

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 KeepersMember 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 Numbers107
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




















CFA Board of Directors 2022/2023




















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 CanadaThank You, CFA Sponsors






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


Event Sponsors




















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

