Highlights from CREA’s 2026 Leadership Summit, Open Forum and AGM
On April 13 and 14, 2026, members of the REALTOR® association community gathered in Ottawa, Ontario, to join the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) for its 2026 Leadership Summit, Open Forum and Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The events celebrated the success of REALTORS® and the association community, offered growth opportunities for leaders, acknowledged progress made in 2025, and looked ahead to where CREA is headed.
Here’s a summary of what happened.
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CREA Leadership Summit
The CREA Leadership Summit was an opportunity for leaders in the Canadian REALTOR® association community to gain skills, connections and insights.
Emceed by comedian, award-winning actor, and host of CREA’s REAL TIME podcast, Shaun Majumder, the event was garnished with a live podcast episode featuring executive coach, Dale Allen. They covered many challenges leaders face in the workplace and how to overcome them with empathy, creativity, and conviction.
Attendees also had the opportunity to learn from engaging and informative speakers such as: documentary filmmaker Mike Downie, who taught us the value of storytelling to create inspiration and change; futurist Ramy Nassar, who gave the room practical insights for using AI efficiently while remaining a human-first leader; and high-performance strategist Yvonne Camus, who shared her own experience revealing that when leaders are resilient team players even insurmountable seeming challenges can be overcome.
Alongside industry experts, the audience also heard from REALTORS®, including Kandice Henry, Lorne Weiss, and Dave McKinley, in an inspiring discussion about fostering change at the local level wherever you are.
Putting words into practice, attendees participated in an interactive workshop focused on practical ways to balance strategy, operations and compliance in the boardroom. It may seem simple, but Matt Fullbrook’s exercise helped stress the importance of being clear about our desired outcomes, creating measurable tweaks to things we’re already doing, and being honest about how closely we align our actions with our plans.
CREA Open Forum
The next morning, CREA’s Open Forum gave voting delegates and attendees an opportunity to raise issues impacting the industry and propose solutions before the afternoon’s AGM.
We recognized the winners of two awards: the Canadian REALTORS Care® Award 2026 Proudly Presented by REALTOR.ca, and the 2026 AEN Award of Excellence, sponsored by CREA’s REAL TIME podcast.
CREA was honoured to name Sue Heddle of Oakville, Ontario, this year’s recipient of the Canadian REALTORS Care® Award Proudly Presented by REALTOR.ca.
By day, Heddle is a REALTOR® with Century 21 Miller Real Estate Ltd. And in every spare moment, she dedicates her time as the Founder of Hockey Cares, a reconciliation project she launched nine years ago through True North Aid.
The program fosters positive relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in Canada who learn about each other’s cultures and connect through their shared love of hockey.
In Heddle’s honour, a $10,000 donation was made to True North Aid.
The AEN Award of Excellence recognizes an Association Executive who goes above and beyond, demonstrating exemplary leadership, commitment and community involvement. This year’s recipient of the award was Wendy Giroux, CEO of the Central Lakes Association of REALTORS® (CLAR).
Wendy was an integral part of the creation of CLAR, merging five real estate associations in her region. She is a well-known advocate for housing initiatives, consistently meeting with Members of Parliament, participating in PAC Days on Parliament Hill and continuing the conversation at home.
In honour of Wendy, a $5,000 donation was made to the charity of her choice: the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation.
The Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation is very near and dear to my heart because of the important role it plays in supporting shelter-related charities and helping vulnerable individuals and families across Ontario access safe and stable housing. Through the generosity of REALTORS® across the province, the foundation helps direct meaningful support to organizations working on the front lines of housing insecurity.”
Wendy Giroux, CEO of the Central Lakes Association of REALTORS®
CREA Annual General Meeting (AGM)
During AGM, voting delegates approved two important financial motions aimed at strengthening CREA’s financial sustainability and legal capacity.
- A 2% annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to CREA dues, effective January 1, 2027, to be applied at the discretion of CREA’s Board of Directors (when needed).
- A $30 per member special assessment in 2027 and again in 2028, with all funds directed to CREA’s Legal Defence Fund.
These steps will help protect REALTORS®, sustain national priorities, and strengthen CREA’s long-term financial position. For more information, members may visit the 2026 AGM Resource Page.
2026-2027 CREA Board of Directors
We’re also excited to announce Garry Bhaura as our 2026/2027 Chair. He is joined on the executive by Darin Germyn, Chair-Elect, Luc Woolsey as Vice Chair, and Valérie Paquin as Immediate Past Chair.
CREA’s 2026-2027 Board of Directors is rounded out with the following members:
- Anthony Bastiaanssen, Regional Director, British Columbia/Yukon
- Jennifer Lucas, Regional Director, Alberta/Northwest Territories
- Kourosh Doustshenas, Regional Director, Manitoba
- Avril Reifferscheid, Regional Director, Saskatchewan
- Winson Chan, Regional Director, Ontario
- Daniel Dagenais, Regional Director, Quebec
- Chris Peters, Regional Director, Atlantic
- Linnea Vandenberghe, Regional Director, Atlantic
- Raymond Chan, Director-at-Large
- David Oikle, Director-at-Large
- David Brown, Director-at-Large
- Paul Czan, Director-at-Large
Through collaboration, open dialogue, and a shared commitment to listening and engagement, we can align our efforts, strengthen our collective voice, and deliver stronger outcomes for REALTORS®, our communities, and the future of our industry.”
Garry Bhaura, 2026-2027 CREA Chair
CREA is eager to keep growing, learning and working alongside REALTORS® in the years to come.
You can find more photos and videos from these events on CREA’s social media pages: YouTube, LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.
