RVDA of Canada Report
40th Anniversary Year!
The RVDA of Canada has an exciting year ahead, as 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of our incorporation. This is a significant milestone in the history of our Association, and one that reflects four decades of leadership, advocacy, and commitment to supporting Canada’s RV dealers and the broader industry.
To celebrate this achievement, we will be dedicating our August newsletter to our 40th anniversary, sharing highlights from our journey and recognizing the people, partnerships, and progress that have shaped the RVDA of Canada. We will also be celebrating this milestone at our 2026 Canadian Events during the RVDA Convention in Las Vegas, where we will showcase key moments from our history and look ahead to the future of our Association.
RVDA of Canada Board
The RVDA of Canada held its most recent board meeting on April 29, 2026, in Ottawa, ON. The Board reviewed its strategic objectives, endorsement programs and burning dealer issues. Our open board session focussed on our government relations strategy, education and important updates from our industry partners.
Government Relations
Spring Economic Update
In April, Canada’s Minister of Finance, the Hon. Francois-Philippe Champagne, tabled federal government’s first Spring Economic Update (SEU). This was an opportunity for the federal government to provide an update on its economic positioning and progress to date. While this year’s SES reflects the realities of a challenging economic environment detrimentally impacted by global instability, Canada’s bottom line is nonetheless improved from previous reporting and the stated deficit of $66.9B is less than originally forecasted ($78.3b)
The SEU is the first of its kind from the federal government, which previously tabled a similar document in the fall. This year’s statement was a close collaboration between the Ministry of Finance and the Prime Minister’s Office, in sharp contrast to previous Economic Statements, which invited input from other Cabinet Ministers. It was developed with direct feedback from the Prime Minister himself.
A key feature of the SEU is the Canada Strong Fund, a non-traditional sovereign wealth fund that will support direct capital investment. The fund will start with $25 billion from the federal government and grow further via contributions from individual Canadians.
Key takeaways for RVDA:
Skilled Trade Workers
- The Canadian government recognizes that the Team Canada Strong will require a lot of skilled workers and that training, recruiting and hiring paradigm needs to be transformed if Canada wishes to meet the increasing demand.
- The Spring Economic Update 2026 proposes to provide $2 billion over five years, starting in 2026-27, and $262 million ongoing, to increase the number of young people who are ready to take up the challenge of a good career in the skilled trades.
- Build Canada Apprenticeship Service: helping employers to hire, train, and retain apprentices by providing wage subsidies of up to $10,000 for their first-year salary, matching apprentices to job opportunities, and offering hands on navigation and support.
- The Spring Economic Update 2026 proposes to provide up to $331 million over five years, starting in 2026-27, and $18 million ongoing to boost and modernise apprenticeship training for a faster journey to the Red Seal. We would expand and accelerate union-led and employer led training pathways.
- Red Seal Program modernisation: reducing certification delays and improving national consistency, including by introducing online exams, digital logbooks, and secure credentials, and by creating a single national registered apprenticeship number.
- The Spring Economic Update 2026 proposes to provide $3.4 billion over five years, starting in 2026-27, and $468 million ongoing to address the challenges that can stop apprentices from completing their training and moving into permanent jobs. We will also call on employers (particularly those who get major federal investments) to do their part in recruiting and retaining trades workers.
- Apprenticeship completion bonuses and continuation support: to increase apprenticeship completion rates by providing a one-time $5,000 bonus to apprentices obtaining certification in a Red Seal trade and providing income supports for those between training and work.
- Apprenticeship Training Grant: Providing apprentices with a weekly income top up of $400 per week while they are attending mandatory in class technical training for a total payment of up to $16,000 per apprentice, paid in addition to Employment Insurance.
Advocacy Day 2026 – April 30th
On April 30, the RVDA of Canada hosted its annual Advocacy Day in Ottawa, bringing together leaders from the RV and camping industries to meet with Members of Parliament and federal officials on key issues affecting the sector. Industry representatives focused on priorities including trade protection under CUSMA, campground tax fairness, infrastructure investment, and support for tourism and small businesses.
As part of the event, RVs were showcased along Sparks Street in downtown Ottawa, giving parliamentarians, media, and the public an opportunity to tour the latest recreational vehicles and learn more about the economic impact of Canada’s RV industry. The display highlighted the importance of RVing and camping to communities, tourism, and outdoor recreation across the country.
See the special photo album for more information on the RV Advocacy Day on Parliament Hill, Ottawa.
Key Messaging
The Needs of Canada’s Recreational Vehicle Dealers in CUSMA Renegotiations
As the federal government enters renegotiations over CUSMA this summer, RVDA of Canada calls on the federal government to consider the needs of our dealer network. Canada’s RV industry is heavily dependent on free and open trade with our North American partners. Approximately 95% of RVs sold in Canada are manufactured in the United States. As a result, to ensure that Canadian consumers are still able to select affordable RVs, we ask the federal government to ensure that the following considerations are included within upcoming trade negotiations.
Recommendations:
- That the current definition of ‘motorhomes’ or ‘entertainment coaches’ on page 4-B-1-32, as a categorically a different product than a consumer vehicle should be kept in any future trade agreement.
- That RVs, both motorized and towable, are kept as a distinct category within any future trade agreements with North American partners to limit the overlap of trade barriers on Canada’s RV retail industry.
Supporting our National Parks and Tourism Sector
To showcase the best Canada has to offer, the Federal government must provide targeted, dedicated investment in camping and RV infrastructure across Canada’s National Park system. Improved infrastructure encourages eco-friendly tourism and ensures sustainable conservation efforts, all while bolstering jobs, the economy and local communities.
Recommendations:
- Invest in camping and RVing infrastructure to increase the tourism industry’s overall contributions to future economic development and prosperity across Canada. This will spur growth from both domestic and international audiences. Infrastructure upgrades are essential to ensuring the industry’s future and making it more accessible to all Canadians.
- Make a public, significant commitment to electrifying campgrounds across Canada. Improved access to electricity for RVs is an important driver of tourism and will contribute immediately to the transition to electric recreational vehicles and zero-emission campgrounds.
Amend the Income Tax Act to classify small, family-run campgrounds with fewer than five full-time year-round employees as active businesses, making them eligible for the Small Business Deduction
For generations, camping has been how Canadians experience the land: the silence of a boreal morning, a lakeside fire, kids learning to paddle on a quiet bay.
The private campgrounds that provide this access — nearly 2,000 family-run parks spread across every province and territory — are hands-on, actively managed businesses. They require year-round planning, infrastructure investment, staff hiring, and operational management just to open their gates each Spring.
Yet, the Canada Revenue Agency classifies these campgrounds as Specified Investment Businesses – the same category as passive real estate holdings and investment portfolios. The result is a federal tax rate of up to 50%, compared to the 15% Small Business Deduction available to virtually every other small business in the country.
This is a structural disadvantage that limits campground owners’ ability to reinvest in their infrastructure, absorb rising costs, keep prices accessible for guests, and remain open for the next generation.
Recommendations:
- Provide a seasonal business exemption from the “Specified Investment Business” classification, recognizing that seasonal operations cannot meet year-round staffing thresholds.
- Establish a streamlined qualification process for the Small Business Deduction, removing the need for annual case-by-case adjudication by CRA that creates financial uncertainty for operators.
- Direct CRA to issue clear, publicly available guidance on the distinction between active campground operations and passive real estate income.
RV Tech Week
RV Tech Week 2026 is officially in the books, and this year we invited the entire RV industry to help shine a spotlight on the skilled professionals who keep adventures moving.
From June 1-5, dealerships, repair facilities, manufacturers, suppliers, campgrounds, and industry partners across Canada came together to celebrate the technicians whose work powers the RV lifestyle every single day.
Canadian RV Tech Week is an annual industry event dedicated to advancing the technical knowledge and professional development of recreational vehicle service technicians across Canada. It serves as a centralized gathering point for RV service professionals, dealers, manufacturers, and suppliers to come together and focus on the evolving technical demands of the RV industry.
To make participation easy, we created a free RV Tech Week Activation Toolkit packed with ready-to-use assets, including:
✅ Social media graphics
✅ RV Tech Week logo
✅ Countdown templates
✅ Daily post ideas and captions
✅ Technician spotlight templates
✅ Posters and dealership assets
✅ Recruitment messaging
✅ Myth Busting & Top 5 “Did You Know” Facts
✅ Keep the conversation going post-RVTW
👉Download the RV Tech Week Activation Kit
Visit the RV Tech Week page👈
RVDA 2026 Convention /Expo
The 2026 RV Dealers Convention/Expo returns to Paris Las Vegas November 9–13, bringing together RV dealers, manufacturers, suppliers, and industry partners from across North America for the industry’s premier education and networking event. This year’s convention promises an expanded focus on dealership growth, operational efficiency, leadership development, and emerging technologies shaping the future of RV retail. Attendees can expect dynamic workshops, Vendor Training +Plus sessions, and a packed Expo Hall featuring the latest products, technologies, and services designed to help dealerships increase profitability and strengthen customer engagement.
Headlining the event is keynote speaker Curt Steinhorst, a nationally recognized expert on communication, leadership, and customer engagement. During his keynote presentation, “Can I Have Your Attention? Reach the Distracted Customer,” Steinhorst will explore how dealerships can better connect with today’s increasingly distracted consumers through more impactful messaging, stronger communication strategies, and innovative customer experiences. His presentation is expected to deliver actionable insights for dealers looking to sharpen their sales, marketing, and leadership performance in a rapidly changing marketplace.
Beyond the educational sessions and keynote presentations, the 2026 Convention/Expo will provide unmatched opportunities for dealer-manufacturer meetings and high-value networking. The Expo Hall will feature leading exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge RV products, digital solutions, service technologies, finance programs, and operational tools, while scheduled business meetings and informal networking events will create valuable opportunities to build partnerships and strengthen industry relationships. With more than 1,700 industry professionals and nearly 800 dealership locations participating in recent years, the RVDA Convention/Expo continues to be the must-attend event for professionals looking to connect, collaborate, and drive business success into the future.
Awards
George Goodrick Emerging Leader Award
Nominations are open for the George Goodrick Emerging Leader Award.
The Emerging Leader Award recognizes and encourages early-career professionals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment, passion and promise of leadership to the Canadian Recreation Vehicle industry. This award is open to all personnel in the Canadian retail and wholesale recreation vehicle industry sector.
Evaluation Criteria
- Customer Service — consistent customer satisfaction, loyalty, and operational excellence.
- Impact — significant achievement at a business, community, industry, or national scale.
- Innovation — creative use of new knowledge, ideas, or technology to address a problem.
- Initiative — activities and volunteering demonstrating personal growth and potential.
- Social Responsibility — contributions that led to the betterment of society.
The recipient will be recognized in front of industry peers at a Provincial or Regional RVDA event.
Canadian RV Dealer of the Year Award
Background & Challenge
The Canadian Dealer of the Year Award is one of the association’s most prestigious recognitions, designed to celebrate excellence across our dealer membership and to elevate the profile of outstanding businesses within the Canadian RV industry.
Nominations Challenge
Despite the significance of this honour, the association has consistently encountered difficulty in securing an adequate number of nominations. Low nomination volumes limit the competitiveness of the award, reduce its perceived prestige, and may cause deserving dealers to go unrecognized.
Why Nominate?
Recognizing a dealer through this award highlights their dedication, innovation, and leadership in the Canadian RV industry. The honor not only celebrates individual success but also inspires excellence among fellow dealers and industry members. We encourage all industry partners to consider submitting a nomination.
Eleonore Hamm, President,
Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) of Canada
Suite 145 – 11331 Coppersmith Way
Richmond, BC V7A 5J9
tel: (604) 718-6325
email: eleonore_hamm@rvda.ca
www.rvda.ca
www.rvcareers.ca
