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SOLO.
Small Ownership Landlords of Ontario

Attendee Guide · SOLO Conference 2026

The Future of the Small Ontario Landlord

Landlords helping landlords.

Date
Saturday, October 24, 2026
Location
Humber Polytechnic, North Campus · Barrett Centre (CTI), 5th Floor, Room CTI 512
Program
8:00 a.m. to 5:20 p.m.
On the program
9 speakers, 5 sponsor spotlights, 1 panel

Your day

This guide goes with the printed program handed out at registration. Keep it open on your phone throughout the day.

  1. Follow the program

    Sessions appear in order. The current session is highlighted automatically, and the Go to current session button takes you straight to it.

  2. Take notes

    Every session has an Add a note button that opens your notepad with the session title already filled in.

  3. Meet the speakers and sponsors

    Each talk includes the speaker's bio, and every sponsor links to their website. Visit their tables during the breaks.

Take notes throughout the day

Your notes are saved in this browser. Email them to yourself at the end of the day.

Arriving after 11:30 a.m.?

The entrance doors will be locked for security. Text DOOR to 647-792-4951 and a team member will come to the main entrance to let you in.

Good to know

  • Wi-Fi: connect to eduguest and accept the terms of use. If it won't connect, forget the network and try again.
  • Breakfast, lunch, snacks, tea and coffee are included.
  • All times are Eastern Time.
  • Shop the SOLO Digital Store: store.solo.ca
  • About SOLO: solo.ca

The program

From registration to closing remarks, with a morning break, lunch and an afternoon break. The current session is highlighted as the day goes on.

Morning

8:00a.m.until 8:45 a.m.

Arrivals

Registration & Breakfast

Pick up your printed guide and badge, grab a coffee, and visit the sponsor tables.

Forseti Legal ServicesMorning coffee and registration sponsored by Forseti Legal Services
8:45a.m.until 8:50 a.m.

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Rose Marie, Chair of SOLO, opens the day.

8:50a.m.until 9:00 a.m.

Ice Breaker

Kick off the day and meet the room.

9:00a.m.until 10:00 a.m.

Special Guest Speaker

Small Landlords, Big Stakes: How to Make Government Listen

Small landlords matter. They provide homes and choices in neighbourhoods where others often do not, know their tenants, build relationships, and add badly needed quality housing supply, one home at a time. Drawing on his 21 years at Queen's Park and his current work as a Partner at Counsel Public Affairs, Tim will assess Ontario's housing landscape, what recent changes mean for small landlords, what is around the corner, and what still needs to change. He'll explore how the government really makes decisions, why organizations like SOLO matter, and how landlords can make a difference by building relationships with decision-makers in their own communities — connections that can help build a more balanced system where responsible landlords succeed and tenants benefit from more quality housing and greater choice.

Sriskanda Property ManagementSponsored by Varun Sriskanda, Sriskanda Property Management
Portrait of Tim Hudak

Tim Hudak

Partner, Counsel Public Affairs

Tim Hudak is a Partner at Counsel Public Affairs, located in Toronto. Drawing from his almost three decades in the public spotlight, Tim helps businesses and organizations advance their leadership, advocacy and public affairs goals. He had a distinguished 21-year career as a Member of Provincial Parliament, Cabinet Minister, and Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. Post-politics, Tim has continued to advise the Ontario government, including as a Member of the provincial Housing Affordability Task Force and as Chair of the Ontario Tourism Economic Recovery Task Force post-COVID.

For over seven years, Tim served as CEO of the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA), Canada's largest provincial professional association. Under his leadership, OREA transformed into one of Ontario's most impactful advocacy groups, strengthening consumer protection, keeping the dream of home ownership alive, and creating a new health and insurance benefits program for all realtors — work that saw him named one of the most powerful people in North American residential real estate by Swanepoel Power 200 for five consecutive years.

10:00a.m.until 10:30 a.m.

Speaker session

How an Army of Landlords Changed the Rules of the Game

This session will walk you through the untold story of how a scrappy, unlikely community of landlords turned shared frustration into real momentum, and momentum into real change. Weiting will pull back the curtain on this grassroots movement small landlords were part of — the epic fails over the last four years, the moments of persistence, and the surprising power of creativity (and kindness) in moving something that wasn't supposed to move. Expect an honest, funny, occasionally jaw-dropping look at what it actually takes to organize a community and get something done — lessons that apply well beyond housing.

CWL Co. Inc.Sponsored by CWL Co. Inc.
Portrait of Weiting Bollu

Weiting Bollu

CEO & Co-Founder, Openroom.ca

Weiting Bollu is the CEO and Co-Founder of Openroom.ca — an organization building toward a transparent and connected rental ecosystem.

After losing over $35,000 to tenants who refused to pay rent, she spent thousands of hours dissecting Canada's rental compliance laws and talking to hundreds of small-scale landlords. This is the research that turned into a full-blown obsession with fixing what's broken in the rental system.

Her team has been featured on CBC, CTV, BlogTO, Yahoo News, CP24, and BNN, plus numerous podcasts. When Weiting speaks, expect laughs, raised eyebrows, and real stories from the front lines of rental housing.

10:30a.m.until 10:35 a.m.

Sponsor spotlight

Rent Panda

Presented by Hart Togman

Tenant placement and property management for small landlords across Ontario.

Visit Rent Panda
10:35–11:00 a.m.Morning break & networking · exhibitor floor open
11:00a.m.until 11:15 a.m.

Sponsor spotlight

SingleKey

Presented by Viler Lika

Tenant screening, Rent Guarantee and rent collection, all in one platform.

Visit SingleKey
11:15a.m.until 12:00 p.m.

Morning Keynote

Effectively Managing Your Real Estate as a Business

Most of us delve into the world of real estate with the hopes of securing the foundations of a retirement plan. Some scale it to a side hustle and others go beyond to make it a primary business. At the core of it all, though, is that, right from that first acquisition, we need to treat this as a business — with teams, processes, and tools appropriate to where we are on our journey. This session will discuss the foundational elements of real estate as a business and the tools appropriate as you scale from your first property. It will also review how to manage a business case and deploy risk management strategies.

Portrait of Christian Szpilfogel

Christian Szpilfogel

Chief Investment Officer & Co-Founder, Aliferous Group

Christian Szpilfogel is an experienced real-estate investor and entrepreneur. With a background in executive roles across both private and public technology corporations, he now focuses on investments in real estate and tech start-ups.

As Founder and Chief Investment Officer of The Aliferous Group, he has built a thriving real-estate portfolio spanning multi-unit residential and commercial properties. He serves on the boards of the Ottawa Real Estate Investors Organization, the Eastern Ontario Landlords Organization, and Rental Housing Canada (formerly CFAA), along with several start-up companies.

12:00p.m.until 12:30 p.m.

Speaker session

One Door or 100: Run Your Rentals Like a Professional Operator

In this fast-paced session, Melissa pulls back the curtain on how professional operators manage the risks, decisions, and moving parts behind every tenancy — from screening and documentation to maintenance triage, rent collection, vendor oversight, and escalation. She'll break down what to standardize, what to automate, what to measure, and when to bring in professional support, so owners can build an operation that grows without consuming their life.

Portrait of Melissa Dupuis

Melissa Dupuis

Owner, Athena Property Management

Born and raised in the Niagara Region, Melissa is an experienced real estate investor and the owner of Athena Property Management. After a successful 15-year career in financial services spanning investment consulting, operations, and business effectiveness, she transitioned into full-time real estate investing and property management in 2021.

Melissa founded Athena to serve busy professionals, everyday rental property owners, and serious investors growing their portfolios. Named after the goddess of wisdom and strategy, Athena reflects Melissa's approach: using strong systems, proactive planning, and defensive risk-management strategies while creating quality rental housing.

As both an investor and property management operator, Melissa brings a practical, behind-the-scenes perspective to the realities facing Ontario's small landlords. She also serves as Board Member for the Ontario Real Estate Investors Organization (OREIO).

12:30–1:10 p.m.Lunch & networking · exhibitor floor open

Afternoon

1:10p.m.until 1:15 p.m.

Sponsor spotlight

Legacy Legal Services LLP

Presented by Edmond Veliu

Paralegals representing landlords before the LTB, plus Small Claims and enforcement.

Visit Legacy Legal Services LLP
1:15p.m.until 1:20 p.m.

Sponsor spotlight

LeaseHelm

Presented by Sammy Ibrahim

Ontario landlord? Dates matter. Try the free date calculator.

Visit LeaseHelm
1:20p.m.until 1:30 p.m.

Game

A quick break to reset and connect.

1:30p.m.until 2:15 p.m.

Afternoon Keynote

Inside the Hearing Room: What Every Small Landlord Needs to Know

This session will walk small landlords through what actually happens at an LTB hearing — from the mediation process and how to make the most of it, to how to conduct yourself in the hearing room, engage productively with your tenant, and understand the realistic timelines involved in getting an order. Drawing on experience as both a practicing lawyer and a former LTB adjudicator, Ajay aims to demystify the process and give small landlords the confidence and knowledge to navigate it effectively.

Portrait of Ajay Grewal

Ajay Grewal

Principal Lawyer, Evict Your Tenant

Ajay Grewal has been practicing law in Ontario since 2017 and brings a rare perspective to landlord-tenant law: he has sat in the adjudicator's chair. After beginning his legal career in Northern Ontario practicing family and child protection law, Ajay relocated to the GTA, co-founded a multi-disciplinary firm, and expanded into real estate law before being appointed as an adjudicator at the Landlord and Tenant Board. That year on the inside gave him an understanding of LTB proceedings that few advocates can claim.

Today, Ajay is the principal of Evict Your Tenant, a practice dedicated to helping Ontario landlords navigate the LTB process — from drafting notices to contested hearings. He also continues to practice real estate and family law.

2:15p.m.until 2:45 p.m.

Speaker session

Building Stronger Cases: The PI's Role for Landlords and Counsel

Suzanne Scher is a registered social worker with more than 20 years of experience in interviewing, assessments, report writing, and court testimony. She is also a licensed private investigator in Ontario and the owner and lead investigator at Catalyst Investigations.

In this practical session, landlords and counsel will learn how to:

  • Use lawful, ethical investigative practices for tenant screening, information verification, witness interviews, documentation, and post-tenancy searches and locates.
  • Build stronger, more credible evidence through objective third-party reporting that identifies investigative steps, preserves relevant information, supports service and legal proceedings, and clarifies a matter’s strengths and weaknesses.
  • Align investigative work with legal strategy by engaging investigators early, defining the retainer’s scope, addressing privacy and confidentiality obligations, and ensuring findings are documented accurately and independently.

Suzanne will also review key responsibilities under Ontario’s Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005 (PSISA), including avoiding misrepresentation, maintaining professional boundaries, collecting information fairly, and reporting relevant findings within the scope of the retainer and applicable law.

Portrait of Suzanne Scher

Suzanne Scher

Owner & Lead Investigator, Catalyst Investigations

A seasoned registered Social Worker with over 20 years of experience in interviewing, assessments, report writing, and presenting as a witness in court proceedings, Suzanne launched a second career as a licensed private investigator in Ontario. She is the owner and lead investigator at Catalyst Investigations.

As a solo practitioner, she has used her experience to support tenant screening processes, help secure criminal and private prosecutions against professional tenants, and conduct searches and locates for former tenants. Suzanne is an active watcher of LTB hearings and provides invaluable support to landlords, real estate agents, and legal representatives throughout the tenant life cycle.

2:45p.m.until 3:15 p.m.

Speaker session

Evidence 101: Tips and Strategies to Ensure You're Fully Prepared for Your Hearing

Kristen regularly works with housing providers and property owners on navigating evolving LTB procedures and enforcement issues throughout Ontario. In this session, she'll walk landlords through what it actually takes to build and present strong evidence — so you arrive at your hearing prepared, not scrambling.

Portrait of Kristen Jarvis

Kristen Jarvis

Managing Partner, Legacy Legal Services LLP

Kristen Jarvis is the Managing Partner of Legacy Legal Services LLP, a firm focused on representing landlords before the Landlord and Tenant Board. Her practice includes eviction proceedings, compliance matters, and complex tenancy disputes, with an emphasis on strategic advocacy and practical application of the Residential Tenancies Act.

3:15p.m.until 3:20 p.m.

Sponsor spotlight

LeaseConfirm

Presented by Peter Ola

Rent reporting and rental technology for tenants and housing providers.

Visit LeaseConfirm
3:20–3:45 p.m.Afternoon break & networking · exhibitor floor open
3:45p.m.until 4:15 p.m.

Speaker session

The Do's and Don'ts of Using Artificial Intelligence

Tom will be presenting on how parties have been using and mis-using artificial intelligence in Canadian courtrooms, including at the Landlord and Tenant Board. He will also discuss what landlords should know when they are using AI, like general purpose chatbots, when communicating with a tenant.

Portrait of Tom Macintosh Zheng

Tom Macintosh Zheng

Co-Founder, Courtready.ca

Tom Macintosh Zheng is the co-founder of Courtready.ca and a licensed lawyer in Ontario and England. Courtready.ca builds practical tools for Canadians who litigate and conducts original research on access-to-justice issues in Canada.

His research on AI and Canadian courts has been cited by, among others, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Ontario's Law Society Tribunal, The Economist, CBC News, CTV News, and the Toronto Star.

4:15p.m.until 4:45 p.m.

Speaker session

Choosing the Right Real Estate Professional

In this session, Sam will cover when a small landlord actually needs an agent, and how the realtor, property manager, and lawyer work together.

Portrait of Sam McDadi

Sam McDadi

Founder, Sam McDadi Real Estate Brokerage

Sam McDadi is the real estate leader in the GTA* and one of the top realtors in the country. He spent many years with RE/MAX, where he achieved #1 team in Mississauga during his entire tenure, was Top 5 RE/MAX Team in Canada for a decade, and was awarded #5 RE/MAX Team worldwide (out of approx. 100,000 agents) in his last year.

After 24 years of experience in the industry, he felt the time was right to start his own company, Sam McDadi Real Estate Brokerage, in 2012. It has since grown to six fully-operating offices in the GTA — in Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Milton, and Hamilton — with plans to open its Toronto office in 2026/2027.

Team McDadi has sold over 17,600 homes in 35 years — an average of more than one property negotiated every day — generating over $11 billion in sales and being ranked the #1 real estate team in the GTA for the last 15 years.

4:45p.m.until 5:15 p.m.

Panel

Panel Discussion

An open conversation with the SOLO Board Members. Bring your questions.

5:15p.m.until 5:20 p.m.

Closing Remarks

Rose Marie, Chair of SOLO, closes the day.

Thank you to our sponsors

This conference is made possible by the support of our partners. Tap a logo to visit their website.

Platinum sponsor

SingleKey

Sponsors

LeaseConfirmRent PandaLegacy Legal Services LLPLeaseHelmSriskanda Property Management
CWL Co. Inc.
Forseti Legal ServicesKarimalis Paralegal and NotaryBlue Anchor Property ManagementPayPropCredit Bureau Collections Superior Inc.Temple of Justice Legal ServiceMedsHousing.comTrueTenant

© Small Ownership Landlords of Ontario · solo.ca · Program subject to change.