2024-11-28
Canadian securities regulators amended Regulation 81-101 to establish a 24-month lapse date for simplified prospectuses, allowing mutual funds to distribute securities using Fund Facts documents during the transition period. The amendments impose specific filing and delivery requirements for material changes and blacklined documents when funds operate under the new disclosure regime. These changes take effect on March 3, 2025, with transitional provisions ensuring that funds with receipts issued prior to that date remain subject to the previous rules.
REGULATION TO AMEND REGULATION 81-101 RESPECTING MUTUAL FUND PROSPECTUS DISCLOSURE Securities Act (chapter V-1.1, s. 331.1, par. (1), (3), (6), (6.1), (6.2), (8) and (14))
2 (2) A mutual fund must not continue the distribution of a security to which the prospectus requirement applies after the lapse date unless the mutual fund files a new simplified prospectus that complies with securities legislation and a receipt for that new simplified prospectus is issued by the regulator or, in Québec, the securities regulatory authority. (3) Despite subsection (2), a distribution may be continued for a further 24 months after a lapse date if (a) the mutual fund files a fund facts document for each class or series of securities of the mutual fund no earlier than 13 months and no later than 11 months before the lapse date of the previous simplified prospectus, (b) the mutual fund delivers a pro forma simplified prospectus not less than 30 days before the lapse date of the previous simplified prospectus, (c) the mutual fund files a new simplified prospectus not later than 10 days after the lapse date of the previous simplified prospectus, and (d) a receipt for the new simplified prospectus is issued by the regulator or, in Québec, the securities regulatory authority within 20 days after the lapse date of the previous simplified prospectus. (4) For greater certainty, the continued distribution of securities after the lapse date does not contravene subsection (2) unless any of the conditions of subsection (3) are not complied with. (5) Subject to any applicable extension granted under subsection (6), if a condition in subsection (3) is not complied with, a purchaser may cancel a purchase made in a distribution after the lapse date, in reliance on subsection (3), within 90 days after the purchaser first became aware of the failure to comply with the condition. (6) The regulator or, in Québec, the securities regulatory authority may, on an application of a mutual fund, extend, subject to such terms and conditions as it may impose, the times provided by subsection (3) where in its opinion it would not be prejudicial to the public interest to do so.”. 4. The Regulation is amended by inserting, after section 2.5, the following: “2.5.1. Lapse Date – Ontario In Ontario, the lapse date prescribed by securities legislation for a simplified prospectus for a mutual fund is extended to the date that is 24 months after the date of the previous simplified prospectus relating to the mutual fund in accordance with section 2.5.”. 5. Form 81-101F1 of the Regulation is amended: (1) in item 4.16 of Part A: (a) by replacing “during the most recently completed financial year”, in paragraphs (2), by “during each of the two most recently completed financial years”; (b) by replacing “during the most recently completed financial year”, in paragraphs (3), by “during each of the two most recently completed financial years”; (2) in Part B: (a) by replacing all occurrences of “12-month”, in paragraph (7) of item 5 and in paragraph (8) of item 9, by “24-month”;
3 (b) by replacing “in the last year”, in paragraph (7) of item 6, by “in each of the last two years”. 6. Form 81-101F3 of the Regulation is amended by adding, at the end of the Instruction of item 1 of Part I, the following: “The date for a fund facts document filed in accordance with subparagraph 2.3(5.2)(b)(i) of the Regulation must be the date within three business days of filing. The date for a fund facts document filed in accordance with subparagraph 2.3(5.2)(b)(ii) of the Regulation must be the date of the certificate contained in the related amended simplified prospectus.”. Transition 7. (1) Except in Ontario, if a mutual fund has filed a simplified prospectus and a receipt for that simplified prospectus was issued before 3 March 2025, (a) section 2.5 of Regulation 81-101 respecting Mutual Fund Prospectus Disclosure, as enacted by this Regulation, does not apply, and (b) for greater certainty, section 2.5 of Regulation 81-101 respecting Mutual Fund Prospectus Disclosure, as it was in force on 2 March 2025, applies. (2) In Ontario, if a mutual fund has filed a simplified prospectus and a receipt for that simplified prospectus was issued before 3 March 2025, (a) sections 2.5 and 2.5.1 of Regulation 81-101 respecting Mutual Fund Prospectus Disclosure, as enacted by this Regulation, do not apply, and (b) for greater certainty, the lapse date prescribed by securities legislation in Ontario for a simplified prospectus for a mutual fund, as that legislation was in force on 2 March 2025, applies. Effective Date 8. (1) This Regulation comes into force on 3 March 2025. (2) In Saskatchewan, despite paragraph (1), if this Regulation is filed with the Registrar of Regulations after 3 March 2025, this Regulation come into force on the day on which it is filed with the Registrar of Regulations.