Canadian regulators provide guidance on transition to new registration regime

CSA Securities

Toronto – The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) today published CSA Staff Notice 31- 311 which provides guidance for the transition from the existing registration regime to the new registration regime under proposed National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements and Exemptions (NI 31-103).

In an effort to make the transition as smooth and efficient as possible, CSA staff have outlined in the Notice several items of which registrants should be aware, including proposed changes to the National Registration Database (NRD), the conversion by firms and individuals to new categories of registration and the transition period to comply with new requirements under NI 31-103.

As part of the transition, the NRD is scheduled to be shut down from September 25 to October 12, 2009 to allow for the conversion to new categories of registration. During this time, firms would have read-only access to the database and would need to submit material information to their securities regulator and then re-file that material on the NRD after the database reopens on October 12, 2009.

NI 31-103 is subject to final approvals by securities regulatory authorities and governments in certain jurisdictions. If approved, CSA staff expect to publish NI 31-103 in July 2009. It would come into force on September 28, 2009.

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

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For more information:

CSA member name

Point of contact

Phone number

Autorité des marchés financiers

Sylvain Théberge

514 940-2176

Alberta Securities Commission

Mark Dickey

403 297-4481

British Columbia Securities Commission

Ken Gracey

604 899-6577

Financial Services Regulation Division, Newfoundland and Labrador

Doug Connolly

709 729-2594

Manitoba Securities Commission

Ainsley Cunningham

204 945-4733

New Brunswick Securities Commission

Wendy Connors-Beckett

506 643-7745

Northwest Territories Securities Office

Donn MacDougall

867 920-8984

Nova Scotia Securities Commission

Natalie MacLellan

902 424-8586

Nunavut Securities Office

Louis Arki

867 975-6587

Ontario Securities Commission

Carolyn Shaw-Rimmington

416 593-2361

PEI Securities Office, Office of the Attorney General

Janice Callbeck

902 368-6288

Saskatchewan Financial Services Commission

Barbara Shourounis

306 787-5842

Yukon Securities Registry

Fred Pretorius

867 667-5225