Bliss Edwards, executive vice president and head of Canada for SmartStop Self Storage REIT Inc., a self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT), has been selected as a national winner of the 2025 Canadian Women in Real Estate Awards. Media company Connect CRE Canada presents this award in recognition of leadership and achievement in the commercial real estate industry. Edwards was honored for her strategic vision, hands-on execution in property acquisitions and development, and her mentorship of emerging professionals in the industry, according to a press release.
Edwards joined SmartStop in 2019 and leads the company’s Canadian acquisition and development efforts. She oversees the sourcing and execution of new-development opportunities and has quadrupled the company’s pipeline of net rentable square feet. Under her oversight, SmartStop has become one of the largest self-storage operators in North America, the release stated.
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“On behalf of SmartStop, I congratulate Bliss on this well-deserved recognition. Her leadership has been instrumental to our Canadian growth strategy, including the substantial expansion of our development pipeline and our position as a leading operator in key markets,” said SmartStop CEO and chairman H. Michael Schwartz. “Bliss brings strategic vision, operational discipline and a commitment to developing talent across the organization. This national award underscores the meaningful impact she has had on SmartStop and on the broader real estate community.”
SmartStop owns or manages 236 self-storage facilities in 23 states, comprising 19.1 million rentable square feet. The company and its affiliates also own or manage 49 storage properties in Canada totaling 4.3 million rentable square feet. SmartStop was added to the Russell 3000 Index in June and launched its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in April.
Connect CRE Canada is a resource for commercial real estate professionals in the country, combining daily online news coverage with educational conferences and networking events to keep industry participants informed about market developments and business opportunities.
Source: BusinessWire, SmartStop’s Bliss Edwards Named National Winner in the 2025 Canadian Women in Real Estate Awards
ISS Staff
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