2024-03-28

Amendments to Policy Statement to Regulation 41-101 respecting General Prospectus Requirements

The Canadian securities regulators amended Policy Statement 41-701 to clarify the revocation of purchase timelines in Alberta and to update references to Regulation 44-103. The amendments insert new section 2.12 detailing how Alberta's Securities Act interacts with Regulation 41-101 Part 2A access procedures for prospectus delivery. Additionally, the text expands on Part 2A by defining delivery obligations, purchaser withdrawal rights, and news release requirements for providing access to preliminary and final prospectuses across various jurisdictions.

Autorite des marches financiers Quebec logo

Canada

Autorite des marches financiers Quebec

Click to view thumbnail

AMENDMENTS TO POLICY STATEMENT TO REGULATION 41-101 RESPECTING GENERAL PROSPECTUS REQUIREMENTS

  1. Section 1.2 of Policy Statement to Regulation 41-101 respecting General Prospectus Requirements is amended by replacing “Regulation 44-103 contains”, in paragraph (6), by “Regulation 44-103 respecting Post-Receipt Pricing (chapter V-1.1, r. 18) (“Regulation 44-103”) contains”.
  2. The Policy Statement is amended by inserting the following after section 2.11: “2.12. Revocation of purchase – Alberta In Alberta, section 130 of the Securities Act (R.S.A.2000, c S-4) provides that an agreement to purchase securities is not binding on the purchaser if the dealer receives notice in writing that the purchaser does not intend to be bound by the agreement to purchase within the timelines set out in the regulations. If access to the final prospectus or any amendment is provided in accordance with subsection 2A.5(2) of the Regulation, the applicable timeline is that set forth in section 2A.4(3) of the Regulation. Otherwise, the applicable timeline is that set forth in Alberta Securities Commission Rule 46-503 Revocation of Purchase. “PART 2A ACCESS TO A PROSPECTUS “2A.1. Delivery obligation Securities legislation generally requires a dealer who receives an order to purchase a security offered in a distribution to deliver or send to the purchaser a copy of the prospectus and any amendment. Securities legislation generally requires a dealer who solicits expressions of interest from a prospective purchaser to deliver or send to the prospective purchaser a copy of the preliminary prospectus and any amendment. Part 2A of the Regulation provides alternative procedures whereby a dealer may provide access to a preliminary prospectus, final prospectus and any amendment. In British Columbia, Québec and New Brunswick, the alternative procedures are structured as an exemption from the delivery obligation, while in all other jurisdictions the alternative is structured as procedures to provide access to the preliminary prospectus, final prospectus and any amendment. The access procedures and the conditions of the exemption are substantially equivalent and both result in providing access to a preliminary prospectus, final prospectus and any amendment. In jurisdictions except British Columbia, Alberta, Québec and New Brunswick, under subsection 2A.2(2) of the Regulation, a dealer may satisfy its delivery obligation under securities legislation if access to the document is provided in accordance with subsection 2A.5(2) or (3) of the Regulation. In Alberta, under section 2A.3 of the Regulation, a dealer may satisfy its access obligation under securities legislation if access to the document is provided in accordance with subsection 2A.5(2) or (3) of the Regulation. In British Columbia and New Brunswick, a dealer is provided with an exemption from the requirement in securities legislation to send a preliminary prospectus, final prospectus and any amendment if the conditions set out in subsection 2A.6(1) or (2) of the Regulation are met. In Québec, a dealer is provided with an exemption from the requirement in securities legislation to send a final prospectus and any amendment if the conditions set out in subsection 2A.6(1) of the Regulation are met. It is permissible to provide access to a

2 preliminary prospectus if the document has been filed on SEDAR+ and a receipt has been issued and posted on SEDAR+ for the document. “2A.2. Purchaser’s or subscriber’s rights Subsections 2A.4(2), 2A.4(3), 2A.4(4), 2A.6(4) and 2A.6(5) of the Regulation set out the period of time within which a purchaser’s or subscriber’s right to withdraw or rescind from, revoke or cancel an agreement to purchase a security or a contract to purchase or a subscription for a security must be exercised when access to a prospectus and any amendment is provided. For the purposes of section 2A.4 and subsections 2A.6(4) and (5) of the Regulation, securities legislation in a jurisdiction sets out any provisions for who may exercise the right to provide a written notice, whether the notice is required and if so by when and to whom it must be provided, when receipt of the notice is deemed to be provided and who has the onus of proving time to provide a notice has expired. If a purchaser or subscriber requests an electronic or paper copy of the final prospectus or any amendment from the issuer or dealer as permitted by subsections 2A.5(4) or 2A.6(3) of the Regulation, the request will not affect the calculation of the period of time during which the purchaser or subscriber may exercise these rights. “2A.3. News release To provide access to a prospectus under Part 2A of the Regulation, a news release including prescribed information must be issued and filed on SEDAR+ after a receipt for the final prospectus and any amendment is posted. The requirements under paragraph 2A.5(2)(b) of the Regulation and the conditions under paragraph 2A.6(1)(b) of the Regulation may be satisfied by including the prescribed information in a news release that contains other information, for example a news release announcing information with respect to the applicable offering.”.