Section 268 — Canada Business Corporations Act: Definition of charter

In this section, charter includes an act of incorporation and any amendments thereto; and letters patent of incorporation and any letters patent supplementary thereto. In connection with a continuance under this Act, the shareholders of a body corporate incorporated or continued by or under a special Act of Parliament who are entitled to vote at annual meetings of shareholders may, despite the charter of the body corporate, by special resolution, authorize the directors of the body corporate to apply under section 187 for a certificate of continuance;

and by the same resolution, make any amendment to the charter of the body corporate that a corporation incorporated under this Act may make to its articles. In connection with a continuance under this Act, the shareholders of a body corporate incorporated or continued by or under an Act of Parliament, other than this Act or a special Act, who are entitled to vote at annual meetings of shareholders may, subject to any other Act of Parliament or the charter of the body corporate, by special resolution, authorize the directors of the body corporate to apply under section 187 for a certificate of continuance;

and by the same resolution, make any amendment to the charter of the body corporate that a corporation incorporated under this Act may make to its articles. Despite subsections (2) and (2.1), the shareholders of a body corporate may not, by a special resolution under any of those subsections, make any change of the nature referred to in subsection 176(1) that affects a class or series of shares, unless the charter of the body corporate otherwise provides in respect of an amendment of the nature referred to in paragraph 176(1)(a), (b) or (e); or the holders of the class or series of shares approve the change in accordance with section 176. Subject to subsection (6), the directors of a body corporate incorporated or continued by or under a special Act of Parliament may, despite the charter of the body corporate, apply under section 187 for a certificate of continuance if the articles of continuance do not make any amendment to the charter of the body corporate other than an amendment required to conform to this Act. Subject to subsection (6), the directors of a body corporate incorporated or continued by or under an Act of Parliament, other than this Act or a special Act, may, subject to any other Act of Parliament or the charter of the body corporate, apply under section 187 for a certificate of continuance if the articles of continuance do not make any amendment to the charter of the body corporate other than an amendment required to conform to this Act. For the purposes of this section, every body corporate that is incorporated or continued under an Act of Parliament and to which the Bank Act , the Cooperative Credit Associations Act , the Insurance Companies Act or the Trust and Loan Companies Act applies is deemed to be incorporated or continued by or under an Act of Parliament other than this Act or a special Act. A shareholder is not entitled to dissent under section 190 in respect of an amendment made under subsection (2), (2.1), (3), (4) or (4.1). The Governor in Council may, by order, require that a body corporate incorporated by or under an Act of Parliament to which the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act does not apply, apply for a certificate of continuance under section 187 within any period that may be prescribed except for the following: a bank; an association to which the Cooperative Credit Associations Act applies; a company or society to which the Insurance Companies Act applies; and a company to which the Trust and Loan Companies Act applies. [Repealed, 2009, c. 23, s. 311] A body corporate that obtains a certificate of continuance under this section is not required to pay any fees otherwise payable under this Act in respect of such continuance. On the continuance of a body corporate incorporated by a special Act of Parliament as a corporation under this Act, the special Act ceases to apply to the corporation. A body corporate referred to in subsection (6) that does not make an application to obtain a certificate of continuance within the period prescribed is dissolved on the expiration of that period. A body corporate to which the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act applies or any similar body corporate incorporated otherwise than by or under an Act of Parliament may not apply for a certificate of continuance under section 187. A body corporate that is incorporated by or under a Special Act, as defined in section 87 of the Canada Transportation Act , may apply for a certificate of continuance under section 187.