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The British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) will join the Ontario Securities Commission in overseeing the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE), bringing the BCSC’s venture market focus to regulation of an exchange dominated by B.C.-based, early-stage companies.
The CSE has grown in the past few years, driven largely by cannabis listings, and now has about 500 companies trading shares on its platform. With the legalization of cannabis in Canada and in some U.S. states, CSE market capitalization has risen dramatically in the last two years.
“The B.C. Securities Commission brings extensive knowledge and experience to the public venture markets by virtue of its long history regulating the junior mining sector and overseeing the TSX Venture Exchange with the Alberta Securities Commission,” said Brenda Leong, the BCSC’s Chair and Chief Executive Officer. “We believe we can add significant value to supporting venture financing on CSE and managing issues unique to early-stage companies.”
“We look forward to collaborating with the Ontario Securities Commission to oversee the CSE,” said Peter Brady, BCSC’s Executive Director.
“The Canadian Securities Exchange is home to a large number of public companies domiciled in British Columbia,” said Richard Carleton, Chief Executive Officer of the CSE. “We will continue to work closely with our colleagues from the British Columbia Securities Commission to enhance our collective investor protection efforts and access to capital for B.C.-based entrepreneurs.”
