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About us

The Ontario Securities Commission is an independent Crown agency that regulates Ontario’s capital markets by making rules that have the force of law and by adopting policies that influence the behaviour of capital markets participants.

The OSC carries out the powers, duties and functions given to it pursuant to the Securities Commission Act, 2021. The OSC exercises its regulatory oversight function through the administration and enforcement of Ontario’s Securities Act and Commodity Futures Act and administration of certain provisions of Ontario’s Business Corporations Act.

Our statutory mandate is to provide protection to investors from unfair, improper or fraudulent practices, to foster fair, efficient and competitive capital markets and confidence in the capital markets, to foster capital formation, and to contribute to the stability of the financial system and the reduction of systemic risk.

We contribute to the health and performance of Ontario’s economy by using our rule‑making and enforcement powers to help safeguard investors, to deter financial misconduct, and to direct participants involved in capital markets in Ontario. We regulate market participants including firms and individuals who sell securities and derivatives, firms who provide investment advice in Ontario, and public companies. We also regulate marketplaces, such as the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Our Goals

  1. Promote confidence in Ontario’s capital markets
  2. Reduce regulatory burden
  3. Facilitate financial innovation
  4. Strengthen our organizational foundation

Our priorities for the current year are set out in our Statement of Priorities.

Ontario’s capital markets

  • Ontario is Canada’s most populous province and home of more than one-third of Canadian businesses. 
  • Toronto is the most prominent financial centre in Canada, featuring the largest stock exchange by market value and the headquarters of many of the country’s largest financial institutions.
  • As of March 31, 2022, Ontario has:
    • 3,035 public companies,
    • 4,521 investment fund issuers,
    • 1,341 registered firms, and
    • 68,626 registered individuals.
  • Half of Canada’s equity market value comes from issuers registered in Ontario, as of March 2022. That represents the total of all listed issuers on TSX, TSXV and CSE, including exchange traded products and other closed-end funds.