As a minority shareholder, the provincial or federal statute
that governs your company provides some basic rights to
shareholders. These rights include: the right to vote, the right to
attend meetings, and the right to have access to certain
information. The articles of the company, and by-laws if any, can
contain additional rights and obligations for shareholders of that
particular company. Finally, any shareholders agreement will
contain further rights and obligations among the shareholders.
Voting is the primary mechanism through which shareholders
control the makeup of the Board of Directors. The Board of
Directors is responsible for the management of the company.
Accordingly, the right to vote is the means through which a
shareholder exercises influence over a company. Voting takes place
at either special or general meetings. Shareholders have a right to
be present at these meetings and cannot be arbitrarily excluded
from them. Shareholders have a right to
