November 10, 2011 CSA

Vancouver - The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) today announced that they are reviewing the $150,000 minimum amount prospectus exemption (the minimum amount exemption) and the accredited investor prospectus exemption (AI exemption) contained in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus and Registration Exemptions.

"The CSA is undertaking this consultation with a view to ensuring that both of these exemptions continue to meet the needs of market participants by striking the appropriate balance between investor protection and efficient capital-raising in Canadian capital markets," said Bill Rice, Chair of the CSA and Chair and CEO of the Alberta Securities Commission.

As part of the review, the CSA will be consulting with the various stakeholders, including investors, issuers, registrants and professional advisors.

At the conclusion of the review, CSA staff may recommend either retaining the exemptions in their current form, or may propose changes based on the market participant feedback.

The consultation note, published today and available on the CSA member websites, provides more information on the scope of the review, including some background on these exemptions and specific consultation questions for consideration.

The public comment period is open until February 29, 2012.

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

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For more information:

Carolyn Shaw-Rimmington
Commission des valeurs mobilières
de l'Ontario
416-593-2361

Sylvain Théberge
Autorité des marchés financiers
514-940-2176

Mark Dickey
Alberta Securities Commission
403-297-4481

Richard Gilhooley
British Columbia Securities Commission
604-899-6713

Ainsley Cunningham
Commission des valeurs mobilières du Manitoba
204-945-4733

Wendy Connors-Beckett
Commission des valeurs mobilières
du Nouveau-Brunswick
506-643-7745

Natalie MacLellan
Nova Scotia Securities Commission
902-424-8586

Jennifer Anderson
Saskatchewan Financial Services Commission
306-798-4160

Janice Callbeck
PEI Securities Office
Office of the Attorney General
902-368-6288

Doug Connolly
Financial Services Regulation Div.
Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador
709-729-2594

Ken Kilpatrick
Registraire de valeurs mobilières Yukon
867-667-5466

Louis Arki
Bureau des valeurs mobilières
Nunavut
867-975-6587

Donn MacDougall
Bureau des valeurs mobilières
Territoires du Nord-Ouest
867-920-8984