Fall Canadian Pet Expo
Free Pre-Registered Seminars for Groomers
Watch for upcoming updates as they are confirmed
- Dates
- September 2027
- Times
- 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Venue
- International Centre — Hall 3
- 6900 Airport Road FREE PARKING
About this event
The Tru North Grooming Show and the Canadian Pet Expo, with the support of our vendors, are proud to present a series of seminars designed for pet professionals to continue their educational growth. Enjoy two full days of open seminars — all included with admission to the Fall Canadian Pet Expo — and every registration comes with the added perks listed below.
Pre-register on this platform to lock in your spot. The $25 Day Pass (plus 13% HST) reserves your seat for all four seminar windows that day, includes a VIP Tru North Grooming Show welcome swag bag, and covers your admission to the Fall Canadian Pet Expo. Please arrive 15 minutes before your first seminar at the Tru North booth beside the stage to check in and pick up your bag.
Sponsors
Thank You to Our 2026 Presenters
Marcia Strong
Featured Educator
Marcia Strong is a Certified Master Groomer (CPPS), Groom Team Canada member, and Ukal Canada sponsored competitor. A five-time Barkleigh Honour Award winner, Marcia competes at the Open level in Poodles, All Other Purebred, and Salon Freestyle classes. She has built three successful salons from the ground up — most recently The Bark Side in Ontario — grooms for film and television, and has been featured in international magazines. An experienced educator and competitor, Marcia has travelled across North America and the UK to teach, compete, and inspire; her favourite class to judge is the First Timers Class, where she helps new groomers find their confidence. Beyond the ring she shares her passion on TikTok as "I Like Dogs More Than You" and proudly raises and shows Kerry Blue Terriers.
- ★Certified Master Groomer (CPPS)
- ★Groom Team Canada member · Ukal Canada sponsored competitor
- ★Five-time Barkleigh Honour Award winner
- ★Owner of three salons, including The Bark Side, Ontario
- ★Creator of TikTok's "I Like Dogs More Than You"
Nancy Bryson
Featured Educator — Industry Leader & Competition Judge
Nancy Bryson has been winning awards for her work on pet and show dogs since 1976 and is recognized as one of Canada's leading grooming educators. A member of the Wahl Canada Xtream Groom Team and a founding member and past President of the Ontario Dog Groomers Association, Nancy was undefeated in the Terrier, Sporting, and Creative categories at the height of her competition career. Today she is a public speaker, demonstrator, and grooming competition judge who coaches professionals through skill-advancement workshops, grooms for film and television, and lends her expertise to industry manufacturers on product development.
- ★Award-winning groomer since 1976
- ★Founding member & past President, Ontario Dog Groomers Association
- ★Wahl Canada Xtream Groom Team member
- ★Undefeated in Terriers, Sporting & Creative competition categories
- ★Industry educator, competition judge & product-development consultant
Chelsea Difrancesco
Featured Educator — Professional Pet Stylist
Chelsea Difrancesco is a professional pet stylist based in Ontario with a passion for breed-specific grooming and hand stripping. She enjoys combining practical pet grooming with the artistry and technical skill required to preserve breed type and presentation. Outside the salon, Chelsea is active in the purebred dog community and regularly attends dog shows, where her involvement in the conformation ring continues to deepen her understanding of breed structure, balance, and grooming. She is committed to ongoing education and refining her craft through hands-on learning, competition grooming, and industry seminars.
- ★Active competitive groomer
- ★Specialist in breed-pattern trims & modern pet styling
- ★Gentle yet effective-handling approach
- ★Focused on finishing techniques & salon efficiency
Bev Smith
Featured Educator — Creative Grooming
Grooming has been a passion of Bev Smith's for a long time, and creative grooming quickly became the natural next step: more colour, flare and imagination. She started at home on her personal dogs, doing ears and tails, then took the leap into professional competition at Pet Expo Canada with a half-tiger, half-lion design that took home a first-place win. Bev has been creative grooming for 3–4 years and continues to learn and grow with every competition. Her favourite advice to new groomers: just do it — you will never know what to expect unless you step into that ring yourself.
- ★Creative grooming competitor
- ★First-place winner at Pet Expo Canada
- ★Airbrushing and colour artistry specialist
- ★Encourages new groomers to step into the ring
Kelli Gilliss
Featured Educator — Grooming, Training & Behaviour
Kelli Gilliss is a lifelong advocate for the human–animal bond with more than three decades of experience in canine grooming, training, behaviour, and performance. A graduate of Sheridan College’s Animal Health Sciences program, she has been a professional groomer since 1991 and a dog trainer since 1996. Through Muttz with Mannerz in Stouffville and her private practice, A Better Way K9 Services, she works with dogs of all levels and helps families find compassionate solutions for challenging behavioural needs. Kelli is also the current President of the Ontario Dog Groomers Association, where she champions education, professionalism, and continued growth within the grooming industry.
- ★30+ years in grooming, training, behaviour, and performance
- ★Sheridan College Animal Health Sciences graduate
- ★Owner of A Better Way K9 Services
- ★Active competitor in obedience, rally, herding, agility, and more
- ★Current President, Ontario Dog Groomers Association
Becca Feddema
Featured Educator — Feline & Small Animal Grooming
Becca Feddema is a groomer and pet professional with a passion for all species of animals. Her business, BFF Groomer, has specialized in cats, rabbits, and terriers since 2020. A BSc graduate of the University of Guelph with six years in veterinary clinics, she applies her education to foster low-stress grooming and training solutions. Becca is also a conformation show handler, CKC member, and events manager for the Niagara regional groomers group.
- ★Owner of BFF Groomer — specializing in cats, rabbits & terriers since 2020
- ★Studied at University of Guelph
- ★Niagara region's top hand-stripping groomer (terriers)
- ★Cat rescue & TNR advocate — runs a senior-cat hospice program
- ★Events manager, Niagara regional groomers group
Ontario Dog Groomers Association
Community Partner
The Ontario Dog Groomers Association (ODGA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the art and science of professional pet grooming in Ontario. Through education, advocacy, and community events, ODGA supports groomers at every stage of their careers — from students and salon stylists to seasoned competitors. Stop by the ODGA booth at the Fall Canadian Pet Expo to learn about membership benefits, upcoming educational opportunities, and how the association champions groomers across the province.
- ★Advocates for professional grooming standards across Ontario
- ★Provides educational resources, workshops, and networking events
- ★Supports groomers from students to seasoned competitors
- ★Connects members with industry mentors and career opportunities
- ★Champions the grooming community through competitions and outreach
Schedule of Events
The Tru North Grooming Show and the Canadian Pet Expo, with the support of our vendors, are proud to present a series of seminars designed for pet professionals to continue their educational growth. Enjoy two full days of open seminars — all included with admission to the Fall Canadian Pet Expo — and every registration comes with the added perks listed below.
Pre-register on this platform to lock in your spot. The $25 Day Pass (plus 13% HST) reserves your seat for all four seminar windows that day, includes a VIP Tru North Grooming Show welcome swag bag, and covers your admission to the Fall Canadian Pet Expo. Please arrive 15 minutes before your first seminar at the Tru North booth beside the stage to check in and pick up your bag.
WEEKEND PASS
Saturday Day Pass — Fall Pet Expo
Reserves your seat for all four Saturday seminar windows + VIP Tru North swag bag. Arrive 15 min early at the Tru North booth by the stage.
$25 CAD + 13% HST
WEEKEND PASS
Sunday Day Pass — Fall Pet Expo
Reserves your seat for all four Sunday seminar windows + VIP Tru North swag bag. Arrive 15 min early at the Tru North booth by the stage.
$25 CAD + 13% HST
WEEKEND PASS
Weekend Pass — Fall Pet Expo
Reserves your seat for ALL Saturday and Sunday seminar windows + VIP Tru North swag bag. Arrive 15 min early at the Tru North booth by the stage.
$45 CAD + 13% HST
Saturday Sept 19
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Prep for Success
Presenter: Marcia Strong
Back to basics — done right. Marcia breaks down proper bathing and blow-drying techniques from the skin up: product selection and dilution, water temperature, brushing-in and rinsing, high-velocity drying without breaking coat, and stretch-drying for a finish that scissors itself. She'll also walk through the tools that consistently deliver the best results, so you can rebuild your prep routine and watch every groom that follows get faster, cleaner, and more polished.
Sponsored by Sponsor WHEATLEY WARES
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Creative Grooming: Airbrushing 101
Presenter: Bev Smith
Bev Smith shares how she moved from everyday grooming to creative competition — from ears and tails at home to a first-place half-tiger, half-lion design at Pet Expo Canada. In this introductory session, she’ll walk through the mindset, tools, and airbrushing basics that turn a regular groom into a colourful canvas. Expect plenty of encouragement: the best way to learn is to just do it, and Bev will show you how to take that first step into the creative ring.
SPONSORED BY WHEATLEY WARES
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
40+ Tips for the Everyday or Competitive Groomer
Presenter: Nancy Bryson
Five decades of grooming wisdom, distilled into a rapid-fire toolkit you can use Monday morning. Nancy shares 40+ field-tested tips that sharpen everything from prep, bathing, and drying, to scissor and clipper handling, pattern setting, head and face work, and final-finish detailing. Each tip is framed for both sides of the table — the everyday salon groomer looking to work cleaner and faster, and the competitor chasing the extra polish that wins ribbons. Bring a notebook; this one moves quickly.
Sponsored by Sponsor TBA
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Cat Grooming Demo
Presenter: Becca Feddema
Cats are not small dogs — and grooming them well takes a completely different approach. In this live demonstration, Becca Feddema of BFF Groomer shares the low-stress feline handling and grooming techniques she's refined since 2020, specializing in cats, rabbits, and terriers. Drawing on her University of Guelph education and years of veterinary-clinic, cat rescue, and TNR experience, Becca shows how to read feline body language, set up a calm workspace, and tailor every groom to the individual cat in front of you — so both you and the cat leave happier.
SPONSORED BY WHEATLEY WARES
Sunday Sept 20
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Homeward Bound
Presenter: Marcia Strong
Where do you fit in? Marcia walks through the pros and cons of every working environment a groomer can choose — home-based salons, corporate stores, mobile rigs, and veterinary clinics — covering income potential, schedule, clientele, equipment costs, and day-to-day lifestyle for each. By the end you'll have a clear picture of which setting best matches your goals, personality, and stage of career, so you can build a path where you truly thrive.
SPONSORED BY WAHL
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Clip It Quick — Grooming Faster
Presenter: Chelsea Difrancesco
Speed without sacrificing quality. Chelsea shares the salon habits, tool choices, and pattern shortcuts she uses to shave real time off every groom — from efficient prep and drying, to clipper-over-comb tricks, smarter scissor paths, and finishing moves that look polished without re-doing your work. Walk away with a practical checklist you can put on the table Monday morning to book more dogs without burning out.
SPONSORED BY WAHL
1:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Secrets and Tips to Better Scissoring
Presenter: Nancy Bryson
Nancy demonstrates proper scissoring technique along with time-saving methods you can use every day. She covers directing coat, different combs and combing, selecting a shear that fits your hand, and a discussion of different edges and shear types.
Sponsored by Sponsor OPAWZ
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
From Fear to Function: Supporting Stressed Dogs in the Grooming Salon using a Total Welfare approach
Presenter: Kelli Gilliss
Learn how to recognize stress signals and reshape the grooming experience for anxious dogs through a Total Welfare lens. Kelli blends behaviour science with practical salon strategies to help you build trust, reduce restraint, and keep both dogs and groomers safer. Discover low-stress handling techniques, environmental adjustments, and communication tips that turn fearful first visits into functional, repeatable grooms.
SPONSORED BY TAURO
Certificates
Seminar Attendance Certificate
Electronic PDF Certificate of Participation
Certificates of participation are available as a $5 CAD add-on when you register for the seminar or workshop they relate to. They can't be purchased on their own — add the seminar to your cart and tick the certificate option there.
Know Your Venue
Get familiar with the venue before you arrive. Explore the floorplan and key areas — competition rings, seminar rooms, vendor hall, food, and rest zones — so you can make the most of your time between seminars and competitions.
Hotels & Accommodations
We've partnered with nearby hotels to offer preferred rates for show attendees. Click below to view the list and your event code.