The winners of the first annual PlanPlus Canada National Financial Planning Awards competition were announced last week at the Canadian Institute of Financial Planners (CIFPs) annual conference in Orlando, Fla.

The winner was Conrad Toner, True North Retirement Counsel, Peterborough, Ont. Allan Norman, Atlantis Financial Inc. (IPC), Barrie, Ont. was first runner-up, and tied for second runner-up were Jason Pereira, Woodgate Financial Inc. (IPC), Toronto, and Sterling Rempel, Future Values Estate & Financial Planning, Calgary.

“This competition gave me an opportunity to showcase some of my most complex work for a detailed peer review,” said Toner, in a statement.

“The competition was so close that the judges deliberated for hours to determine the order of the winners,” added John Page, chairperson and head adjudicator of the PlanPlus Canada and Global Financial Planning Awards. “It’s gratifying to see the high quality of today’s entries. We are excited to see the bar being set so high, and even more so knowing that the ultimate beneficiary is the consumer, who reaps the huge benefits that advice of this calibre provides.”

Supported by all the professional financial planning associations in Canada, including the CIFPs, Institut québécois de planification financière, the Institute of Advanced Financial Planners, and Financial Planning Standards Council, the PlanPlus Canada National Financial Planning Awards competition is designed to raise the profile of financial planning and give the public a better appreciation of the important role played by this profession. It is open to all Canadian financial advisors who are members in good standing with a financial planning association or other professional body and who hold a recognized professional designation.

To compete, after first securing their permission, planners submit plans they have actually delivered to real clients.

The adjudication is done by a panel of five expert judges based on the quality and breadth of the recommendations contained in the plans and how well they address the clients’ best interests.

Winners automatically advance to the finals of the PlanPlus Global Financial Planning Awards — Americas region, where they will face off against some of the best planners from the Americas.

To find out more about the PlanPlus Canada Financial Planning Awards visit the awards website.