A small acetylene gas shop in Winnipeg. Founded in 1946. Run by one family for nearly 80 years. Innovair Group is Canada's Family Enterprise of the Year. Grant Cockshott, third-generation president, accepted the award alongside his son Owen Cockshott — the fourth generation — at the Family Business Symposium in Vancouver. What started as a modest distributor has become the country's largest independent supplier of industrial and medical gases, serving hospitals, manufacturers, and communities from coast to coast. Nearly 100 employees. Four divisions. A culture built on lean thinking, continuous improvement, and doing the work that keeps Canadian industry and healthcare running. This is the kind of story that doesn't make headlines often enough: a family that chose to stay, to build, to pass something meaningful forward. Family-owned businesses make up 63% of all private-sector companies in Canada, generate nearly $575 billion in GDP, and employ 6.9 million people. They are not the margins of our economy. They are its backbone. Congratulations to the Cockshott family and the entire Innovair team. #FamilyEnterprise #FEYA2026 #FamilyBusiness #CanadianBusiness #Innovair #FamilyEnterpriseCanada
Family Enterprise Canada
Non-profit Organizations
Ottawa, Ontario 5,168 followers
Empowering business families and the professionals who serve them across Canada.
About us
Family Enterprise Canada is the national community for Canadian family businesses. Our goal is to ensure the long-term success and continuity of entrepreneurial families and their businesses across generations. We empower business families and designated Family Enterprise Advisors (FEAs) to thrive by providing dynamic peer community, family-focused learning, relevant insights, a family enterprise specific designation and—together with the Family Enterprise Foundation—a voice for all. Through the Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA) Program, we set the standard of education for professionals and prepare them for attaining the FEA designation—the pinnacle of expertise in family enterprise advising. Join our community and start your learning journey today!
- Website
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https://familyenterprise.ca/
External link for Family Enterprise Canada
- Industry
- Non-profit Organizations
- Company size
- 11-50 employees
- Headquarters
- Ottawa, Ontario
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2016
- Specialties
- Family Businesses, Family Enterprise, Family Enterprise Advisors, FEA, Family Enterprise Advising, Continuity Planning, and Succession Planning
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
334 Maclaren St
Suite 101
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 0M6, CA
Employees at Family Enterprise Canada
Updates
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The Family Enterprise Canada team and our fearless Emcees taking a much needed break post Symposium! Thank you Julia Chung, CFP, FEA, TEP and Marc-Alexandre Barbe for your support guiding the speakers and bringing everyone together with excitement and all the energy you brought!
The Family Enterprise Canada Symposium in Vancouver wrapped yesterday and my co-emcee Marc-Alexandre Barbe caught this picture of us having a little goodbye with the amazing team who works relentlessly to create this one-of-a-kind event every year. It was an honour to welcome amazing speakers, workshops, and a community that builds together. Looking forward to Symposium 2027 in Toronto!
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If you're in Vancouver DON'T MISS our June event on Wednesday, June 10th for Kinnect Vancouver: Navigating Real Family Transitions. This is an in-person panel discussion moderated by Steve Ivacko (MNP LLP). Together, we’ll explore the real dynamics, challenges and opportunities that arise during moments of generational, leadership and ownership transition. Through honest dialogue and shared experiences, this session will offer a chance to hear real stories from the front line, gain practical insights and connect with others navigating similar complexities in a supportive environment. 📅 Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2026 ⏰ Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM PDT 📍 Location: Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver 💲 $20 + tax per attendee A nominal registration fee helps us continue offering thoughtful, high-quality, member-focused experiences like this one. 🔗 Register now: https://lnkd.in/edGbt6hu #FamilyEnterprise #FamilyBusiness #Leadership #SuccessionPlanning #FamilyDynamics #FECommunity #KinnectVancouver #BusinessExcellence
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THAT'S A WRAP! Day 3 of Symposium was nothing short of phenomenal! Thank you all for your participation throughout the discussions and attention during all our presentations. A special thanks to all the speakers today that were vulnerable, collabortive and so very insightful: Aaron Gillespie, Ashlynne Dale, Rem Saparco, Denise Gigova, Gerry Meyer, FEA, Shauna Trainor FEA MACP, Jason Nicola, Emily Brine, Steve Carreiro, Christopher Singh Gandhu, JD, TEP, FEA, Serena Hak, CIM®, MFA-P™, Tim Yeung, Aliya Rota, CPA, MPAcc and our Spotlight Sparks: Dara Parker, Michael Kirkpatrick, Nancy Fong, Shauna Frederick, CPA, FEA, Grant Conroy - Partner, FEA, CIM, Gena Rotstein and 🦅 🐺Keita Demming, Ph.D! Also a shout out to our very own team that got up there and ended the conference in style: Steve Beauchesne, FEA and Jessica Estabrooks!! Whether this was your first Symposium or you've been coming for years, we hope that we brought something new and inspiring into your life this year that made you go hmmm. Now is the time to sign up for next years Symposium in Toronto May 31st - June 2nd! Here's How: https://lnkd.in/gm_D_hND
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Day 2 of Symposium was jam packed with content that we hope gave our attendees insights for days. Thank you to our speakers of Day 2 for dedicating your time and sharing your valuable knowledge: Jay Stevens, Randy Williamson, Fotini Iconomopoulos CSP®, Barb Schimnowsky, CMC, FEA, Rachel Welch O'Connor, Coro Strandberg, Bernie Geiss, Tony Scott, Jill Nykoliation, CPCC, Matt Fullbrook and Joy Nott. We know that the knowledge we learned today was shared over meals at the Dine Around Dinners in downtown Vancouver.
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Day 1 of Symposium was a great success. Between all the speakers, the Dog Mountain Hike and the FEYA Awards, it was a celebration of togetherness we like to call 'Familiness'. A incredible thank you to all of our speakers on Day 1: Judi Cunningham, Kathy Bright, MBA, FEA, Tim Yeung, Katrina Barclay, and Elizabeth Tetzlaff. You truly made the day so special. Thank you to Andrea Lekushoff from CONTEXT Studios for hosting this years FEYA awards. Thank you to everyone that joined us at the FEYA awards and dinner. We appreciate the engagement and loved all the laughs.
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When this years Symposium was planned for Vancouver, we just knew we had to plan a hike. A small but mighty group of us made our way up Dog Mountain. In was damp, It was treterous, but we made it to the looking point for a photo opportunity. Thank you Grant Conroy - Partner, FEA, CIM for the great idea and moving us along the path as our fearless trail leader. Thank you everyone that joined us on the adventure!
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Introducing Family Enterprise Foundation's NEWEST REPORT: From Silence to Strength: Mental Health in Family Business. Explore mental health within the unique dynamics of family enterprise. Grounded in the real stories of four Canadian families, the report invites a deeper national conversation about wellbeing, resilience, and the realities facing enterprising families today. Download today! https://lnkd.in/gdtiF-wu
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It's official, Family Enterprise Foundation has launched this years Families Summit of Minds exclusive event in Banff Alberta. This event is for enterprising families seeking deeper connection, learning, and reflection. Families Summit of Minds offers an immersive experience designed to create space for conversations that often do not happen in traditional business environments. Bringing together families, thought leaders, facilitators, and experts from around the world, the Summit is designed to inspire both personal reflection and collective growth. Now is the time to register as limited tickets are sold. 📅 Date: November 20th - 22nd 📍 Location: Banff Alberta (Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity) 💲 Single Attendee: $3,995 + Additional Attendees $1,995 https://lnkd.in/gM6NvnnK #FamiliesSummitofMinds #BanffEvent #FamilyEnterpriseFoundation #FamilyEnterpriseCanada
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Thank you Liz McBeth for sharing what Family Enterprise Canada is all about.
There’s a group of people I don’t celebrate enough: my family business peer advisory group. We met through Family Enterprise Canada. I've been part of the group since 2018. Over the years, there have been different rooms, different conversations, and people at different stages of life — but we've shared the same commitment to showing up with authenticity for our families, our businesses, and one another. People have come and gone. Businesses have grown, pivoted, struggled, succeeded. Life has happened in parallel. We met yesterday, and our group feels like it’s at its strongest right now, in this moment. What makes it special isn’t that we’re all the same. It’s that we span the full spectrum: 🔹 seasoned founders 🔹 next-generation leaders stepping in 🔹 those of us somewhere in between, figuring it out in real time There are new parents in the room. Others with kids already grown. Different timelines. Different pressures. But a shared understanding that this work is bigger than just business — and the ability to see situations through a variety of lenses. 🔹 empathy 🔹 compassion 🔹 stewardship 🔹 responsibility 🔹 building something that lasts 🔹 and doing it in a way that still leaves room for family That combination makes for a different kind of conversation. One that is more honest, more practical, and less performative. This group has seen me at different stages — and I’ve grown alongside them — and I don’t take that lightly. Not every room challenges you and supports you at the same time. This one does. With gratitude. You know who you are. 🥰