Canadian Securities Regulators propose significant changes to the rights offering regime

Securities

Vancouver - The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) today published for comment proposed amendments that would create a streamlined prospectus exemption for rights offerings by reporting issuers.

"Although rights offerings can be one of the fairest ways for issuers to raise capital, in that they allow all existing investors to participate on a pro rata basis, they are seldom used because of the time and costs associated with them," said Bill Rice, Chair of the CSA and Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Alberta Securities Commission. "The proposed exemption is designed to make rights offerings more attractive to reporting issuers by decreasing both the time and costs involved."

One of the key proposals is to remove the current regulatory review process prior to use of the rights offering circular. The CSA anticipates this will significantly decrease the amount of time it takes to conduct an offering. The CSA also proposes increased investor protection through the addition of civil liability for secondary market disclosure, and the introduction of a more user-friendly form of rights offering circular document.

The proposed amendments would also update other rights offering requirements and repeal the prospectus exemption for rights offerings by non-reporting issuers.

The CSA notice and proposed amendments are available on CSA members' websites. The comment period is open until February 25, 2015.

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

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For more information:

Richard Gilhooley
British Columbia Securities Commission
604-899-6713

Mark Dickey
Alberta Securities Commission
403-297-4481

Carolyn Shaw-Rimmington
Ontario Securities Commission
416-593-2361

Sylvain Théberge
Autorité des marchés financiers
514-940-2176

Kevan Hannah
Manitoba Securities Commission
204-945-1513

Andrew Nicholson
Financial and Consumer Services
Commission, New Brunswick
506-658-3021

Tanya Wiltshire
Nova Scotia Securities Commission
902-424-8586

Janice Callbeck
Office of the Superintendent ofSecurities
P.E.I.
902-368-6288

Don Boyles
Office of the Superintendent of Securities
Newfoundland and Labrador
709-729-4501

Rhonda Horte
Office of the Yukon Superintendent
of Securities
867-667-5466

Louis Arki
Nunavut Securities Office
867-975-6587

Gary MacDougall
Northwest Territories
Securities Office
867-920-3318

Shannon McMillan
Financial and Consumer Affairs
Authority of Saskatchewan
306-798-4160