Manitoba Franchises Act Came Into Force October 1, 2012

The Franchises Act (the "Act"), passed by the Manitoba legislature in June 2010, came into force October 1, 2012. Franchisors in Manitoba are required to comply with the new law, which contains substantially similar disclosure requirements to Ontario's Arthur Wishart Act (Franchise Disclosure). This article highlights some important differences between the requirements in Ontario and Manitoba.

The disclosure requirements under the new Act need not be made in a single disclosure document. They can be disclosed over time and the disclosure documents can be amended. However, the 14-day disclosure period does not begin until all of the disclosure documents have been received by the prospective franchisee. The disclosure document may be delivered to the prospective franchisee by facsimile.