In response to the recently released report by Ontario’s capital markets modernization taskforce containing 70 plus recommendations (summarized in our January bulletin), the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), excluding the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), recently issued an open letter expressing concern about a number of the taskforce recommendations. In particular, the CSA letter raises concern that certain recommendations could negatively affect harmonization efforts across Canada, that a “harmful imbalance” could result from the recommended expansion of the OSC’s authority in certain areas, and have (again) called for the OSC to join the CSA’s passport regime.

February 26, 2021