Independent optometry clinics from across Canada filled the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto from Oct. 21 to 23 for Eye Recommend‘s National Training Event (NTE) East 2026. With more than 1,000 attendees and a sold-out tradeshow, it was the largest NTE in the cooperative’s history.
Built around the theme Experience the Momentum, the event gave clinic owners, associates and their teams three days of practical education, peer connection and time to recharge together.
“Two years ago, our Events team started planning this event without knowing how many people would come, how the profession would change or what economic pressures clinics would face,” said Lee Raffey, CEO of Eye Recommend. “What they built is a place where our members learn from each other. They brought their teams, embraced the education and made the most of every chance to connect. That energy is what makes this community strong and helps independent clinics keep growing on their own terms.”
Keynote speakers Jia Jiang, Eric O’Neill, Tyler Hayden and Dr. David Coletto anchored the program, alongside breakout sessions on AI, benchmarking, myopia management and organizational culture. Each session was designed to give owners, managers and team members ideas they could use in their clinics the following week.
The tradeshow sold out with 65 ER Supplier Partners. Networking spaces placed throughout the exhibitor floor gave member clinics more room to meet suppliers face to face, ask questions and explore products and pricing available through the cooperative.
The event also made space for wellness and fun, from a hand massage station and fragrance bar to a roaming Robobooth and a Friday night team-building game show hosted by Eventology Canada. Comedian Jessi Cruickshank emceed, and the event closed with a Dîner en Blanc-themed dinner and Silent Beats dance party.
“NTE is where we build our community,” said Colin Hobson, Chair of Eye Recommend’s Board of Directors. “As a member-owned cooperative, Eye Recommend belongs to the practices in that room. When they come together to share what’s working and celebrate each other’s success, you see what makes independent optometry so strong. Our members don’t just take part in this community. They built it.”
NTE is one part of how Eye Recommend supports members year-round. Alongside regional trainings, one-on-one business coaching, newsletters and the new Member Portal, in-person events help members get consistent support wherever they choose to engage. Upcoming NTEs take place in Edmonton, May 13 to 15, 2027, and London, Ont., Oct. 21 to 23, 2027.
Succession planning is often framed as a matter of contracts, valuations, and timelines – financials and legalese. But the checklist alone rarely explains why some practices transition smoothly while others lose staff, unsettle patients, and leave the outgoing owner feeling like a stranger in the place they’ve built. The difference usually isn’t legal. It’s emotional.
Succession isn’t one event — it’s a conversation held many times, over months or years. How it’s handled says more about the practice’s future than any spreadsheet.
Staff: Transparency Before Rumor Fills the Gap
Staff notice change before it’s announced. A new face shadowing exam rooms, closed-door meetings, a shift in tone at the front desk — these details don’t go unnoticed, and silence lets anxiety fill the gaps with worse stories than reality.
Emotionally intelligent succession means getting ahead of the rumor mill. In practice, that looks like:
Honesty over polish — share timing and process as they solidify, rather than waiting for a “perfect” announcement
Inclusion, not just information — treat staff as people with a stake in the outcome, not employees informed after the fact
Recognition of tenure — a tech or receptionist who helped build the practice’s culture deserves to feel part of its next chapter, even if their exact role is still undefined
Clarity over reassurance — read anxiety before it becomes attrition, and address it directly rather than just soothing it
Patients: Continuity Is an Emotional Promise, Not Just a Scheduling Detail
For many patients, especially long-term ones, their optometrist isn’t interchangeable. There’s trust built over years of exams, prescriptions, and small conversations that add up to a relationship. When that relationship changes hands, patients aren’t just evaluating a new provider’s credentials — they’re gauging whether they’re still cared for.
Timing and framing matter enormously. Patients should hear about a transition directly and early enough that it doesn’t feel sprung on them. The outgoing doctor’s endorsement of the incoming one — delivered in person, not just via mailer — preserves loyalty better than any marketing effort. The message underneath it all is simple: you are still in good hands.
Family: Separating the Practice from the Person
For owners transitioning within a family, the succession conversation carries extra weight, because it isn’t just business — it’s identity, expectation, and sometimes unspoken family history. An outgoing owner may struggle to let go of control even while intending to; an incoming family member may feel pressure to prove themselves rather than lead in their own way.
Here, EQ means naming the discomfort directly rather than letting it simmer politely. What does “retirement” look like day to day? Is the outgoing owner ready to stop deciding, or do they need a phased role that honors their attachment while making space for the next generation to lead? A lawyer can’t answer these. They require the same self-awareness optometrists use daily with patients — turned toward themselves and the people closest to them.
Managing Uncertainty Is the Real Deliverable
Every succession plan, no matter how well-structured, involves a period where nothing feels settled:
Staff wonder about their future
Patients wonder if their care will change
Family members navigate shifting roles and expectations
The practices that come through this stable aren’t the ones with the airtight contracts — they’re the ones where everyone felt informed, respected, and heard. That’s the real work of succession planning: not eliminating uncertainty but managing it with enough transparency and empathy that no one is left guessing. Legal documents protect the transaction. The legacy conversation protects everything else — the culture, the trust, and the relationships that made the practice worth continuing.
Thinking about your own succession plan? The earlier the conversation starts, the more room there is to get it right — for your staff, your patients, and yourself. Reach out to learn how a thoughtful transition plan can protect the practice you’ve built.
About the Author :
Jade Bodzasy
Curious about Emotional Intelligence and how it can support your team? Hi, I’m Jade Bodzasy, an Emotional Intelligence Facilitator based in Kingston, ON. I love collaborating with business owners who care about creating workplaces where people can: •Enjoy their work again: with less stress, tension, and miscommunication. •Evolve into emotionally intelligent leaders: who inspire, engage, and bring out the best in others. •Earn more together: by keeping great people, building stronger client relationships, and fostering a culture where everyone thrives. If this resonates with you, I’d love to connect and learn more about your team: www.emotionalintelligenceconsultinginc.com
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AYA Optical brings Donald Chrétien’s popular Catfish design to the bold new Riva, a handcrafted premium acetate frame for women. Featuring a softly sculpted oversized square silhouette with subtle cat-eye styling, Riva combines contemporary fashion, timeless craftsmanship, and meaningful Indigenous artistry in striking Crystal Purple and Shiny Black colourways.
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Ray-Ban MARVEL
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Beginning November 1, 2026, Alberta will become the first province in Canada to allow qualified optometrists with additional training to perform certain minor surgical and laser procedures in their offices. The regulatory changes expand the range of eye care services that specially trained optometrists can provide directly in community-based clinics.
Under the new framework, eligible optometrists will be authorized to perform the removal of benign skin lesions, the treatment of styes and certain laser procedures, allowing some patients to access care without requiring referral to another provider.
Expanding Access to Community-Based Eye Care
Provincial officials say the changes are intended to improve access to care, particularly for patients in rural and remote communities where travel and wait times can be significant barriers.
“Albertans deserve timely access to the care they need,” said Justin Wright, Alberta’s Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services. “We’re giving Albertans more choices, reducing unnecessary barriers and making health care work better for patients, while keeping safety our highest priority.”
Supporters of the initiative say the expanded scope of practice could reduce the number of referrals and appointments required for some patients while improving access to treatment closer to home.
Additional Training and Oversight Required
Patient safety remains a central component of the changes. Only optometrists who complete approved education, examinations and clinical supervision will be authorized to provide the expanded services.
The Alberta College of Optometrists will establish standards of practice and oversee implementation of the new regulations.
“As a clinician and educator with firsthand experience performing these procedures, I know the difference they can make for patients,” said Dr. Sophia Leung, president of the Alberta Association of Optometrists. “Alberta’s doctors of optometry have the training and expertise to deliver this care safely.”
Increasing Capacity Within the Eye Care System
The changes are also expected to support system capacity by allowing ophthalmologists to devote more time to patients with complex eye conditions while optometrists provide a broader range of care within their training and scope.
“This announcement builds on years of collaboration between the college and government to modernize how eye care is delivered and to improve access for patients,” said Dr. Michelle Duke, president of the Alberta College of Optometrists.
Authorized Procedures
Eligible optometrists will be able to perform three laser procedures:
Peripheral iridotomy
Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT)
Nd:YAG capsulotomy
Ophthalmologists will continue to provide these procedures while focusing a greater portion of their clinical capacity on more complex eye health concerns.
More than 1,000 attendees gathered in Toronto for Eye Recommend's National Training Event East 2026, the largest event in the cooperative's history, featuring education, networking and a sold-out supplier tradeshow.
Discover how emotional intelligence in succession planning helps optometry practices protect staff relationships, patient trust, family dynamics, and practice culture.
Riva brings Donald Chrétien’s Catfish artwork to a handcrafted premium acetate frame, pairing an oversized square silhouette with subtle cat-eye styling.
Starting November 1, Alberta will allow specially trained optometrists to perform select laser and minor surgical procedures, expanding access to eye care.
More than 1,000 attendees gathered in Toronto for Eye Recommend's National Training Event East 2026, the largest event in the cooperative's history, featuring education, networking and a sold-out supplier tradeshow.
Discover how emotional intelligence in succession planning helps optometry practices protect staff relationships, patient trust, family dynamics, and practice culture.
Riva brings Donald Chrétien’s Catfish artwork to a handcrafted premium acetate frame, pairing an oversized square silhouette with subtle cat-eye styling.
Starting November 1, Alberta will allow specially trained optometrists to perform select laser and minor surgical procedures, expanding access to eye care.
More than 1,000 attendees gathered in Toronto for Eye Recommend's National Training Event East 2026, the largest event in the cooperative's history, featuring education, networking and a sold-out supplier tradeshow.
Discover how emotional intelligence in succession planning helps optometry practices protect staff relationships, patient trust, family dynamics, and practice culture.
Riva brings Donald Chrétien’s Catfish artwork to a handcrafted premium acetate frame, pairing an oversized square silhouette with subtle cat-eye styling.
Starting November 1, Alberta will allow specially trained optometrists to perform select laser and minor surgical procedures, expanding access to eye care.
More than 1,000 attendees gathered in Toronto for Eye Recommend's National Training Event East 2026, the largest event in the cooperative's history, featuring education, networking and a sold-out supplier tradeshow.
Discover how emotional intelligence in succession planning helps optometry practices protect staff relationships, patient trust, family dynamics, and practice culture.
Riva brings Donald Chrétien’s Catfish artwork to a handcrafted premium acetate frame, pairing an oversized square silhouette with subtle cat-eye styling.
Starting November 1, Alberta will allow specially trained optometrists to perform select laser and minor surgical procedures, expanding access to eye care.
