SKLA Hosts 2023 AGM, Publishes Annual Report

SKLA Hosts 2023 AGM, Publishes Annual Report

SKLA Hosts 2023 AGM, Publishes Annual Report

  • Posted by Member Services
  • On June 27, 2023
  • 0 Comments

The Saskatchewan Landlord Association held its Annual General Meeting over Zoom on Tuesday, June 19, 2023 and published its 2022-23 Annual Report. The report focuses on four Key Impact Areas the Association directs attention to and resources throughout the year.

KIA #1: Industry Awareness

Goal: The Association is recognized as the rental housing industry’s leader and every landlord’s champion.

Corporate Partnerships: A number of corporate partners support the Association with products and services that help our general members and their businesses. In 2022 we were proud to welcome Yardi Canada and The Home Depot as two leading partners. We also announced a partnership with BFL Canada Insurance that helps all SKLA members save on rental property insurance.

Growing our Digital Presence: Our digital presence increased by 78% in 2022, with new followers coming from both the industry and the general public. Total impressions grew by 601% to 96,585 and total engagement grew by 406% to 6,340.

Public Awareness: Our CEO Cameron Choquette has a strong public presence across social media and through his regular appearances across various media outlets. In May 2023, we participated in the Sanctum Survivor Challenge and spent 36 hours homeless on the streets of Saskatoon to help raise awareness on housing and homelessness issues.

KIA #2: Advocacy

Goal: The Association is the voice of landlords in Saskatchewan at all levels of government and makes impactful changes to public policy and legislation.

Preventing Mandatory Sprinklers in Regina: Under the leadership of the Regina & Region Homebuilders’ Association, we participated in Regina City Council’s debate on mandating sprinklers in new residential buildings, which was defeated thanks to a strong industry presence.

Proactive Messaging on Rent Increases: Rental rates rose consistently in 2022, which can put political pressure on the government to think about rent control. The Association was proactive in crafting key messages on rent increases and how Saskatchewan remains the most affordable province to rent a home in.

ORT Online Launch: After several years of campaigning, we were pleased to see the Government of Saskatchewan launch the ORT online system. We have quarterly meetings with ORT leaders and have been instrumental in getting glitches fixed over the past year. Some changes included adding more drop-down menus, emailing when applications are ready for payment, and reducing the duplication of data required.

Housing and Homelessness: Our industry continues to see the fallout of the SIS program and how social services clients can’t access their social workers or receive enough money to pay rent. The Association is a member of two committees working on this matter and regularly provides potential solutions to the Ministry on how we can reduce evictions and keep people housed.

KIA #3: Member Services

Goal: The Association delivers value to members through programs and services that are relevant and informative.

Information Sharing: In 2022 we improved the format of our blog and provided regular updates on a number of important items for our members. Our Operations Coordinator Landon Field was instrumental in creating Landlord’s Tuesday Tips, Securing Your Property, and a number of other great campaigns across our platforms.

The SKLA is an incredible resource. They are incredibly knowledgeable, supportive, and provide excellent advice promptly. Our membership is the best investment we made into our rental business this year.” – Janelle W, Regina.

Regular Schedule of Events: With the pandemic ending, our team was able to host Conference 2022 and a number of quarterly events in 2022-23. Seminars on property maintenance and fire safety, death, drugs, and disastrous messes, and all things municipal have been held so far.

Conference 2022, presented by The Home Depot After a long wait, over 160 attendees gathered in Saskatoon to attend Conference 2022. The event was a smashing success with a ton of fun, learning, and networking. The conference featured a cocktail reception, a keynote speaker, numerous educational sessions, and the 2022 Rental Housing Awards, presented by Yardi.

KIA #4: Organizational Excellence

Goal: The Association’s governance and operations are modern, innovative, and meet the needs of our stakeholders.

Team Expansion: To bolster our ability to collect memberships and deliver more regular events, a permanent executive assistant was hired in early 2023. Natasha Werbicki joins us as a well-trained retail and management professional with a dedication to customer service.

New Strategic Plan Under Development: In January 2023 a new strategic plan was developed between the Board and Management and it will be presented to the membership in September 2023. We’re looking forward to focusing on what we do well and bolstering our member services and advocacy over the next 3 years.

SKLA Board of Directors

The Association is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of industry professionals from diverse backgrounds.

Board Election Results

This is an exciting time for the association as we prepare for a 30th anniversary in 2024!

The newly elected directors are: Carla Browne (Real Property Management) , and Gavin Little (BFL Canada).

The Directors that were re-elected to the Board are Tim Thompson (Stone Ridge), Lori Houle (Saskatoon Real Estate Services), Jamie McDougald (Deveraux), Laura Mc Nern (North Prairie), Jeff Trapp (Journeypoint), and Donna Singbeil (ICR Commercial Real Estate), Amanda Bolan (K+A Capital), Eric Stalwick (Weidner), Gary Redl (Park View Real Estate Investment), Kristan Larre (Broadstreet), and Philippe Chagnon (Coldwell Banker Signature), Chair Sheena Reyes-Keslick (Mainstreet), Vice-Chair Louise Elsey (Avenue Living).

Outgoing Board Members

The Association would also like to recognize board Chair Ramona Maraj (Hazelview) who has served as Chair for over two years. She will be staying on the Board as Past Chair.

We’d also like to thank Ruebecca Fiddler for her service. She stepped down in early 2023 and we wish her well.

READ THE FULL REPORT HERE