Real North Strategies

10/14/2026

Excellent work from the Niagara Association of REALTORS® leading this collaborative exercise in support of local elections in Niagara!

Your Candidates. The Issues. Their Answers. The Niagara Business Alliance Releases the 2026 Niagara Municipal Candidate Survey Report

Today, the Niagara Business Alliance (NBA) is proud to release the 2026 Niagara Municipal Candidate Survey Report, a collaborative initiative bringing together Niagara's leading business, housing and industry organizations to support informed voting ahead of the October 26 municipal elections.

Featuring 169 candidate responses from across Niagara's 12 municipalities, the report provides insight into where participating mayoral and councillor candidates stand on key issues, including housing affordability, economic development, infrastructure, taxation and municipal efficiency.

This initiative demonstrates the power of collaboration and our shared commitment to a stronger, more prosperous Niagara.

We are proud to work alongside our Niagara Business Alliance partners:

Niagara Association of REALTORS®
Grimsby & District Chamber of Commerce
Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
Lincoln Chamber of Commerce
Niagara Construction Association
Niagara Home Builders Association
Niagara Industrial Association
Niagara on the Lake Chamber of Commerce
South Niagara Chambers of Commerce (Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, Welland/Pelham and Port Colborne-Wainfleet)
West Lincoln Chamber of Commerce

Special thanks to Real North Strategies for their expertise and contributions.

The NBA is non-partisan and does not endorse candidates. Survey participation was voluntary.

Read the full report: https://bit.ly/nba2026

03/23/2026

Real North Strategies turns three.

What started as a vision to elevate advocacy and strategic communications for associations has grown into a national practice supporting organizations at the forefront of housing, policy, and community leadership.

Over the past three years, we’ve helped:

✅ Shape housing policy conversations across Ontario and Canada.
✅ Deliver data-driven advocacy campaigns
✅ Support boards and CEOs with strategic clarity
✅ Elevate the voice and value of REALTORS® in their communities

Our focus remains unchanged: helping associations lead, influence, and win.

Thank you to our amazing team, clients and partners who have trusted us to be part of your work.

Year four starts now.

05/21/2025

Government can move fast. Your advocacy model should too.

One policy change. One surprise bill. One headline — and suddenly, your association needs to scale up.

That’s where fractional GR support comes in.

Real North Strategies helps associations flex their government relations capacity when it matters most — without the overhead of a full-time hire.

✅ Experienced association GR leaders.
✅ Seamless ex*****on.
✅ Ready to scale up when you need it.

Let’s talk: [email protected]

05/13/2025

Internal 🇨🇦 trade barriers are coming down. What does it mean for regulated professions like real estate?

LinkedIn article for more: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/canada-tearing-down-trade-barriers-what-does-mean-matthew-owazc/?trackingId=QnusFAyLSh6gGjzp6s8Frg%3D%3D

01/06/2025

Today's news of PM Trudeau's resignation reaffirms that Ontario will (very likely) have two elections in 2025. As an association, what is your election strategy?

This week we want to share our five association election strategy tips (starting with compliance):

1️⃣ Review Regulations: Elections in Canada (and Ontario) are heavily regulated with serious penalties for non-compliance. Before you launch your strategy - get to know the rules. For example, if your association plans on spending ad dollars or doing public opinion research during the pre-writ or writ-period it may need to register as a third-party with Elections Canada or Elections Ontario. This is a complex process that I would suggest getting legal advice on. There are also specific rules pertaining to registered lobbyists participating in elections and conflicts of interest. Check out these resources for more info:

✅ Ontario: https://lnkd.in/g66buB5a

✅ Canada: https://lnkd.in/gKjuMGz4

More to come!

11/11/2024

Today, we pause to honour those who have served and continue to serve for peace and freedom - at home and around the World.

Lest We Forget 🇨🇦.

10/31/2024

The post-election period isn’t downtime—it’s prime time to establish your organization’s voice and position in the new government landscape.

Checkout our CEO Matthew Thornton's new article on how your association/organization can jumpstart its post-election GR strategy.

10/20/2024

We are thrilled to be attending the 2024 Conference as the event’s platinum sponsor!

The Canadian Real Estate Association/L'Association canadienne de l'immeuble always puts on a fantastic conference and the speaker lineup is stellar. The best lobby day event on the Hill each year!

09/09/2024

Lobby days are expensive and time consuming.

Here's two metrics for success that we use to maximize the impact of lobby day events!

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/two-lobby-day-metrics-matter-matthew-thornton-mba-cae-dvwgc/?trackingId=b8dU%2BHdDsv3SGnUl3O5F5w%3D%3D

05/07/2024

Real North Strategies is growing!

Meet our new VP of Policy & Research Asha Holland. Asha is a public policy expert with a background in housing, real estate and regulated industries.

Check out a recent project she led with the Association of Interior REALTORS® called "Breaking Barriers: Pathways to Modernizing Municipal Property Information in the British Columbia (B.C.) Interior." https://t.ly/rGu_p

Please welcome Asha! [email protected]