHISES

About the CFA

Our Purpose:

We help everyday Canadians realize the dream of building their own business.

Our Mission:

To amplify the understanding and power of franchising in Canada by:

• Advocating on the issues that impact this dream;

• Connecting people with opportunity; and

• Delivering learning opportunities that make franchising stronger.

The Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) is a national, not-for-profit association of over 550 member brands representing more than 40,000 franchise business owners. We are the voice of the franchise community and the recognized authority on franchising in Canada. We speak for a business sector that represents every industry and touches the lives of every Canadian, in every community across the country.

Canadian franchises contribute over $120 billion per year to the Canadian economy and create jobs for almost two million Canadians. Canadian franchises enable more than 76,000 hardworking Canadians to be their own boss as the owner of their own small business franchise locations, serving their neighbours in communities from coast to coast to coast.

We believe that franchising is ultimately about people. It’s about everyday Canadians working in partnership, sharing success, and Growing Together®. At the CFA, we serve people in the Canadian franchise community by providing support, learning resources, growth opportunities, and advocating to protect the franchise business model.

Find Us

Learn more about franchising in Canada with the 2023 Economic Impact Report Scan the QR code below for a complimentary digital copy!

Canadian Franchise Association

116-5399 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario, M9C 5K6 Phone: (800) 665-4232 / (416) 695-2896, Email: info@cfa.ca

Web:

CFA.ca is the Canadian Franchise Association’s corporate website. It features information about the CFA and our membership programs and services, events, educational opportunities, franchise advocacy, and more.

FranchiseCanada.Online is the CFA’s public-facing website geared to help everyday Canadians learn about and connect with the opportunities in franchising.

LookForAFranchise.ca is a public-facing CFA website to help prospective franchisees find, learn about, and connect with CFA franchise systems and their franchise opportunities.

Social Media:

@Canadian-Franchise-Association

@CanadianFranchiseAssociation

@CFAFranchise

@CFAfranchise

@Canadian Franchise Association

@cfafranchise

The CFA wishes to acknowledge and thank these National Sponsors for their support throughout the year. Find out more about these companies at www.cfa.ca/sponsorship

LAW FIRMS:

SHOWCASED FRANCHISES