Can landlord deduct conferences or expenses shopping for a property as expense?

I would contact the CRA because this is their area of expertise. If you can do it sooner than later, they will not as busy.

People deduct all sorts of things on their taxes because it works on an honour system (they do not verify upon submission, they sometimes take years (if ever) to verify). I would focus on what the CRA says, just because others deduct something does not mean you should.

The General CRA line took 30mins to get a live person, the person basically read what it said on the website...

In logic I should be able to deduct it, because it is a expense I use to acquire more rental properties...

Just deduct it ... If they say no in the future you'll just pay taxes on what's owing ...

CRA is pretty specific about which motor vehicle-related expenses they will allow, and conferences & scouting are not covered.

I do agree with you in principal but these functions aren't explicitly allowed. Similarly, taking a personal finance or investment course wouldn't provide a deduction (though it may provide a credit) to the average person even though they may allow you to earn more and thus pay more tax.

Also, check out how mileage is calculated on T4002... it's a lot of work keeping track and may not be worthwhile if it's done honestly - though it depends a lot on your personal:business travel ratio.