The Ontario Securities Commission (“OSC”) recently
issued its
2021-2022 Draft Statement of Priorities for comment (the
“Draft Statement”). The document sets out the priority
initiatives that the OSC will pursue for the period from April 1,
2021 through March 31, 2022 in support of its four strategic goals,
which are to: promote confidence in Ontario's capital
markets; reduce regulatory burden; facilitate financial innovation;
and strengthen the OSC's organizational foundation.
Overview of the OSC's Proposed Regulatory Priorities
The draft priorities largely reflect the effects of the COVID-19
pandemic on Ontario's capital markets and the
regulator's efforts to modernize regulatory processes and
create more flexible options for issuers and investors during this
time. The Draft Statement also notes that the OSC will review and
consider the recommendations from the Ontario Government's
Capital Markets Modernization Taskforce (the
“Taskforce”) and will adjust its
