Shareholders' Meetings

The Canadian Business Corporation Act ("CBCA") states that a corporation "... must hold a shareholders' meeting on a date that is no later than 15 months after holding the last preceding annual meeting, but no later than six months after the end of its preceding financial year."

Alternatively, shareholders may pass a resolution in lieu of meeting. A resolution in lieu of a meeting may be useful for small corporations that have only one or a few shareholders. A resolution in lieu of meeting is a written resolution signed by all shareholders who would have been entitled to vote at the meeting that deals with all matters required to be dealt with at a shareholders' meeting. This resolution is just as valid as it would be if passed at a meeting of shareholders. This resolution should be retained in the corporation‘s records.

The shareholders' meeting (or resolution in lieu of a meeting) allows shareholders to obtain information about the corporation's business and to make appropriate decisions regarding this business. The date of the meeting, or of the resolution, must be indicated on your Annual Return.


Agenda

At minimum, the agenda of an annual meeting must include the following items:

- consideration of the financial statements;

- appointment of an auditor (or a resolution of all shareholders not to appoint an auditor); and

- election of directors.

Often, the agenda includes an additional item, "any other business." This portion of the meeting allows shareholders to raise any other issues of concern to them. If directors want shareholders to consider a matter, it should be listed in the agenda prior to the meeting and not raised as "any other business."

Calling a shareholders' meeting

The directors must notify voting shareholders of the time and place of a shareholders' meeting. They must do so no more than 60 days and no fewer than 21 days before the meeting date. For example, if the meeting is to be held on May 20, the notice of the meeting should be sent no earlier than March 22 and no later than April 30.

Unless otherwise provided by the by-laws or the articles, this notice can be sent electronically to shareholders if they have previously consented to receiving such notices electronically and if they have designated a system for receiving them.


Location of the shareholders' meeting

The annual meeting may be held in Canada at a place specified in the by-laws. Or, if the by-laws do not specify a location, directors may choose one. An annual meeting may be held outside Canada only in cases where the corporation's articles permit it or if all voting shareholders agree.
Also, where the corporation's by-laws permit it, the directors of a corporation may decide that a meeting of shareholders will be held entirely by means of a telephonic, electronic or other communication means that will permit all participants to communicate adequately with each other during the meeting. In such cases, it is the responsibility of the corporation to make these facilities available.

Unless otherwise provided by the by-laws, a corporation can allow shareholders to attend the meeting electronically. The communications system used must permit all participants to communicate adequately with each other during the meeting.

Other requirements of the shareholders' meeting

Quorum

Unless a quorum of shareholders is present or represented at annual or special shareholders' meetings, no business that is binding on the corporation can be conducted. A quorum is present at a meeting when the holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote at the meeting are present in person or represented by proxy, regardless of the number of persons actually present at the meeting. Note, however, that a corporation's by-laws can provide for a different type of quorum.

Electronic voting

Unless the corporation's by-laws specifically forbid it, electronic voting is allowed, as long as it is possible to verify the vote without knowing how each shareholder voted.

Minutes of the meeting

The corporation must keep a written record of the meeting. This record usually includes such information as:

where and when the meeting was held;

who attended; and

the results of any voting.

For more information, please consult Industry Canada's website