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In brief

On 8 October 2020, the Government of Ontario tabled the Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2020 (Bill 213) for its second reading. Bill 213 introduces red tape reduction and regulatory modernization efforts to make Ontario more competitive. Among the changes proposed are amendments to the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (OBCA) which would eliminate director residency requirements for Ontario corporations, and permit written shareholder resolutions to be effective if signed by a majority of votes rather than a unanimity of shareholders. Bill 213 has not yet received royal assent, and no date has been set for the coming into force of the proposed changes to the OBCA.


Director Residency Requirements

Bill 213 proposes to repeal residency requirements under ss. 118(3) of the OBCA, such that Ontario corporations which are not offering securities to the public will no longer be required to ensure that resident Canadians hold at least 25 percent of the seats on their board of directors. This legislative change would align with corporate law requirements in many of Canada’s largest provinces and several international financial hubs, and would likely reduce the use of Ontario branch offices by foreign companies seeking to avoid director residency requirements.

Written Shareholder Resolutions

The OBCA generally imposes that ordinary resolutions considered at a meeting of shareholders be passed by a majority of the votes cast. However, in order to pass an ordinary resolution in writing in lieu of holding a meeting, s. 104 of the OBCA stipulates that unanimous written shareholder approval is necessary. Bill 213 proposes to reduce the threshold for written shareholder approval by Ontario corporations which are not offering securities to the public. Following the proposed changes, it will be possible for such corporations to pass ordinary shareholder resolutions in writing relying on the vote of a majority of the shares. Bill 213 introduces an obligation to notify all shareholders who did not sign a written resolution within 10 business days of the resolution being passed. Changes to shareholder approval requirements should be considered in light of constating documents, which may impose obligations more stringent than those under the OBCA.

•        The authors of this piece gratefully acknowledge the contributions of articling student Tina Yuan.

Author

David Palumbo is a partner and Chair of the Corporate Transactions Practice Group in Baker McKenzie's Toronto office. David is a member of the Firm's North American Capital Markets Steering Committee and Global Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee. He serves as Chair of the Board of the You Can Play Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the inclusion of all in sports. In 2023, David was named as one of Canada's Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyer Magazine.

Author

Francois Desmarais is an associate in the Corporate & Securities Practice Group of Baker McKenzie's Toronto office. As a graduate of the University of Ottawa’s joint JD/MBA program, Francois advised private and public sector organizations on projects relating to business strategy and change management. Prior to joining the Firm as an associate, Francois gained experience in capital markets at a boutique firm.

Author

Haran Viswanathan is a partner in the Corporate Transactions Practice Group in Baker McKenzie’s Toronto office. Haran is a member of the Student Recruitment Committee for the Toronto office and an active participant in the Firm’s Pro Bono initiative.