From off-the-record CHRO sessions to live legal Q&A, here’s what the two-day human resources festival delivers for people leaders
HRFest Canada 2026 opens at Rebel in Toronto on Nov. 10, 2026, with a program built for human resources (HR) leaders. Organizers expect more than 750 HR professionals and upwards of 120 speakers across five stages, per HRD Canada’s breakdown of the five HRFest Canada 2026 stages.
Here is the countdown: six reasons to be in the room:
6. Toronto networking that happens off the stage
The best exchanges often happen between sessions. ADP Canada is hosting the VIP Lunch and a coffee barista station, where it will run an HR priorities poll. “Some of the best conversations happen in informal settings,” says Heather Haslam, vice-president of marketing at ADP Canada in Toronto.
5. Career development at The Loft
Many of those conversations turn to careers, and The Loft targets managers and directors working toward head-of roles. Lee-Ann Reid, vice-president of operations at Toronto-based Vistek, joins a panel on moving from function expert to business leader.
4. Live debates on the main stage
The Hangar, by contrast, is built for scale. On the Risk Radar panel, Erin Kuzz, founding partner at Sherrard Kuzz LLP in Toronto, will tackle artificial intelligence (AI) in hiring and regulatory change. “It’s not about the single biggest change, it’s about keeping up with the almost weekly small changes,” she says.
3. Hands-on AI and employee experience labs
Debates raise the questions; The Lab starts answering them, sending each participant away with a template, checklist, plan or draft. Kalifa Oliver, senior director of technology, people and legal analytics at U.S. retailer Lowe’s, leads a session on people analytics. “When an executive asks us, for example, for a dashboard, they’re really asking us for a decision,” she says.
Employee experience (EX) needs the same rigour: health-related absences cost Canadian employers 46 workdays per worker, according to Manulife. Kristen Gill, director of corporate partnerships and sales at GoodLife Fitness in London, Ont., says: “Most HR people recognize that wellness is not a one-size-fits-all proposition.”
2. Legal clarity in The Vault
New tools bring legal exposure, which is where The Vault’s live legal question-and-answer sessions come in. Miller Thomson LLP, the legal sponsor, is sending 12 labour and employment lawyers.
Employers are still absorbing Ontario’s 2026 hiring and pay transparency compliance rules. Since October 2024, individuals convicted under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) also face maximum fines of $100,000 under the Working for Workers Five Act, 2024. “HR leaders today have to make a lot of difficult decisions that have big legal consequences,” says Tom Duke, national labour and employment practice group leader at Miller Thomson in Edmonton.
1. Peer access at the Leaders Forum
For senior people leaders, the top reason is the room itself. The Leaders Forum is capped at 300 chief human resources officers (CHROs) and senior people leaders and runs off the record.
Helen Ashton, vice-president of people, culture and customer experience at Grand & Toy in Toronto, puts the appeal plainly: “It’s nice to be in the room where they’re at the same level and they’re struggling with the same things.”
From the coffee line to the closed-door forum, HRFest Canada 2026 runs Nov. 10 and 11 at Rebel in Toronto.
