2024 CFA’s Advocacy Accomplishments

The CFA’s Advocacy team is the first line of defence in protecting and advancing franchising in Canada. It monitors government regulations, programs, and announcements and engages with elected officials from coast to coast to coast to ensure they are informed about the benefits of franchising.

In 2024, the advocacy team worked tirelessly to ensure decision makers at all levels of government understand the franchise business model and the important role it plays in supporting the country’s economy and the livelihoods of the nearly two million Canadians who are employed by franchise businesses.

Through both in-person and virtual meetings with government representatives, the CFA continues to emphasize our value within the halls of power across Canada. We held one of our biggest Franchise Awareness Days on May 29, where franchisors, franchisees, and suppliers all came together in collective defence of the franchise industry. CFA members held 26 meetings with elected officials and senior staff at Queens Park, including meetings with 10 ministers. We raised many issues important to members, including common employer, changing workforce demographics, and the impact of legislation and current affairs on small businesses and the entrepreneurial Canadians who run them.

Throughout the year, the CFA and its members engaged with the federal and provincial governments through pre-budget consultations, opposition to proposed capital gains inclusion rate changes, and proposed amendments to the Arthur Wishart Act. The CFA continues to engage with the Government of Saskatchewan as it works to proclaim the Saskatchewan Franchises Act.

Advocacy Highlight’s

• Most ministerial meetings at Franchise Awareness Day with 10 meetings.
• Consulted with the Government of Canada as part of the development of the 2025 budget.
• Proposed a series of common-sense amendments to the Arthur Wishart Act.
• Coordinated with other leading industry associations in Canada to oppose proposed increases to the Capital Gains Inclusion Rate
• Welcomed the Attorney General of Ontario, the honourable Doug Downey, KC, to give a keynote address at the 2024 Franchise Law Day
• Held an exclusive ministerial roundtable with the Attorney General of Ontario

Advocacy by the Numbers

• $57,710 raised to support advocacy initiatives
• 47 Advocacy Updates sent to members
• 26 elected and public officials who met with the CFA during Franchise Awareness Day
• 79,388 social media impressions through the Franchise Awareness Month campaign

CFA’s Advocacy Accomplishments

Arthur Wishart Act Consultation
Following the success of Franchise Awareness Day in 2024, the CFA continued to engage with the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery on proposed amendments to the Arthur Wishart Act. Through this engagement, the CFA was invited to make recommendations on simple changes that the Ontario government could make to provide further clarity in the Act. The CFA established a sub-committee, chaired by Larry Weinberg, which included Ryan Picklyk, David Druker, Todd Wylie, Sherry McNeil, Nathan Oxford, Andraya Frith, and Peter Viitre.

Attorney General of Ontario at Franchise Law Day
In a CFA first, the Hon. Doug Downey, KC, the Attorney General of Ontario, accepted an invitation to attend the 2024 Franchise Law Day and delivered a keynote address to attendees. Additionally, Minister Downey agreed to meet with selected members to discuss key priorities for our membership. The conversation was very beneficial, with the Attorney General providing valuable feedback that the CFA continues to incorporate into its advocacy efforts.

Capital Gains Inclusion Rate Change
As part of the 2024 federal budget, the Government of Canada proposed changing the capital gains inclusion rate to 67% on all gains over $250,000 in a given year. As part of this change, government argued that it would affect the roughly 0.13% of Canadians who have an annual average income of $1.33 million. In reality, these changes would affect many franchised small business owners who invested everything they had into their businesses, planning to rely on the income from a sale to fund their retirements.

In response, the CFA helped to build a coalition of other industry associations to oppose the proposed changes and to highlight the effect they would have on everyday Canadians, including franchised small business owners. This coalition received significant national media attention and caused the federal government to delay bringing the amendments forward for approval.

With the prorogation of parliament in early 2025, these proposed changes will not move forward for the foreseeable future, and the Canada Revenue Agency has been instructed to stop their implementation.

Joint Letters
Over the course of 2024, the CFA worked with other industry associations to send joint letters on behalf of the business community in Canada ensuring that supply chains were protected. The CFA helped to apply pressure on the Class 1 railway labour disruptions, BC Ports Labour Disruptions, CBSA Labour Disruptions, and potential labour disruptions at the Port of Montreal and Air Canada. The full joint letters are available in the Advocacy section of the Members Only Area of CFA.ca.

Franchise Awareness Month
In June 2024, the CFA highlighted member franchisees in our Franchise Awareness Month campaign. Emphasizing franchisees’ roles as local small business owners, we focused on their community and economic contributions. Throughout the month, 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, by sharing success stories about franchisees, celebrating the philanthropy that franchisees provide to their communities, educating the public about various franchise sectors, and more.

Key social media stats:

• 79,388 Impressions (9% increase from 2023)
• 3,085 Clicks (15% increase from 2023)
• 1,523 Likes (37% increase from 2023)
• 132 Shares (10% increase from 2023)

Franchise Awareness Day in Ontario
Franchise Awareness Day 2024 took place on May 29 at Queen’s Park in Toronto, Ontario. The CFA met with 26 Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) and senior staff to raise awareness of the franchise business model and the importance of the franchisee-franchisor relationship, and to lobby for the franchise business community. Some of the issues the CFA brought to the attention of these elected officials included clarification surrounding common/joint employer, the changing workforce, and the regulatory burdens on small business.

The MPPs and staff members we met with included:

In 2024, the CFA and its members actively engaged key decision-makers on behalf of the franchise community in Canada. Much effort was made to help grow the reach of the CFA’s relationships within the Government of Ontario. After a very successful Franchise Awareness Day, the CFA continued to foster relationships with key elected officials in Government. Most notable of this work is the ongoing dialogue with Hon. Todd McCarthy, that culminated with the Minister requesting the CFA recommend amendments to the Arthur Wishart Act. The CFA continues to be active in monthly meetings with the Federal Commissioner of Employers Business Liaison Group. This group gives the CFA the opportunity to gain key insights on actions taken by the federal government that affect employers and helps to coordinate an industry response through the Commissioner and their office.

Advocacy Updates

The CFA sent out 47 advocacy updates to members in the past year, keeping them up to date on current affairs, political and economic news, updates to government programs, and any other news or resources that would be helpful for franchisors and franchisees.

What’s on the Agenda for 2025

With elections on the horizon this year, the CFA is prepared for potentially significant change, federally and provincially in Ontario. CFA Advocacy has prepared to defend and advance franchising across Canada.

With the Ontario General Election taking place at the end of February, the CFA and its members are perfectly positioned to lobby the new government at the next Franchise Awareness Day on May 28, 2025, at Queen’s Park in Toronto, Ontario.

During this year’s event, the franchise community will continue to advocate on key issues including common employer, labour relations, franchise disclosure, the minimum wage, employment standards, and fairness for franchised small businesses.

A federal election is expected to take place in 2025, and the CFA is prepared to make franchise issues an election issue in key ridings across the country. We will be prepared for our members to get in front the new government to advocate for policies that support the growth of franchising through small business issues like access to labour and capital, as well as reducing the regulatory burden.

Together, the franchise community will continue to effect change and provide the support that you, our members, need.