2021-10-07
The securities regulators amend Regulation 81-102 to update the definition of designated credit ratings and introduce definitions for U.S. GAAP and auditing standards. The amendment creates a new exemption allowing non-reporting investment funds to invest in other non-reporting funds without complying with standard conflict of interest restrictions, provided specific disclosure and financial reporting conditions are met. Additionally, the rules for dealer managed investment funds investing in reporting issuers are revised to require independent review committee approval and subsequent filing of investment particulars.
REGULATION TO AMEND REGULATION 81-102 RESPECTING INVESTMENT FUNDS Securities Act (chapter V-1.1, s. 331.1, par. (1), (3), (11), (16) and (34))
2 (1) In this section, “significant interest” and “substantial security holder” have the meaning, (a) except in British Columbia, ascribed to those terms in the investment fund conflict of interest investment restrictions, and (b) in British Columbia, ascribed to those terms in section 2 of BC Instrument 81-513 Self-Dealing. (2) The investment fund conflict of interest investment restrictions and the investment fund conflict of interest reporting requirements do not apply to an investment fund that is not a reporting issuer and that purchases or holds securities of another investment fund that is not a reporting issuer if (a) the investment fund’s securities are distributed solely under an exemption from the prospectus requirement, (b) the purchase or holding is in accordance with paragraphs 2.5(2)(b), (d), (e) and (f), (c) the other investment fund prepares annual financial statements for its most recently completed financial year, and obtains an auditor’s report with respect to those statements, within 90 days after the end of that financial year, (d) the other investment fund prepares interim financial statements for its most recently completed interim period within 60 days after the end of that interim period, (e) the audited annual financial statements referred to paragraph (c) and the interim financial statements referred to in paragraph (d) are prepared in accordance with Canadian GAAP applicable to publicly accountable enterprises, IFRS or U.S. GAAP, (f) the audited annual financial statements referred to in paragraph (c) are audited in accordance with Canadian GAAS, International Standards on Auditing, U.S. AICPA GAAS or U.S. PCAOB GAAS and the auditor’s report referred to in paragraph (c) expresses an unmodified or unqualified opinion, as applicable, (g) the other investment fund complies with section 2.4, (h) the other investment fund has the same redemption and valuation dates as the investment fund, (i) any purchase of the other fund’s securities is made at a price that equals the net asset value per security of the other fund calculated in accordance with section 14.2 of Regulation 81-106 respecting Investment Fund Continuous Disclosure (chapter V 1.1, r. 42), (j) before an investor purchases securities of the investment fund, the investor is provided a document that discloses (i) that the fund may purchase securities of other related funds from time to time, (ii) that the manager of the fund is any of the following, as applicable: (A) the manager of each of the other funds; (B) the portfolio adviser of each of the other funds; (C) an affiliate of the manager of each of the other funds; (D) an affiliate of the portfolio adviser of each of the other funds, (iii) the approximate or maximum percentage of net assets of the fund that is intended to be invested in securities of the other fund,
3 (iv) the fees, expenses and any performance or special incentive distributions payable by the other fund, (v) the process or criteria used to select the other fund, (vi) for each officer, director or substantial security holder of the fund’s manager, or of the fund, that has a significant interest in the other fund, the approximate amount of the significant interest that each officer, director or substantial securityholder holds in the other fund expressed as a percentage of the other fund’s net asset value, and any conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest, (vii) if the officers, directors and substantial securityholders of the fund’s manager or of the fund, in aggregate, hold a significant interest in the other fund, (A) the actual or approximate amount of the significant interest they hold, on an aggregate basis, expressed as a percentage of the other fund’s net asset value, and (B) any conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest, and (viii) that investors are entitled to receive, on request and free of charge (A) a copy of the offering memorandum or other similar disclosure document of each other fund, if available, and (B) the audited annual financial statements, accompanied by an auditor’s report, and interim financial statements, if any, relating to each other fund, and (k) investors are informed annually of their right to receive, on request and free of charge, a copy of the documents referred to in subparagraph (j)(viii). (3) The investment fund conflict of interest investment restrictions and the investment fund conflict of interest reporting requirements do not apply to an investment fund that is not a reporting issuer and that purchases or holds securities of another investment fund if the other investment fund is a reporting issuer and the purchase or holding is in accordance with section 2.5.”. 4. Section 4.1 of the Regulation is amended by replacing paragraph (4) with the following: “(4) Subsection (1) does not apply to an investment in a class of securities of a reporting issuer if, (a) at the time of the investment, (i) the independent review committee of the dealer managed investment fund has approved the transaction in accordance with subsection 5.2(2) of Regulation 81-107 respecting Independent Review Committee for Investment Funds (chapter V-1.1, r. 43), and (ii) the distribution of securities of the reporting issuer is made by prospectus or under an exemption from the prospectus requirement, (b) during the 60 days after the period referred to in subsection (1), any of the following apply: (i) the investment is made on an exchange on which the securities of the reporting issuer are listed and traded; (ii) if the security is a debt security that does not trade on an exchange, the ask price is readily available and the price paid is not higher than the available ask price of the debt security at the time of the investment, and
4 (c) no later than the time the dealer managed investment fund files its annual financial statements, the manager of the dealer managed investment fund files the particulars of each investment made by the dealer managed investment fund during its most recently completed financial year.”. 5. Appendix D of the Regulation is amended by replacing the second row of the table with the following: “ All Jurisdictions Paragraphs 13.5(2)(a) and (b) of Regulation 31-103 respecting Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations (chapter V-1.1, r. 10) and subsection 4.1(2) of this Regulation ”. 6. Appendix E of the Regulation is amended by replacing the table with the following: “ Jurisdiction Securities Legislation Reference Alberta Paragraph 191(1)(a) of the Securities Act (Alberta) British Columbia Paragraph 9(a) of BC Instrument 81-513 SelfDealing New Brunswick Paragraph 143(1)(a) of the Securities Act (New Brunswick) Newfoundland and Labrador Paragraph. 118(1)(a) of the Securities Act (Newfoundland and Labrador) Nova Scotia Paragraph 125(1)(a) of the Securities Act (Nova Scotia) Ontario Item 117(1)1 of the Securities Act (Ontario) Saskatchewan Paragraph 126(1)(a) of the Securities Act, 1988 (Saskatchewan) ”. 7. Effective Date (1) This Regulation comes into force on 5 January 2022. (2) In Saskatchewan, despite subsection (1), if this Regulation is filed with the Registrar of Regulations after 5 January 2022, this Regulation comes into force on the day on which it is filed with the Registrar of Regulations.