News Release

Vancouver – The British Columbia Securities Commission has redesigned its website to give investors and industry better access to information and securities regulatory services, including resources to foster compliance with regulatory requirements.

“We have been constantly improving our online service to investors and industry over the past few years,” says BCSC Executive Director Brenda Leong. “This launch of our new website comes only after lengthy consultations with market participants and incorporates the feedback that we received from a variety of sources.”

The new BCSC website features subject-specific content areas with links to information and services to help market participants comply with the requirements in that area. For example, in the    dealers and advisers area, there is information on registration, ongoing requirements, and compliance, with direct links to the relevant policies, instruments, forms and notices.

“People who come to our new website will see that there’s a section for investors, companies, and dealers and advisers. Our objective is to provide important and relevant information for the particular user group,” Leong says. “We have arranged and organized the information to make it easier and faster for people to navigate and access our services through the website.”

The commission website’s address has not changed, it remains www.bcsc.bc.ca but enhancements include:

• Microsoft Word versions of the most popular forms for the convenience of those using them as templates
• the ability to file certain applications using e-services
• a 'media room' containing key resources requested by the press
• printer-friendly pages

Other website improvements that the BCSC has incorporated in recent years include its “disciplined persons list,” an alphabetically-organized list of all individuals who have received sanctions since 1987 such as trading bans and monetary penalties from the commission for securities market misconduct. Both investors and industry have reported that this has been a valuable research tool for them.

Another online service launched in 2003 was the BCSC e-services project. It was developed to help businesses easily research and file applications with the commission -- improving the quality and processing time of these filings. The Web-based system also gives the public and filers up-to-date information about the processes, services and documents filed with the commission. (The BCSC receives an average of 500 applications each year asking for relief from certain regulatory requirements under securities legislation.)

The B.C. Securities Commission is an independent provincial government agency responsible for regulating trading in securities within the province.