Finalists, judges and past winners share how HR professionals can turn the Oct. 1 gala at Rebel Toronto into lasting peer connections
HR professionals heading to the 2026 Canadian HR Awards gala at Rebel Toronto on Thursday, Oct. 1 have more to gain than a seat at the dinner table.
Finalists and past winners say the conversations around the ceremony can shape their practice long after the trophies are handed out.
The evening opens with a 6 p.m. cocktail reception, followed by the awards ceremony and dinner at 7:30 p.m. and a post-awards celebration from 10:30 p.m., according to event organizers. Each segment suits a different kind of networking. Here’s how event-goer can make the most out of it.
Arrive with a learning plan
Aman Malhi, director of people and culture at Refrigerative Supply Limited in Burnaby, B.C., approaches the gala as a research session. The company is a finalist in three categories this year.
"I sit there and make copious amounts of notes on who's winning, what they've done, and what I can learn from them," says Malhi. "I come back [home] and invest a lot of time exploring everything that they did."
That approach pays off when attendees review the shortlist beforehand. The full list of finalists is posted on the Canadian HR Awards website, and HRD Canada's interviews on what this year's finalists are hoping to take away offer a head start on identifying peers worth meeting.
Melaina Slater, director of human resources at the Calgary Humane Society in Calgary, sees value in watching ideas put into practice elsewhere. "HR is evolving so quickly, so just understanding how other organizations bring those ideas to life in their own workplaces is valuable," says Slater.
Network across sectors, not just within them
The cocktail reception is the easiest moment to step outside a familiar circle. Chris Pepper of Fidelity Canada said at a previous gala that it was "great to be surrounded by so many amazing people," pointing to attendees working across every area of HR.
Nicole Desloges, former senior vice-president of people at LifeLabs and a board director at the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA), won the O.C. Tanner Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2025. She described the night as a chance to meet practitioners who rarely make headlines.
Terry Doyle, senior director of people and culture at Miller Thomson LLP in Toronto, is looking forward to comparing notes with other finalists. "Taking part in this great community of ours, hearing their stories, and sharing ours, I think it means a lot to the team," says Doyle.
Bring the team and follow up after the Canadian HR Awards
Several finalists make the case for bringing the whole HR team to the gala rather than one representative. A team that splits up during the reception can cover more ground, then compare contacts over dinner.
Inviting senior leaders can extend the benefit. Jennifer Maki, national manager of human resources at Hyundai Auto Canada in Ontario, says the company's 2025 Canadian HR Team of the Year win resonated beyond HR. "The executive team shared that pride – and it reflects on them too, not just HR," says Maki.
Connections made at the post-awards celebration are the easiest to lose. Timothy Tiryaki, founder and CEO of the Maslow Research Center and a 2026 judge, wants to hear how organizations are using artificial intelligence (AI) to redesign their workforces. "I look forward to hearing more stories of organizations that keep empowering their HR to navigate it better," says Tiryaki.
A short note within a week, tied to a specific conversation, keeps those stories flowing as the program settles into a new venue and refreshed judging panel for 2026.
