The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) has published a year-end update on its burden reduction efforts for Ontario capital market participants,  Reducing Regulatory Burden in Ontario’s Capital Markets, 2019 (the Update). In OSC Staff Notice 11-784, Burden Reduction (the Staff Notice), published in January 2019 and…

The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) and the participating jurisdictions of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia (the Participating Jurisdictions) have signed a cooperation agreement (the Agreement) with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), which is Singapore’s central bank and…

The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) has completed its review of the disclosure of 70 Canadian Cannabis industry registrants, CSA Staff Notice 51-357, Staff Review of Reporting Issuers in the Cannabis Industry (the Staff Notice). Prior to the Cannabis Act, 2018 (the Act), which permits the…

The British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) has acted to protect the investors of one BC-based cryptocurrency exchange while launching an investigation against a second. On October 31, 2019 the counsel representing the Vancouver-based Einstein Exchange (Einstein) had informed the BCSC that its client had planned…

The Ontario Securities Commission has granted limited-time approval to TokenGX Inc. (TokenGX or the Company) for the creation of a blockchain-based security token (token). TokenGX sought approval to create its blockchain-based security token trading platform (the Platform) through the OSC’s Launch Pad. The Company is…

The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) has overturned a prior OSC ruling and has issued a receipt for the final prospectus of the Bitcoin Fund (the Fund). The Manager of the Fund (3iQ Corp.) announced in October 2018 that the Fund, had filed a non-offering prospectus…

The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), along with its participating jurisdictions, is conducting a review of Automatic Securities Disposition Plans (ASDPs). ASDPs allow insiders to carry out preplanned sales of securities of an issuer through an arms-length administrator, according to a predetermined set of instructions. The…

The Government of Ontario’s Ministry of Government and Consumer Services (MGCS) has completed its review of key elements of Ontario business law and is now requesting input from stakeholders. The proposed changes include amendments to the Business Corporations Act (OBCA) and amendments to the Arthur…

On October 2, 2019,  the Government of British Columbia introduced proposed legislation that would provide a sweeping set of updates to existing provincial securities law, Bill 33 – 2019, the Securities Amendment Act, 2019 (the Act.) Once given Royal Assent and enacted into law, the…

The TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) has announced amendments (the Amendments) to its Corporate Finance Manual (the Manual) to reduce the frequency by which directors, officers, promoters, and other insiders (individuals)  have to submit a Form 2A (The Personal Information Form or PIF). The Amendments are…