Please join our Firm in congratulating Jonathan Corobow (Hamilton) for successfully passing the 2023 Membership Qualification Exam (MQE). The MQE is the final educational requirement leading to the Chartered Business Valuators (CBV) designation and is administered by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators. Jonathan was admitted for membership as a Chartered Business Valuator in December of 2023.
Archives: News & Events
2023 Successful CFE Writers
Please join our Firm in congratulating Arshdeep Chahal (Hamilton), Jessica Kowalczyk (Hamilton), Stan Lubinic (Burlington), Ryan Marcon (Hamilton), and Cherry Nie (Hamilton), for successfully passing their 2023 Common Final Evaluation (CFE). The CFE is the final educational requirement leading to the Chartered Professional Accountant designation.
New Managers
Please join our Firm in congratulating Fran Bonomi (St. Catharines), Ceilidh McDonald (St. Catharines), Emily Smith (Hamilton), Jake Sosniak (Hamilton), Colton Sulisz (St. Catharines) and Coady Turner (Hamilton) on their promotions to Manager.
Fran Bonomi
Fran is a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) and holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management from Niagara College, as well as an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences from Western University.
Ceilidh McDonald
Ceilidh obtained her Bachelor of Accounting (Honours) degree in 2019 from Brock University with First Class Standing. She completed her Master of Accountancy in 2020 and received her Chartered Professional Accountant designation in 2021. She started her career at DJB in the St. Catharines office as a co-op student in May of 2016 and became full time in October 2020.
Emily Smith
Emily holds an Honours Bachelor of Accounting degree from Brock University (2016) and obtained her Chartered Professional Accountant designation in 2020. She joined DJB in November 2020 and works out of the Hamilton location.
Jake Sosniak
Jake obtained a Bachelor of Accounting degree (honors) in 2018 from Brock University and received his Chartered professional Accountant designation in 2020. He started as a Supervisor at DJB in April, 2022 and works out of the Hamilton office location.
Colton Sulisz
During his undergraduate studies at Brock University, he completed a semester-long international exchange at the University of Mannheim in Germany. Colton later graduated from Brock University in October 2014 with a Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) degree and obtained his CPA, CA designation in September 2018. He began his career with DJB in 2019 as an intermediate staff accountant.
Coady Turner
Coady obtained his Bachelor of Accounting degree with first-class standing in 2018 from Brock University. He successfully passed the Common Final Examination in September 2020 and received his Chartered Professional Accountant designation in February 2021. In 2019, Coady joined DJB as a staff accountant in the Hamilton office.
New Senior Managers
Please join our Firm in congratulating Robert Taylor (Hamilton) and Freddy Trigiani (Hamilton) on their promotions to Senior Manager.
Robert Taylor
Robert started his career with DJB in the St. Catharines office in 2016 as an Assurance Senior. He was promoted to Assurance Manager in January 2020 and Senior Manager in January 2024.
Freddy Trigiani
Freddy joined DJB as a co-op student in the former Grimsby office in January 2013 and transferred to the Hamilton office as a Senior Accountant in October 2016 when he became full time. In January 2020, Freddy was promoted to Manager and in January 2024, he was promoted to Senior Manager.
Tax Tips & Traps: 2024 Year-end Planning
TOPICS COVERED IN THIS ISSUE:
- 2023 Year-end Planning
- 2023 Remuneration
It’s Almost Time for the Holidays
‘Tis the season, and as such the DJB offices will be closed starting Monday, December 25, 2023, and will reopen on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.
We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!
Durward Jones Barkwell & Company LLP named as one of Hamilton-Niagara’s Top Employers for 2024!
DJB has been named one of Hamilton-Niagara’s Top Employers for 2024 by Mediacorp Canada Inc., organizers of the annual Canada’s Top 100 Employers project. This year’s regional winners were announced on November 23, 2023 in The Hamilton Spectator. We are honoured to have previously received this distinction in 2020, 2022, and 2023.
To be selected as a Top Employer, companies are compared to other organizations in their field to determine which offer the most progressive and employee-friendly programs.
“To have been bestowed with this distinction for the third year in a row acts as a humbling reminder that our efforts towards creating a rewarding and engaging work environment for aspiring professionals within the region have not gone unnoticed. Our people collectively help us to shape the culture and programming available at DJB, through ongoing feedback and engagement at every level.” Darryl Teutenberg, Firm Managing Partner.
To be selected as one of Hamilton-Niagara Top Employers, organizations are evaluated on:
- Work Environment
- Work Atmosphere & Communications
- Health Benefits
- Employee Engagement
- Financial Benefits & Compensation
- Family-Friendly Policies
- Programs for Experienced Employees
- Vacation Policy & Paid Days-Off
- Community Involvement
The annual competition is open to any employer with its head office in the Hamilton-Niagara area, and employers of any size may apply, whether private or public sector.
Read the reasons for DJB’s selection as a top employer.
About DJB. DJB is one of the largest public accounting firms in the Niagara, Hamilton, and Halton regions with multiple locations offering accounting, assurance, and business advisory services to businesses located throughout Southern Ontario. The Firm was founded in 1940 and has built its reputation on the engagement and commitment we’ve made to the communities in which we work and live.
DJB is a member of the RSM Canada Alliance. The alliance provides us with access to the resources of RSM Canada while still allowing us to maintain our independence and entrepreneurial spirit. Through the RSM Canada Alliance, we are continuing to build and enhance our Firm’s culture by leveraging the infrastructure and best practices of RSM Canada.
Welcome to National Financial Planning Week!
Created by the Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC) and the Institut Québécois de Planification Financiere (IQPF), Financial Planning Week is part of an ongoing effort to promote financial planning and its benefits to Canadians. This year, Financial Planning Week takes place from November 19th to 25th.
Since its inception in 2009, we have participated annually in the campaign in an effort to continually promote the benefits of financial planning with a professional planner.
We believe that financial planning is much more than just budgeting and saving. We believe it is the strategy and process of financial planning that sets you on course to achieve your life goals through the proper management of your financial affairs.
There are a number of Financial Planning articles on our website and we encourage you to take the time to review them. We believe that these articles are timely, informative, and beneficial to ensuring your financial success.
Challenge yourself! Read the below hand-picked articles on Financial Planning this week and let us know what you think.
Monday – Inflation, Interest Rates Will Have a Surprising Effect on Your Taxes Next Year
Tuesday – FIRST HOME SAVINGS ACCOUNT (FHSA): A New Investment Tool
Wednesday – Charitable Gifting of Securities
Thursday – Psychology of Selling Your Business
Friday – The Tax Free Savings Account
Fireside Chat with Our HR Advisors
Join DJB’s Human Resources Advisors for a 60-minute interactive fireside chat, exploring the topics of Compliance, AI, Employee Engagement, and Social Media in the workplace. These topics will include key considerations for your business as we head towards a new year.
Participants are encouraged to grab a warm drink and settle in by our cozy virtual fireside for an HR update!
A portion of our session will be dedicated to open Q&A, giving you the opportunity to fire away with any of your burning HR questions. While we invite you to bring your questions to the session, participants may also submit them in advance by emailing djbhr@djb.com.
DJB’S HR PANELISTS:
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Christina Atkinson, Principal, Human Resources Advisory, MA, CHRL, CEC
Christina Atkinson is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) with over 25 years of senior HR and leadership experience. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Psychology, the Human Resources Management designation, and is a Certified Executive Coach (CEC). Christina is a member of the Niagara chapter of the HRPA, as well as the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) in the US. As the Principal, Human Resources Advisory, Christina oversees both the internal HR department and the HR Advisory Services practice, providing leadership and direction to DJB senior management on all HR matters and leading a team of professionals to provide the full range of HR services for external clients. |
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Michelle DeLuca, Manager Human Resources Advisory
Michelle has over 25 years’ experience working in Human Resources in the areas of Talent Acquisition, Training and Development, and more recently as an HR Generalist. She has completed the Workplace Investigations Certificate Program through Bernardi Human Resource Law LLP. Michelle is a member of the Niagara chapter of the HRPA. She has an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics and Business, as well as a Bachelor of Education, specializing in adult education. Prior to joining DJB, Michelle gained valuable experience working as an HR Consultant for a large Canadian retailer. Her experience included supporting leaders across the enterprise to help achieve operational goals and drive performance. She is a results-driven HR professional who successfully builds strong relationships with her clients. |
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Fran Bonomi, Senior Human Resources Consultant, CHRP
Fran is a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) and holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management from Niagara College, as well as an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences from Western University. As a recent graduate, she is involved in a wide variety of projects and initiatives as part of the Human Resources Advisory Team. Fran is an active member in the Niagara community. |
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Francesca Neagu, Human Resources Assistant
Francesca joined DJB as an intern in April 2021 and was hired into a full-time role in July 2021. She helps to support the Firm’s internal recruitment efforts and HR team. Francesca supports the internal HR team in all administrative tasks, in particular with job description creation, job posting, and candidate screening & interviews – straight through to the onboarding and orientation of all new DJB staff members. Francesca also provides support for the Human Resources Advisory practice whenever needed. |
FSAT News: Fall/Winter 2023
TOPICS COVERED IN THIS ISSUE:
- Minority Shareholdings – Does a Minority Discount Apply?
- CBVs and Legal Matters
- Discount Rate Increases to 1.0% for Trials in 2024