How do you measure success? Every business owner knows that behind each win, there’s a lot of hard work. Success is most often the result of planning, preparation, and careful execution.
But we also know that it’s worth it! Every day, tens of thousands of small business owners across Canada are living out their dream of going into business for themselves and creating the life they’ve always wanted.
The CFA Awards Program was founded to recognize the hard work of those small business owners and the franchisors who helped create the pathway for them to own their own business.
In this special Excellence in Franchising issue, the Franchise Canada team highlights the winners of the 2026 CFA Awards—showcasing the passion and dedication that goes into success.
In this issue’s cover feature, you’ll find the 2026 Franchisee of the Year Award winners, who share their personal journeys into business ownership and how their franchise system set them up to succeed. I know you’ll find their stories inspiring!
You’ll also learn about the CFA Awards of Excellence Grand Prize winners, Paul Davis Restoration and Oxford Learning Centres, and find out what makes these winning systems so special. Our Awards of Excellence Gold finalists also share their stories in features on two growing industries, B2B Services and childhood education.
If you’re wondering how the Awards of Excellence and Franchisees’ Choice Designation Awards are judged, check out our Evergreen feature. There, Geoff Thacker of research specialists the Portage Group gives a behind the scenes peek at the process that determines the franchises selected based on the greatest marker of success for any system: franchisee satisfaction.
As with any issue of Franchise Canada, you’ll also find success stories from business owners like you, who’ve taken steps along their franchise journey. Chris Vandenbosch shares what a day in the life of an Express Employment Professionals franchisee is like—and what made him swap his government career for small business ownership. You’ll also learn about a multi-generational group of women finding success through their Merry Maids franchises, and in our First Year profile, franchisee Joe Krawchuk shares what it was like going through the first year as the owner of a Pet Valu franchise.
The power of franchising to affect change in our communities is on display this issue, as we take a look at the many charitable initiatives restoration franchise ServiceMaster has initiated to help communities across Canada. And this extends to our Iconic Brand feature, which spotlights the winner of the 2026 Recognition Award for Volunteer Excellence, David Druker, and the huge impact he—and his brand, The UPS Store Canada—has had on the franchising community.
For more exciting content from the 2026 CFA Awards, and a full list of Franchisees’ Choice Designation winners, Franchise Canada is releasing a special awards supplement. There you’ll find every award winner alongside exclusive video content and articles—and you may just find your next franchise opportunity from an award-winning brand!
To help you along your franchise search, we encourage you to visit LookforaFranchise.ca, the CFA’s official online directory of franchise opportunities, to request information directly from CFA member brands. Remember to Look for the Logo—the CFA member logo tells you that a brand has signed on to the Association’s Code of Ethics, showing their commitment to ethical franchising and a passion for excellence.
You can also visit FranchiseCanada.Online for even more resources to help you along your journey, from tutorials on the basics of franchising to podcasts diving deep into the franchisee experience. Don’t forget to subscribe to Franchise Canada E-News to get the latest content delivered straight to your inbox.
Hard work deserves recognition, and we hope that this Excellence in Franchising issue can inspire you with its stories of success. As you take your first steps along your franchising journey, Franchise Canada is here to cheer you on, and support your dream of small business ownership.