2023-07-20
The Canadian Securities Administrators issued Coordinated Blanket Order 13-933 to temporarily exempt filers from transmitting Reports of Exempt Distribution for eligible foreign securities to permitted clients through SEDAR+. This exemption allows filers to submit required reports and offering memoranda via alternative methods outlined in the order's appendices while the regulator evaluates potential enhancements to the SEDAR+ system. The order became effective on July 21, 2023, and remains in force until revoked or replaced, without relieving filers of other reporting obligations or fees under Regulation 45-106.
CSA Notice regarding Coordinated Blanket Order 13-933 Temporary exemption from the requirement to transmit a report of exempt distribution through SEDAR+ in connection with distributions of eligible foreign securities to permitted clients July 20, 2023 Introduction The Canadian Securities Administrators (the CSA or we) are publishing substantively harmonized exemptions from the requirement to transmit a Form 45-106F1 Report of Exempt Distribution (Report of Exempt Distribution) through the System for Electronic Data Analysis and Retrieval + (SEDAR+) subject to certain conditions. Every member of the CSA is implementing the relief through a local blanket order entitled Coordinated Blanket Order 13-933 Temporary exemption from the requirement to transmit a report of exempt distribution through SEDAR+ in connection with distributions of eligible foreign securities to permitted clients (collectively, the blanket order). Although the outcome is the same in all CSA jurisdictions, the language of the blanket order issued by each province or territory may not be identical because each jurisdiction’s blanket order must fit within the authority provided in local securities legislation. Background On June 9, 2023, Regulation 13-103 respecting System for Electronic Data Analysis and Retrieval + (SEDAR+) (Regulation 13-103) came into force. Pursuant to Regulation 13-103, a Report of Exempt Distribution must be transmitted through SEDAR+. Description of blanket order The blanket order provides an exemption from the requirement to transmit a Report of Exempt Distribution through SEDAR+ for a distribution of an “eligible foreign security” to a “permitted client”, as such terms are defined in the Report of Exempt Distribution. A person eligible to rely on the blanket order must file the form of report in Appendix B to the blanket order1 in each jurisdiction where a distribution occurred in the manner set out in Appendix A to the blanket order. 2 1 The version of the report in Appendix B is based on the version of the report that was in force on June 8, 2023. The Report of Exempt Distribution was amended on June 9, 2023, to remove certain information captured by a SEDAR+ profile, to reduce duplication, but the issuers whose securities are being reported in reliance on the blanket order are not likely to have a SEDAR+ profile. 2 Although the blanket order is local, the alternative manner of filing for all jurisdictions is included in Appendix A to the blanket order, for ease of reference. In all jurisdictions, filers must use the Excel spreadsheets for Schedule 1
2 - In jurisdictions where a copy of an offering memorandum provided to a prospective purchaser is required to be delivered to the securities regulatory authority or regulator, the blanket order also provides an exemption from the requirement to transmit the offering memorandum through SEDAR+ provided that it is transmitted in the manner set out in Appendix A to the blanket order. The exemption is available to allow the CSA to consider potential enhancements to the functionality of SEDAR+. The blanket order does not otherwise relieve a person from any of the reporting requirements in Part 6 of Regulation 45-106 respecting Prospectus Exemptions or the filing fees or late fees in respect of the Report of Exempt Distribution. Reports of Exempt Distribution filed in reliance on the blanket order will be publicly available on request made to the CSA members. Term of blanket order The blanket order will come into effect on July 21, 2023. In certain jurisdictions, the blanket order includes an expiry date based on the term limits for blanket orders in the jurisdiction.3 We expect that the blanket order will be revoked or replaced before the expiry date. We will provide advance notice before revoking or replacing the blanket order. Questions If you have any questions regarding the blanket order, please contact any of the following: Autorité des marchés financiers Najla Sebaai Senior Policy Advisor, Corporate Finance najla.sebaai@lautorite.qc.ca Ontario Securities Commission Melissa Taylor Senior Legal Counsel, Corporate Finance mtaylor@osc.gov.on.ca British Columbia Securities Commission Victoria Steeves Senior Legal Counsel, Corporate Finance vsteeves@bcsc.bc.ca Alberta Securities Commission Lanion Beck Senior Legal Counsel, Corporate Finance lanion.beck@asc.ca and Schedule 2 of the report that are available on the Canadian Securities Administrators website at the following address: https://www.securities-administrators.ca/resources/reports-of-exempt-distribution/. In Ontario, the blanket order also requires filers use the fillable PDF form available on that website. The fillable PDF may not be used in Québec and its use is optional in jurisdictions other than Ontario and Québec 3 For example, in Ontario, the term of the blanket order is 18 months.
3 - Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan Heather Kuchuran Director, Corporate Finance heather.kuchuran@gov.sk.ca Manitoba Securities Commission Patrick Weeks Deputy Director – Corporate Finance Patrick.Weeks@gov.mb.ca Financial and Consumer Services Commission Frank McBrearty Manager, Corporate Finance Frank.McBrearty@fcnb.ca Financial and Consumer Services Commission Joe Adair Senior Securities Analyst Joe.Adair@fcnb.ca Nova Scotia Securities Commission Peter Lamey Securities Analyst Peter.Lamey@novascotia.ca