Canada Cooperatives Act (S.C. 1998, c. 1)

Marginal note:Form of dividend

• 153 (1) A cooperative may pay a dividend by issuing fully paid shares of the cooperative and, subject to section 154, a cooperative may pay a dividend in money or property, except that membership shares may only be issued to members.

• Marginal note:Stated capital account

  (2) If shares of a cooperative are issued in payment of a dividend, the declared amount of the dividend stated as an amount of money must be added to the stated capital account.

Marginal note:Limitation on paying dividends

154 A cooperative may not declare or pay a dividend if there are reasonable grounds to believe that

• (a) the cooperative is, or would after the payment be, unable to pay its liabilities as they become due; or

• (b) the realizable value of the cooperative’s assets after payment of the dividend would be less than the total of its liabilities and the stated capital of all its issued shares.

Marginal note:Patronage returns

• 155 (1) A cooperative may allocate among and credit or pay to the members, as a patronage return, all or a part of the surplus arising from the operations of the cooperative in a financial year in proportion to the business done by the members with or through the cooperative in that financial year, calculated in the manner described in subsection (2) at a rate set by the directors.

• Marginal note:Calculation of patronage

  (2) For the purpose of subsection (1), the directors may calculate the amount of the business done by each member with or through a cooperative in a financial year by taking into account

  • (a) the quantity, quality, kind and value of things bought, sold, handled, marketed or dealt in by the cooperative;

  • (b) the services rendered

    • (i) by the cooperative on behalf of or to the member, and

    • (ii) by the member on behalf of or to the cooperative; and

  • (c) differences that are, in the opinion of the directors, appropriate for different classes, grades or qualities of things and services.

• Marginal note:Non-member patronage allocation

  (3) The by-laws may provide that a cooperative may allocate among and credit or pay to persons who use the services of the cooperative but who are not members a share of any surplus at a rate that is equal to or less than the rate at which the surplus is distributed to members.

• Marginal note:Calculation of non-member patronage

  (4) If a cooperative allocates among and credits or pays to persons referred to in subsection (3) a share of any surplus, the directors must calculate the business done by the non-member patrons in the manner described in subsection (2).

Marginal note:Investment of patronage return

• 156 (1) A cooperative may, by by-law, provide that the whole, or any part that the directors may determine, of the patronage return of each member in respect of each financial year be applied to the purchase for the member of membership or investment shares in the cooperative.

• Marginal note:Contents of by-law

  (2) The by-law must provide for the giving of notice to each member of the number of shares purchased or to be purchased for the member, the manner of issuance or transfer of shares, the payment for the shares out of the patronage returns of members and, if applicable, the issuance and forwarding of certificates to members representing shares so issued or transferred.

• Marginal note:Price of shares

  (3) No member is required under this section to purchase membership shares, in the case of membership shares with a par value, at a price in excess of their par value, and in the case of membership shares with no par value or investment shares,

  • (a) if the articles provide for a fixed price or a price determined in accordance with a formula, in excess of that price; and

  • (b) in any other case, in excess of the fair value of the membership shares or the fair market value of the investment shares.

• Marginal note:Stated capital account

  (4) If shares of a cooperative are issued in payment of a patronage return, the amount of the patronage return, stated as an amount of money, must be added to the stated capital account.

Marginal note:Loans from patronage returns

157 A cooperative may, by by-law, require its members to lend to it the whole, or any part that the directors may determine, of the patronage returns to which they may become entitled in each financial year, on the terms and at the rate of interest that the directors determine, so long as the rate of interest does not exceed the rate that is provided in the by-laws.

Marginal note:Insolvent cooperative

158 If a cooperative is unable to pay its liabilities as they become due, no member need, under section 157, lend a patronage return to the cooperative, and no member need purchase shares under section 156.

Marketing

Marginal note:Marketing plans

• 159 (1) Subject to subsection (3), this section applies to a cooperative and its members if the members are required by a marketing plan established under an Act of Parliament or of the legislature of a province to sell or deliver things or render services to or through a producer board or a marketing commission or agency.

• Marginal note:Patronage returns

  (2) For the purposes of allocating, crediting and paying patronage returns among or to members and of making payments to members as part of the price or proceeds of their things or services, the members referred to in subsection (1) are deemed to have sold and delivered the things or to have rendered the services, or, if the by-laws so specify, any portion or category of the things or services, to the cooperative.

• Marginal note:Conditions

  (3) The by-laws of a cooperative may provide that this section does not apply to a member until any conditions with respect to the delivery of things or rendering of services set out in the by-laws are fulfilled.

160 [Repealed, 2001, c. 14, s. 184]

Marginal note:Enforcement of contract to buy shares

• 161 (1) A cooperative must fulfil its obligations under a contract to buy shares of the cooperative, except if the cooperative can prove that enforcement of the contract would put it in breach of subsection 147(2) or section 149.

• Marginal note:Right of claimant

  (2) Until the cooperative has fulfilled all its obligations under a contract referred to in subsection (1), the other party retains the status of claimant entitled to be paid as soon as the cooperative is lawfully able to do so or, in a liquidation, to be ranked subordinate to the rights of creditors and to the rights of any class of shareholders whose rights were in priority to the rights given to the class of investment shares being purchased, but in priority to the rights of members and other shareholders.

Marginal note:Debt obligations

• 162 (1) Debt obligations issued by a cooperative are not redeemed by reason only that the indebtedness evidenced by the debt obligation is repaid.

• Marginal note:Cancellation, etc.

  (2) Debt obligations issued by a cooperative and purchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired may be cancelled or may secure any obligation of the cooperative then existing or later incurred.

PART 9Proxies

Marginal note:Interpretation

• 163 (1) The definitions in this subsection apply in this Part.

  form of proxy

  form of proxy means a written or printed form that, on completion and execution or, in Quebec, on signing by or on behalf of a shareholder, becomes a proxy. (formulaire de procuration)

  intermediary

  intermediary means a person who holds a security on behalf of another person who is not the registered holder of the security, and includes

  • (a) a securities broker or dealer required to be registered to trade or deal in securities under the laws of any jurisdiction;

  • (b) a securities depositary;

  • (c) a financial institution;

  • (d) in respect of a clearing agency, a securities dealer, trust company, bank or other person, including another clearing agency, on whose behalf the clearing agency or its nominees hold securities of an issuer;

  • (e) a trustee or administrator of a self-administered retirement savings plan, retirement income fund, education savings plan or other similar self-administered savings or investment plan registered under the Income Tax Act;

  • (f) a nominee of a person referred to in any of paragraphs (a) to (e); and

  • (g) a person who carries out functions similar to those carried out by individuals or entities referred to in any of paragraphs (a) to (e) and that holds a security registered in its name, or in the name of its nominee, on behalf of another person who is not the registered holder of the security. (intermédiaire)

  solicit

  solicit or solicitation

  • (a) includes

    • (i) a request for a proxy whether or not accompanied by or included in a form of proxy,

    • (ii) a request to execute or not to execute or, in Quebec, to sign or not to sign a form of proxy or to revoke a proxy,

    • (iii) the sending of a form of proxy or other communication to a shareholder under circumstances reasonably calculated to result in the procurement, withholding or revocation of a proxy, and

    • (iv) the sending of a form of proxy to a shareholder under section 165; but

  • (b) does not include

    • (i) the sending of a form of proxy in response to an unsolicited request made by or on behalf of a shareholder,

    • (ii) the performance of administrative acts or professional services on behalf of a person soliciting a proxy,

    • (iii) the sending by an intermediary of the documents referred to in section 169,

    • (iv) a solicitation by a person in respect of investment shares of which they are the beneficial owner,

    • (v) a public announcement, as prescribed, by a shareholder of how the shareholder intends to vote and the reasons for that decision,

    • (vi) a communication for the purposes of obtaining the number of investment shares required for a proposal under subsection 58(2.1), or

    • (vii) a communication, other than a solicitation by or on behalf of the management of the cooperative, that is made to shareholders, in any circumstances that may be prescribed. (sollicitation)

  solicitation by or on behalf of the management of a cooperative

  solicitation by or on behalf of the management of a cooperative means a solicitation by a person pursuant to a resolution or instructions of, or with the acquiescence of, the directors or a committee of directors. (sollicitation effectuée par la direction ou pour son compte)

• Marginal note:Membership and membership shares excluded

  (2) This Part does not apply to a member or membership shares, but a member who is a shareholder may exercise the rights given to a shareholder by this Part for all investment shares held.

Marginal note:Appointing proxyholder

• 164 (1) A shareholder who is entitled to vote at a meeting of shareholders may appoint a proxyholder or one or more alternate proxyholders, who are not required to be shareholders, to attend and act at the meeting in the manner and to the extent authorized by the proxy and with the authority conferred by the proxy.

• Marginal note:Execution or signature of proxy

  (2) For a proxy to be valid, it must be executed or, in Quebec, signed by the shareholder or by their personal representative authorized in writing.

• Marginal note:Validity of proxy

  (3) A proxy is valid only at the meeting in respect of which it is given or at any adjournment of that meeting.

• Marginal note:Revocation of proxy

  (4) A shareholder may revoke a proxy

  • (a) by depositing a document in writing executed or, in Quebec, signed by the shareholder or by their personal representative authorized in writing

    • (i) at the registered office of the cooperative at any time up to and including the last business day before the day of the meeting or adjournment at which the proxy is to be used, or

    • (ii) with the chairperson of the meeting on the day of the meeting or adjournment; or

  • (b) in any other manner permitted by law.

• Marginal note:Deposit of proxies

  (5) The directors may specify in a notice calling a meeting of shareholders a time not more than 48 hours, excluding Saturdays and holidays, before the meeting or adjournment before which time proxies to be used at the meeting must be deposited with the cooperative or its agent or mandatary.