Bare Trustee Agreements

CIRO executes custody agreements on behalf of its members with the issuer or its agent of book-entry investment products (including investment funds, segregated funds, guaranteed investment certificates and other evidence of deposits) in order to reduce the need for the issuer to enter into individual agreements with each Dealer Member it deals with. The custody agreement includes the terms upon which such securities are deposited and includes provisions that no use or disposition of the securities shall be made without the prior written consent of the Dealer Member and the securities must be delivered to the Dealer Member promptly on demand. As an alternative, an issuer or its agent may sign the prescribed custody agreement directly with the CIRO Dealer Member.

The approved listing for bare trustee agreements is updated and produced on a monthly basis. It can be found on the CIRO website under “For Firms – Current Members – Custodial Agreements (Investment Dealers)”.

The former IDA (now CIRO) and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (“CIPF”) entered into an Agreement dated May 9, 2005 in which all existing custody agreements executed in the name of the CIPF as bare trustee have been assigned to CIRO to administer on a go forward basis. In the administration of these custody agreements, CIRO carries out due diligence to ensure that the bare trustee agreement is in prescribed form and is duly executed by those in authority. Copies of the agreement on file are available upon request.

It remains the responsibility of the Dealer Member to monitor the issuer for ongoing compliance as an acceptable securities location and to carry out product due diligence and suitability assessment of investments sold to clients.

To fully understand the extent of the activities and role that a fund manager (sometimes referred to as a fund administrator) plays, the following are many of its primary functions:

• Calculating the NAV and the NAV per share or unit;
• Keeping the accounts and financial records;
• Preparing the annual audit file and liaising with the auditor;
• Liaising with the fund advisor, the custodian, the brokers and other service providers;
• Liaising with prospective investors and sending out the offering documentation;
• Calculating, confirming and arranging payment of all subscriptions, redemptions, fees and expenses, and arranging for the payment of all dividends or other distributions, if required;
• Maintaining the statutory books and records;
• Acting as registrar and transfer agent, handling the registration of shares and liaising with shareholders with regard to subscriptions, redemptions and transfers;
• Carrying out anti-money laundering due diligence with regard to investors;
• Acting as company secretary, responsible, amongst other things, for arranging board meetings, calling the annual general meeting and preparing board minutes;
• Maintaining a copy of the share register at its offices and, if the administration is not resident in the domicile of the fund, ensuring that the original share register is held in the registered office in that jurisdiction; and
• Ensuring that the fund complies with the terms of its offering memorandum.

1. 2 signed copies of the bare trustee agreement (not negotiable in terms of amending the agreement).
2. Proof that the Fund Manager is registered with either a Provincial Securities Commission as an Investment Fund Manager or the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions.
3. Copy of the offering memorandum (or prospectus if applicable).
4. A corporate resolution for signing authority.
5. Articles of incorporation.
6. A letter from a CIRO Dealer Member confirming that they intend to distribute the investment product and how it complies with the CIRO definition of an “Acceptable Securities Location”.