Bank Act (S.C. 1991, c. 46)

Marginal note:Matters for consideration

• 396 (1) Subject to subsection (2), if an application for an approval under section 373 is made, the Minister, in determining whether or not to approve the transaction, shall take into account all matters that the Minister considers relevant to the application, including

  • (a) the nature and sufficiency of the financial resources of the applicant or applicants as a source of continuing financial support for the bank;

  • (b) the soundness and feasibility of the plans of the applicant or applicants for the future conduct and development of the business of the bank;

  • (c) the business record and experience of the applicant or applicants;

  • (d) the character and integrity of the applicant or applicants or, if the applicant or any of the applicants is a body corporate, its reputation for being operated in a manner that is consistent with the standards of good character and integrity;

  • (e) whether the bank will be operated responsibly by persons with the competence and experience suitable for involvement in the operation of a financial institution;

  • (f) the impact of any integration of the businesses and operations of the applicant or applicants with those of the bank on the conduct of those businesses and operations;

  • (g) the opinion of the Superintendent regarding the extent to which the proposed corporate structure of the applicant or applicants and their affiliates may affect the supervision and regulation of the bank, having regard to

    • (i) the nature and extent of the proposed financial services activities to be carried out by the bank and its affiliates, and

    • (ii) the nature and degree of supervision and regulation applying to the proposed financial services activities to be carried out by the affiliates of the bank; and

  • (h) the best interests of the financial system in Canada, including, if the bank is a federal credit union, the best interests of the cooperative financial system in Canada.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (2) Except for an application by an eligible agent for an approval under section 373, and subject to subsection 377(1), the Minister shall take into account only paragraph (1)(d) if the application is in respect of a transaction that would result in the applicant or applicants holding

  • (a) more than 10 per cent but no more than 20 per cent of any class of the outstanding voting shares of a widely held bank with equity of twelve billion dollars or more that is not a federal credit union; or

  • (b) more than 10 per cent but no more than 30 per cent of any class of the outstanding non-voting shares of such a bank.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (2.1) Subject to subsection 377.2(1), the Minister is to take into account only paragraph (1)(d) if the application is in respect of a transaction that would result in the applicant or applicants holding more than 10 per cent but no more than 30 per cent of any class of the outstanding shares, or of membership shares, of a federal credit union.

• Marginal note:Favourable treatment

  (3) The Minister shall not approve a transaction that would cause a bank to become a subsidiary of a foreign bank within the meaning of any of paragraphs (a) to (f) of the definition foreign bank in section 2 that is a non-WTO Member foreign bank unless the Minister is satisfied that treatment as favourable for banks to which this Act applies exists or will be provided in the jurisdiction in which the foreign bank principally carries on business, either directly or through a subsidiary.

396.1 [Repealed, 1994, c. 47, s. 19]

Marginal note:Terms and conditions

397 The Minister may impose any terms and conditions in respect of an approval given under this Part that the Minister considers necessary to ensure compliance with any provision of this Act.

Marginal note:Certifying receipt of application

• 398 (1) If, in the opinion of the Superintendent, an application filed under this Part contains all the required information, the Superintendent shall without delay refer the application to the Minister and send a receipt to the applicant certifying the date on which the completed application was received by the Superintendent.

• Marginal note:Incomplete application

  (2) If, in the opinion of the Superintendent, an application filed under this Part is incomplete, the Superintendent shall send a notice to the applicant specifying the information required by the Superintendent to complete the application.

Marginal note:Notice of decision

• 399 (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) and 400(1), the Minister shall, within a period of thirty days after the certified date referred to in subsection 398(1), send to the applicant

  • (a) a notice approving the transaction to which the application relates; or

  • (b) if the Minister is not satisfied that the transaction to which the application relates should be approved, a notice to that effect, advising the applicant of the right to make representations to the Minister in respect of the matter.

• Marginal note:Notice of decision

  (2) Subject to subsections (4) and 400(2), the notice referred to in paragraph (1)(a) or (b) shall be sent by the Minister within a period of 45 days after the certified date referred to in subsection 398(1) in the following cases:

  • (a) the application involves the acquisition of control of a bank;

  • (b) the application is made by an eligible agent or an entity controlled by an eligible agent; or

  • (c) an application is made for the approval referred to in subsection 401.2(3).

• Marginal note:Extension of period for notice

  (3) If the Minister is unable to complete the consideration of an application within the period referred to in subsection (1), the Minister shall

  • (a) within that period, send a notice to that effect to the applicant; and

  • (b) within a further period of thirty days after the date of the sending of the notice referred to in paragraph (a) or within any other further period that may be agreed on by the applicant and the Minister, send a notice referred to in paragraph (1)(a) or (b) to the applicant.

• Marginal note:Further extensions

  (4) If the Minister considers it appropriate to do so, the Minister may extend the period referred to in subsection (2) for one or more periods of forty-five days.

Marginal note:Reasonable opportunity to make representations

• 400 (1) If, after receipt of the notice referred to in paragraph 399(1)(b), the applicant advises the Minister that the applicant wishes to make representations, the Minister must provide the applicant with a reasonable opportunity within a period of thirty days after the date of the notice, or within any further period that may be agreed on by the applicant and the Minister, to make representations in respect of the matter.

• Marginal note:Reasonable opportunity to make representations

  (2) If, after receipt of the notice sent in accordance with subsection 399(2) that the Minister is not satisfied that the transaction to which the application relates should be approved, the applicant advises the Minister that the applicant wishes to make representations, the Minister must provide the applicant with a reasonable opportunity within a period of 45 days after the date of the notice, or within any further period that may be agreed on by the applicant and the Minister, to make representations in respect of the matter.

Marginal note:Notice of decision

• 401 (1) Within a period of thirty days after the expiration of the period for making representations referred to in subsection 400(1), the Minister shall, in the light of any such representations and having regard to the matters to be taken into account, send a notice to the applicant indicating whether or not the Minister approves the transaction to which the application relates.

• Marginal note:Notice of decision

  (2) Within a period of forty-five days after the expiration of the period for making representations referred to in subsection 400(2), the Minister shall, in the light of any such representations and having regard to the matters to be taken into account, send a notice to the applicant indicating whether or not the Minister approves the transaction to which the application relates.

Marginal note:Deemed approval

401.1 If the Minister does not send a notice under subsection 399(1) or (3) or 401(1) within the period provided for in those subsections, the Minister is deemed to have approved the transaction to which the application relates.

Marginal note:Federal credit union constraints

401.11 Subject to this Act, a federal credit union may by by-law impose, change or remove restrictions on the issue, transfer or ownership of its membership shares, or shares of any class of the shares of the federal credit union, in order to prevent a person from having a significant interest in the membership shares or shares of that class.

Marginal note:Constraining registration: Crown and foreign governments

• 401.2 (1) No bank is to record in its securities register or members register a transfer or issue of any share or membership share of the bank to

  • (a) Her Majesty in right of Canada or of a province or any agent or agency of Her Majesty in either of those rights; or

  • (b) the government of a foreign country or any political subdivision of a foreign country, or any agent or agency of a foreign government.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (2) Despite subsection (1), a bank may record in its securities register or members register a transfer or issue of any share or membership share of the bank to a foreign bank, or to a foreign institution, that is controlled by the government of a foreign country or any political subdivision of a foreign country, or by any agent or agency of a foreign government, if the share or membership share that is transferred or issued is beneficially owned by the foreign bank or foreign institution or by an entity controlled by the foreign bank or foreign institution.

• Marginal note:Certain foreign banks excluded

  (2.1) Subsection (2) does not permit a bank to record in its securities register or members register a transfer or issue of any share or membership share of the bank to a foreign bank that is a foreign bank by reason only of paragraph (f) of the definition foreign bank in section 2.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (3) Despite subsection (1), a bank may, with the Minister’s approval, record in its securities register the issue of any share of the bank to an eligible agent.

• Marginal note:Application made jointly

  (4) The application for the approval referred to in subsection (3) must be made jointly by the bank and the eligible agent.

• Marginal note:Matters for consideration

  (5) The Minister, in determining whether to grant the approval referred to in subsection (3), shall take into account all matters that he or she considers relevant, including those set out in paragraphs 396(1)(a) to (h).

• Marginal note:Consequence of revocation of approval

  (6) If an approval referred to in subsection (3) is revoked, the bank shall delete any entry in its securities register in respect of the recording of the issuance of shares to the eligible agent.

• Marginal note:Disposition of shareholdings

  (7) If a bank or an eligible agent fails to comply with any undertaking or term or condition in relation to an approval referred to in subsection (3), or if an eligible agent ceases to be an eligible agent, the Minister may, if the Minister considers it to be in the public interest to do so, by order, direct the eligible agent or former eligible agent and any person controlled by the eligible agent or former eligible agent to dispose of any number of shares of the bank beneficially owned by the eligible agent or former eligible agent or the persons controlled by the eligible agent or former eligible agent that the Minister specifies in the order, within the time specified in the order and in the proportion, if any, as between the eligible agent or former eligible agent and the persons controlled by the eligible agent or former eligible agent that is specified in the order.

• Marginal note:Representations

  (8) No direction shall be made under subsection (7) unless the Minister has provided each person to whom the direction relates and the bank concerned with a reasonable opportunity to make representations in respect of the subject-matter of the direction.

• Marginal note:Appeal

  (9) Any person with respect to whom a direction has been made under subsection (7) may, within 30 days after the date of the direction, appeal the matter in accordance with section 977.

Marginal note:Suspension of voting rights held by governments

• 401.3 (1) Despite section 148, no person shall, in person or by proxy, exercise any voting rights attached to any share of a bank that is beneficially owned by

  • (a) Her Majesty in right of Canada or of a province or any agency of Her Majesty in either of those rights; or

  • (b) the government of a foreign country or any political subdivision thereof, or any agency thereof.

• Marginal note:Suspension of voting rights held by governments

  (2) Despite subsection 79.2(2), a member of a federal credit union must not, in person or by delegate, vote as a member of the federal credit union if the member is, or is an entity controlled by,

  • (a) Her Majesty in right of Canada or of a province or any agency of Her Majesty in either of those rights; or

  • (b) the government of a foreign country or any political subdivision thereof, or any agency thereof.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to a foreign bank, or to a foreign institution, that is controlled by the government of a foreign country or any political subdivision of a foreign country, or by any agent or agency of a foreign government, if the share referred to in subsection (1), or, in the case of a federal credit union, a membership share, is beneficially owned by the foreign bank or foreign institution or by an entity controlled by the foreign bank or foreign institution.

• Marginal note:Exception — eligible agent

  (4) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of the exercise of voting rights attached to any share referred to in subsection 401.2(3).

• Marginal note:Consequence of suspension of approval

  (5) If an approval referred to in subsection 401.2(3) is suspended, the eligible agent shall not exercise, in person or by proxy, any voting rights attached to any share of the bank that is beneficially owned by the eligible agent.

DIVISION VDirections

Marginal note:Disposition

• 402 (1) If, with respect to any bank, a person contravenes section 372 or subsection 373(1), 374(1) or 375(1) or section 376.1 or 376.2, subsection 377(1) or section 377.1 or 377.2 or fails to comply with an undertaking referred to in subsection 390(2) or with any terms and conditions imposed under section 397, the Minister may, if the Minister considers it in the public interest to do so, by order, direct that person and any person controlled by that person to

  • (a) dispose of any number of shares of the bank beneficially owned by any of those persons that the Minister specifies in the order, within the time specified in the order and in the proportion, if any, as between the person and the persons controlled by that person that is specified in the order;

  • (b) dispose of any number of membership shares of the bank beneficially owned by any of those persons that the Minister specifies in the order, within the time specified in the order and in the proportion, if any, as between the person and the persons controlled by that person that is specified in the order; or

  • (c) take any other action that is necessary for any of those persons to cease controlling, within the meaning of paragraph 3(1)(a.1), the federal credit union.

• Marginal note:Representations

  (2) No direction shall be made under subsection (1) unless the Minister has provided each person to whom the direction relates and the bank concerned with a reasonable opportunity to make representations in respect of the subject-matter of the direction.

• Marginal note:Appeal

  (3) Any person with respect to whom a direction has been made under subsection (1) may, within thirty days after the date of the direction, appeal the matter in accordance with section 977.

• (4) [Repealed, 2001, c. 9, s. 99]