About the OSC
The OSC is the regulatory body responsible for overseeing Ontario’s capital markets, which include the equities, fixed income and derivatives markets. The OSC is a self-funded Crown corporation accountable to the Ontario Legislature through the Minister of Finance.
The OSC administers and enforces the provincial Securities Act and the Commodity Futures Act, and administers certain provisions of the Business Corporations Act. This legislation sets out the OSC’s authority to develop and enforce rules that help safeguard investors, deter misconduct and foster fair and efficient capital markets and confidence in the markets.
Our Vision
To be an effective and responsive securities regulator – fostering a culture of integrity and compliance and instilling investor confidence in the capital markets.Our Mandate
The OSC mandate is set by statute:To provide protection to investors from unfair, improper or fraudulent practices and to foster fair and efficient capital markets and confidence in capital markets.
Our Goals
To meet its mandate, in 2007 the OSC identified four strategic goals over the five-year period ending in 2012:- Identify the important issues and deal with them in a timely way.
- Deliver fair, vigorous and timely enforcement and compliance programs.
- Champion investor protection, especially for retail investors.
- Support and promote a more flexible, efficient and accountable organization.
The OSC works to deliver regulatory services to numerous stakeholders, including:
- retail investors;
- institutional investors such as pension funds;
- issuers of securities (e.g., public companies and investment funds);
- investment dealers;
- investment advisers;
- self-regulatory organizations;
- clearing agencies; and
- marketplaces, such as stock exchanges and alternative trading systems.
The history of the OSC dates back to 1928 with the introduction of securities legislation – the Security Frauds Prevention Act – by the Government of Ontario. In 1932, the province’s securities regulator, the Security Frauds Prevention Board, was renamed the Ontario Securities Commission.
