We regularly advise foreign clients on expanding their
businesses to Canada. In this document, we outline the most common
questions that we hear from clients and discuss some of the most
common considerations for companies looking to expand to
Canada.
1. Understanding Canada's Legal Landscape
Canada has 10 provinces and three territories. Certain matters,
such as healthcare and education, are largely within the
jurisdiction of each individual province. Other matters, such as
interprovincial trade, are largely within the jurisdiction of the
federal government. And in many cases, there is substantial
overlap. For example:
Corporate Law: Businesses can incorporate under
the laws of the applicable province's/territory's corporate
statute, or they can incorporate federally under the Government of
Canada's corporate statute.
