1 This Act may be cited as the Investment Canada Act .
Marginal note: Purpose of Act
2 Recognizing that increased capital and technology benefits Canada, and recognizing the importance of protecting national security, the purposes of this Act are to provide for the review of significant investments in Canada by non-Canadians in a manner that encourages investment, economic growth and employment opportunities in Canada and to provide for the review of investments in Canada by non-Canadians that could be injurious to national security.
Marginal note: Definitions
3 In this Act,
[Repealed, 1995, c. 1, s. 45]
includes tangible and intangible property of any value; ( actifs )
includes any undertaking or enterprise capable of generating revenue and carried on in anticipation of profit; ( entreprise )
includes the exclusive economic zone of Canada and the continental shelf of Canada; ( Canada )
means a business carried on in Canada that has
means a body corporate with or without share capital; ( personne morale )
means the Director of Investments appointed under section 6; ( directeur )
means a corporation, partnership, trust or joint venture; ( unité )
means an association of two or more persons or entities, where the relationship among those associated persons or entities does not, under the laws in force in Canada, constitute a corporation, a partnership or a trust and where, in the case of an investment to which this Act applies, all the undivided ownership interests in the assets of the Canadian business or in the voting interests of the entity that is the subject of the investment are or will be owned by all the persons or entities that are so associated; ( coentreprise )
means such member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada as is designated by the Governor in Council as the Minister for the purposes of this Act; ( ministre )
, in relation to a non-Canadian, means a business that is not already being carried on in Canada by the non-Canadian and that, at the time of its establishment,
means an individual, a government or an agency thereof or an entity that is not a Canadian; ( non-Canadien )
means beneficially own; ( propriétaire )
means an individual, a government or an agency thereof or a corporation; ( personne )
means prescribed by the regulations made pursuant to this Act; ( Version anglaise seulement )
means two or more persons who are associated with respect to the exercise of rights attached to voting interests in an entity by contract, business arrangement, personal relationship, common control in fact through the ownership of voting interests, or otherwise, in such a manner that they would ordinarily be expected to act together on a continuing basis with respect to the exercise of those rights; ( groupement de votants )
, with respect to
means a share in the capital of a corporation to which is attached a voting right ordinarily exercisable at meetings of shareholders of the corporation and to which is ordinarily attached a right to receive a share of the profits, or to share in the assets of the corporation on dissolution, or both. ( action avec droit de vote )
Marginal note: Role of Minister
4 The Minister is responsible for the administration of this Act.
Marginal note: Duties and powers of Minister
Marginal note: Director of Investments
6 The Minister may appoint an officer, to be known as the Director of Investments, to advise and assist the Minister in exercising the Minister’s powers and performing the Minister’s duties under this Act.
7 to 9 [Repealed, 1995, c. 1, s. 48]
Marginal note: Exempt transactions
Marginal note: Investments subject to notification
11 The following investments by non-Canadians are subject to notification under this Part:
Marginal note: Notice of investment
12 Where an investment is subject to notification under this Part, the non-Canadian making the investment shall, at any time prior to the implementation of the investment or within thirty days thereafter, in the manner prescribed, give notice of the investment to the Director providing such information as is prescribed.
Marginal note: Receipt
Marginal note: Reviewable investments
is five million dollars or more.
14.01 and 14.02 [Repealed, 1994, c. 47, s. 132]
14.03 [Repealed, 1994, c. 47, s. 133]
Marginal note: Limits for WTO investors
means a Canadian business that carries on any of the following activities, namely,
[Repealed, 2009, c. 2, s. 448]
[Repealed, 2009, c. 2, s. 448]
has the meaning given to the word “Agreement” by subsection 2(1) of the World Trade Organization Agreement Implementation Act ; ( Accord sur l’OMC )
means a Member of the World Trade Organization established by Article I of the WTO Agreement. ( membre de l’OMC )
Marginal note: Limits for trade agreement investors — paragraph 14(1)(a) or (b)
means a country other than Canada that is a party either to an Agreement described in subparagraph (a)(i) or (i.1) of the definition in this subsection or to a trade agreement listed in column 1 of the schedule. ( pays (traité commercial) )
Marginal note: Regulations
14.2 The Governor in Council may make any regulations that the Governor in Council considers necessary for carrying out the purposes and provisions of sections 14.1 and 14.11.
Marginal note: Order
14.3 The Governor in Council may, by order, amend the schedule by adding, deleting or replacing the name of a trade agreement in column 1 or a corresponding provision setting out the meaning of in column 2.
Marginal note: Other reviewable investments
15 An investment subject to notification under Part III that would not otherwise be reviewable is reviewable under this Part if
Marginal note: Prohibition
Marginal note: Application
Marginal note: Receipt
Marginal note: Matters to be referred to Minister
Marginal note: Factors
20 For the purposes of section 21, the factors to be taken into account, where relevant, are
Marginal note: Net benefit
Marginal note: Extension
Marginal note: Notice of right to make representations and submit undertakings
Marginal note: Reasons
23.1 The Minister shall provide reasons for any decision made under paragraph 23(3)(b) and the Minister may provide reasons for any decision made under subsection 21(1) or 22(2) or paragraph 23(3)(a).
Marginal note: Divestiture
means a country that is a party to the Agreement. ( pays ACEUM )
Marginal note: Information for monitoring
25 A non-Canadian that implements an investment in accordance with this Part shall submit such information in his possession relating to the investment as is required from time to time by the Director in order to permit the Director to determine whether the investment is being carried out in accordance with the application filed under section 17 and any representations made or undertakings given in relation to the investment.
Marginal note: Application
25.1 This Part applies in respect of an investment, implemented or proposed, by a non-Canadian
Marginal note: Notice
Marginal note: Reviewable investments
Marginal note: Governor in Council’s powers
Marginal note: Information for determination
25.5 Non-Canadians or other persons or entities that are subject to an order made under section 25.4 shall submit any information in their possession relating to the investment that is required from time to time by the Director in order to permit the Director to determine whether they are complying with the order.
Marginal note: Decisions and orders are final
25.6 Decisions and orders of the Governor in Council, and decisions of the Minister, under this Part are final and binding and, except for judicial review under the Federal Courts Act , are not subject to appeal or to review by any court.
Marginal note: Rules respecting control of entities
the corporation shall be deemed to be a Canadian for the purpose of making any investment described in subsection 14(1), except an investment falling within a prescribed specific type of business activity that, in the opinion of the Governor in Council, is related to Canada’s cultural heritage or national identity, and the Minister shall so notify the corporation.
Marginal note: Other rules
27 For the purposes of section 26,
Marginal note: Manner of acquiring control
where there is no acquisition of control of any corporation;
Marginal note: Acquisition by more than one transaction or event
Marginal note: Contractual rights to acquire voting interests or assets
Marginal note: Business partly in Canada
Marginal note: New Canadian businesses
Marginal note: Means of sending
33 Where a notice, receipt or demand is required to be sent by the Minister or the Director under any provision of this Act, it shall be sent by personal delivery, registered mail, telecommunicated text or any other verifiable means of communication.
Marginal note: Operation of other Acts
34 Nothing in or done under the authority of this Act affects the operation of any other Act of Parliament that applies to or in respect of any particular Canadian business or class of Canadian businesses, except as expressly provided in this Act.
Marginal note: Regulations
Marginal note: Privileged information
Marginal note: Ministerial opinions
Marginal note: Guidelines and interpretation notes
38 The Minister may issue and publish, in such manner as the Minister deems appropriate, guidelines and interpretation notes with respect to the application and administration of any provision of this Act or the regulations.
Marginal note: Annual report
38.1 The Director shall, for each fiscal year, submit a report on the administration of this Act to the Minister and the Minister shall make the report available to the public.
Marginal note: Ministerial demand
the Minister may send a demand to the non-Canadian, requiring the non-Canadian, forthwith or within such period as is specified in the demand, to cease the contravention, to remedy the default, to show cause why there is no contravention of the Act or regulations or, in the case of undertakings, to justify any non-compliance therewith.
Marginal note: New undertaking
39.1 If the Minister believes that a non-Canadian has failed to comply with a written undertaking given to Her Majesty in right of Canada relating to an investment that the Minister is satisfied or is deemed to be satisfied is likely to be of net benefit to Canada, the Minister may, after the investment has been implemented, accept a new undertaking from the non-Canadian.
Marginal note: Application for court order
Marginal note: Vesting orders
Marginal note: Summary conviction offences
42 Every one who contravenes section 36 or who knowingly provides false or misleading information under this Act or the regulations is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.
Marginal note: Limitation period
43 Proceedings by way of summary conviction in respect of an offence under this Act may be instituted at any time within but not later than two years after the time when the subject-matter of the proceedings arose.
Marginal note: Terms, conditions and undertakings
46 [Amendment]
47 [Amendment]
48 [Amendment]
49 [Amendment]
50 [Amendments]
Marginal note: Coming into force
Footnote * 51 This Act or any provision thereof shall come into force on a day or days to be fixed by proclamation.