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ARTICLE · 19 MAY 2023

FDD Update Season: Important Legislative Changes That Need To Be Addressed In 2023

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Each spring, franchisors across the country turn their attention towards updating their Canadian franchise disclosure documents (FDD) and related franchise agreements.

CanadaCorporate/Commercial Law
Larry M. Weinberg
Larry M. Weinberg
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson
Peter V. Snell
Peter V. Snell
Rebecca Valo
Rebecca Valo
Noah Leszcz
Noah Leszcz
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Each spring, franchisors across the country turn their attention towards updating their Canadian franchise disclosure documents (FDD) and related franchise agreements.

It is always imperative for franchisors to review and revise their FDD to ensure it is updated for a variety of necessary items, such as the inclusion of up-to-date, compliant financial statements. However, this year's annual update is of increased importance.

As you may have seen from past newsletters, there are two important legislative changes currently impacting the Canadian franchise landscape: 1) new French language laws in Quebec, and 2) revisions to Canada's federal Competition Act.

While franchisors with a calendar year fiscal year-end (i.e., December 31, 2022) typically have 180 days from the end of December (unless financial statements are available earlier) as the hard and fast deadline for FDD updates, there is added urgency this year given that the new French language laws come into

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