News Release

Canadian securities regulators adopt harmonized pre-file review of prospectuses

Mar 05, 2020

Vancouver – Issuers across Canada will now be able to submit their prospectuses for confidential review by securities regulators before publicly filing them.

The new program, explained in Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) Staff Notice 43-310 Confidential Pre-File Review of Prospectuses (for non-investment fund issuers), expands the availability of confidential pre-file reviews that some CSA jurisdictions are already conducting. Pre-file review allows for the earlier identification of material issues that might delay receipting the prospectus and closing the offering.

“Allowing confidential pre-file reviews of prospectuses provides issuers with greater flexibility and more certainty in planning their securities offerings,” said Louis Morisset, CSA Chair and President and CEO of the Autorité des marchés financiers. “This harmonized approach aims to foster capital-raising across Canada.”

The pre-filed prospectus should be of the same form and quality expected in a publicly-filed prospectus and contain the disclosure (including financial statements) required under securities law. The pre-filed prospectus should also include an estimate of price of the securities and other information derived from that price. The reviews will generally be conducted by the issuer’s principal regulator.

The new program will supersede existing pre-file review policies in the jurisdictions that offer them.

CSA Staff Notice 43-310 Confidential Pre-File Review of Prospectuses (for non-investment fund issuers) is available on participating jurisdictions’ websites. 

The CSA, the council of the securities regulators of Canada’s provinces and territories, co- ordinates and harmonizes regulation for the Canadian capital markets.

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For investor inquiries, please refer to your respective securities regulator. You can contact them here

For media inquiries, please refer to the list of provincial and territorial representatives below or contact us at media@acvm-csa.ca:

Kristen Rose
Ontario Securities Commission
416-593-2336
media_inquiries@osc.gov.on.ca

Brian Kladko
British Columbia Securities Commission
mediainquiries@bcsc.bc.ca

Jason Booth
The Manitoba Securities Commission
204-945-1660

Shannon McMillan
Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan
306-798-4160

David Harrison
Nova Scotia Securities Commission
902-424-8586

Renée Dyer
Office of the Superintendent of Securities
Newfoundland and Labrador
709-729-4909

Rhonda Horte
Office of the Yukon Superintendent of Securities
867-667-5466

Hilary McMeekin
Alberta Securities Commission
403-592-8186

Sylvain Théberge
Autorité des marchés financiers
sylvain.theberge@lautorite.qc.ca

Sara Wilson
Financial and Consumer Services Commission, New Brunswick
506-643-7045

Steven Dowling
Government of Prince Edward Island
Superintendent of Securities
902-368-4550

Jeff Mason
Nunavut Securities Office
867-975-6591

Tom Hall
Office of the Superintendent of Securities,
Northwest Territories
867-767-9305