Independent Financial Brokers of Canada (IFB) on Tuesday announced the forging of a new partnership with the Conseil des professionnels en services financiers (the Conseil) to provide training for financial services professionals.

The new alliance will give IFB a chance to expand its reach as a professional association to more advisors in the province of Quebec. IFB’s existing, cross-Canada membership base and experience offering continuing education to advisors will bolster the Conseil’s ability to offer high quality training services to Quebec’s English-speaking markets.

“Our organization has been fighting for thirty years for the rights of independent financial professionals in Canada, but we have not yet achieved the same stature in Quebec that we enjoy in the rest of the country,” explains Nancy Allan, IFB’s Executive Director, in a statement.

“Working alongside the Conseil, we can expand our reach in Quebec to support both French and English speaking financial advisors, says Allan. “It’s a win for both associations”.

“For the Conseil, it’s clear that the challenges and risks that professionals are confronted with every day are not limited to Quebec. For example, Quebec professionals must also comply with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) and federal anti-money laundering legislation. With IFB, the Conseil adds a national scope to its strategy and that will enable us to be more visible and efficient than ever”, says the Conseil’s president, Mario Grégoire.

Both partners recognize the potential for more opportunities to work together in the future, the organizations say.