Your Steele Wealth Management Team: Our Year-in-Review
Kelly Edmonds
We’re happy to announce that Kelly has recently returned from maternity leave and will be back to assisting the numerous clients who know her well in the new year. Last year, we celebrated Kelly’s 20th year at Steele Wealth Management. Time flies when you’re having fun!
Brian Steele
I want to express my thanks to our clients as 2025 comes to a close. Your trust, confidence, and the referrals you’ve shared are the greatest compliment. Markets kept us on our toes this year, but we stayed focused on what matters most, helping you reach your goals. We remained disciplined, seized opportunities when they appeared, and kept your plans on track.
I also want to recognize the dedication and expertise of every member of our team. Leading this group is a privilege, and their professionalism and commitment has made all the difference. Together, your partnership and our team’s efforts made 2025 another remarkable year for Steele Wealth Management. Thank you for your continued partnership; we welcome your referrals and look forward to working with you in the year ahead.
Giving back to our community is a core value of our team. Once again this year, we were proud to sponsor the 60th annual Westmount Oktoberfest Charity Pro-Am in support of the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council and Starling Children’s Mental Health Services.
This tournament, the longest-running charity pro-am in Canada, has raised over $2.1 million for local charities since its inception in 1965. Founded by local golf legends Gus Maue and Ernie Hauser, it’s a truly unique event that not only kicks off Oktoberfest celebrations but also brings together Ontario CPGA professionals to add skill and camaraderie from the golfing community.
This marked my ninth year as chairperson, and I was thrilled to have our son Webster join the event committee while the entire SWM team volunteered. Seeing everyone come together to make the tournament a success was truly rewarding. We’re grateful for the opportunity to contribute in a way that makes a real and tangible difference.
Here’s to a successful and exciting 2026. I can’t wait to see what’s next!
Laura Prust
Reflecting on 2025 fills me with appreciation for the team that serves our clients. Top notch. Our collective resolve to think ahead about clients’ needs and how best to meet them bore fruit in numerous retirements, education funding withdrawals, business sales, cross-border moves, and living bequests. Such a privilege to participate in these dreams coming to fruition!
For my part, to sharpen my saw, I went back to school for the Ivey Investment Professionals Leadership Program at the Ivey School of Business! Nothing says “growth” like case studies, leadership frameworks, and realizing you still love learning. Brought back many take-aways that will strengthen the team to best serve clients for many years to come. Speaking of which, I celebrated 25 Years with Steele Wealth Management this year – a quarter-century! Here’s to loyalty, resilience, and commitment.
I did work in some fun as well – highly recommend Arrowhead Provincial Park Fire & Ice Evening Skate. Picture this: twinkling lights, crisp winter air, and my family gliding across a frozen trail like Olympic hopefuls (…more like people trying not to fall too often). It was magical!
I also went to Ireland – a bittersweet journey to celebrate the life of a loved one. I am proud to say I drove a stick shift on the ‘wrong’ side of those wild Irish roads for a week with nary a scratch!
Looking into 2026, I recommit to balance: between optimism and prudence, action and patience. Embracing this duality means uncertainty is not merely something to withstand – it is a terrain to understand, and to harness.
Sam Ryder
Thank you for your continued trust in what was another interesting year for markets!
Outside of the office, 2025 was a great year spending time with friends and family. I was lucky to travel within Canada this year – making it as far east as Nova Scotia and as far west as Vancouver. This country is so beautiful and diverse.
A highlight for me was fly fishing for Atlantic Salmon in Cape Breton. It is very accessible (you don’t need a guide) and the scenery will quickly make you forgot you haven’t caught anything! This is a view of the highlands from one of the famous pools along the Margaree River.
Jeannine Campbell
This season always makes me pause and reflect on the blessings in my life and how much I have to be grateful for. Traveling across the country to see family and lifelong friends, exploring national parks and the beautiful colours of fall, music festivals, spending time at the lake with my family – boating, fishing, making s’mores over the campfire with grandkids and enjoying many adventures throughout the year have all been highlights.
At the same time, I think about those who are struggling, especially with food insecurity and homelessness in our communities and beyond. It’s a powerful reminder to appreciate what we have and to look for ways to help others.
Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a new year filled with peace, health, and happiness!
Elizabeth Kernohan
“How did it get so late so soon?”
Dr. Seuss said it best: “How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn.”
This quote, about time passing in a blur, captures exactly how I feel celebrating my 60th birthday in 2025 - Time has flewn!
I welcomed “hello sixty” with high tea in a cozy tearoom in England. The afternoon was perfect: sipping tea, toasting with prosecco, eating clotted cream on scones, laughing, and sharing with friends. I was visiting iconic London, hoping to spot King Charles, as a red double-decker bus rolled past and I realized that sixty isn’t just a number. It’s a celebration of family, friendship, memories and all the adventures still waiting ahead.
Here’s to more prosecco, more laughter, and more adventures!
Matt Bell
It seems the years are flying by faster than ever! Fast-paced winters full of hockey and dance (and the associated driving – when you know, you know) and (sometimes) slower summers up at the trailer. The faster time seems to pass, the faster the boys continue their journey to adulthood, further reinforcing the passage of time! The older two are almost as tall as mom and have set their sights on me 😊
In addition to getting as much boating, swimming, and fishing in as we could, we made it a priority to visit more historical sites and museums this summer. On one day trip, we found ourselves at the Grey Roots Museum & Archives where we stumbled upon an operational Robert Bell engine, the flagship product of my 1st cousin 4x removed’s company in Seaforth, Ontario. These engines were ubiquitous across Ontario in the early-to-mid 1900s but were made obsolete when mass production of all-in-one combine harvesters began after WWII.
Have a Merry Christmas and wishing you all the best in the new year!
Greg Weiler
For most of May 2025, we travelled with different groups of relatives and friends to London England, Milton Keynes England, Prague Czechia, Vienna Austria and Budapest Hungary.
It was an exercise in planes, trains, cars, subways, and buses but lots of fun.
On July 31, 2024, we welcomed my granddaughter, Rhea Eadaoin Weiler. The middle name is Irish as her mother is Irish. She is the daughter of our youngest son, Ben, and his fiancée, Clare.
Nudrat Ahsan
2025 was a memorable year filled with travel, family moments and fresh inspiration. To mark the beginning of the year, I had the chance to visit India with my kids, reconnecting with loved ones and attending a family wedding there. We had a great time and enjoyed the several delicacies. It was a beautiful reminder of our roots and the people who mean the most to us.
The year also took me on an unforgettable Europe trip with my family, where we explored new cultures, stunning landscapes, and iconic cities. From historic streets to breathtaking views, every destination added something special to our journey. Best moments spent were the moments with my brother & his family in Germany whom I met after 3 years… Home away from home!
These experiences made 2025 a year of gratitude, growth, and unforgettable memories. Included below is just a small portion of our memories made there.
We wish everyone a very happy and prosperous new year 2026!
Criselle Tung
2025 has truly been a whirlwind! This year brought so many changes and milestones—I joined Steele Wealth Management, we received our Permanent Residency in Canada, I completed my U.S. securities licensing exams, traveled across provinces and countries, went camping (and even tried portaging!), and, biggest of all, we bought our first home! All in one year… phew! I think 2026 might be my year to slow down a little.
One of the highlights was a much-needed getaway to Alberta with Martin, my spouse. Alberta was stunningly breathtaking—the towering Rockies, turquoise lakes, and endless scenic drives made it unforgettable. Everything looked like a postcard. Standing among those massive peaks really put things into perspective.
Here’s to slowing down and savoring the journey. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a bright, peaceful New Year!
Liam Priestman
2025 was a year dominated by a big life event for me – home ownership. In January, I purchased my first home, a 1950s bungalow in Waterloo. With the help of family and friends (bribed with pizza and beer) we repainted the interior of the whole house, rectifying some questionable colour choices.
Home ownership forced me to learn a few things that were not on my 2025 bingo card – pond maintenance, Japanese Maple tree care, and baseboard replacement. Thankfully I have lots of friends and some wonderful neighbours that were always willing to lend a hand when I got in over my head.
In between the many home improvement projects, I found time to enjoy many summer backyard BBQs with friends. I also became the de-facto Blue Jays watch party location for friends and family thanks to my one notable splurge, a sizable flatscreen tv.
My sole trip of 2025 took me out to Nova Scotia in June. A few of my oldest friends and I went to Cape Breton Highlands National Park and did some back country camping. Not the most seasoned camper, I was a little nervous, but eager for a new unique experience and sold on the pitch of a relatively modest 6km trail to the campsite (it turns out that 6km involved descending over 1,100ft but we won’t get into that). As you can see from the photos below, any hesitation in my smile on journey down was swiftly dispatched once we reached our campsite and enjoyed our fancy camping dinner of ramen and hot dogs on the beach.
After an eventful 2025, I look forward to what 2026 brings us and wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all the best ringing in the new year!
