Oncolytics Biotech Inc. and Canaccord Genuity Corp.
Headnote
National Policy 11-203 Process for Exemptive Relief Applications in Multiple Jurisdictions -- Application for exemptive relief to permit issuer and underwriter, acting as agent for the issuer, to enter into equity distribution agreement to make "at the market" (ATM) distributions of common shares over the facilities of the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) -- ATM distributions to be made pursuant to shelf prospectus procedures in Part 9 of NI 44-102 Shelf Distributions -- issuer will issue a press release and file agreement on SEDAR -- application for relief from prospectus delivery requirement -- delivery of prospectus not practicable in circumstances of an ATM distribution -- relief from prospectus delivery requirement has effect of removing two-day right of withdrawal and remedies of rescission or damages for non-delivery of the prospectus -- application for relief from certain prospectus form requirements -- standard certification by issuer does not work in an ATM distribution since no other supplement to be filed in connection with ATM distribution -- relief granted to permit modified forward-looking certificate language -- relief granted on terms and conditions set out in decision document -- decision will terminate 25 months after the issuance of a receipt for the shelf prospectus.
Applicable Legislative Provisions
Securities Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.5, as am., ss. 71, 147.
Applicable Ontario Rules
National Instrument 44-101 Short Form Prospectus Distributions, s. 8.1 and Item 20 of Form 44-101F1.
National Instrument 44-102 Shelf Distributions, s. 6.7, Part 9, s 11.1, and s. 1.1 of Appendix A.
Citation: Re Oncolytics Biotech Inc., 2016 ABASC 21
January 27, 2016
IN THE MATTER OF THE SECURITIES LEGISLATION OF ALBERTA AND ONTARIO (THE JURISDICTIONS) AND IN THE MATTER OF THE PROCESS FOR EXEMPTIVE RELIEF APPLICATIONS IN MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS AND IN THE MATTER OF ONCOLYTICS BIOTECH INC. (THE ISSUER) AND CANACCORD GENUITY CORP. (THE AGENT AND, TOGETHER WITH THE ISSUER, THE FILERS)
DECISION
Background
The securities regulatory authority or regulator in each of the Jurisdictions (the Decision Makers) has received an application (the Application) from the Filers for a decision under the securities legislation of the Jurisdictions (the Legislation) for the following relief (the Exemption Sought):
(a) that the requirement that a dealer, not acting as agent of the purchaser, who receives an order or subscription for a security offered in a distribution to which the prospectus requirement applies, deliver to the purchaser or its agent the latest prospectus (including the applicable prospectus supplement(s) in the case of a base shelf prospectus), and any amendment to the prospectus (the Prospectus Delivery Requirement) does not apply to the Agent or other registered investment dealer acting on behalf of the Agent as a selling agent (each a Selling Agent) in connection with any "at-the-market distribution" (as defined in National Instrument 44-102 Shelf Distributions (NI 44-102)) of common shares (Common Shares) of the Issuer pursuant to an equity distribution agreement (the Equity Distribution Agreement) to be entered into by the Issuer and the Agent (ATM Distribution);
(b) that the requirements to include the statements specified in subsections 5.5(2) and 5.5(3) of NI 44-102 in a base shelf prospectus, and the requirements to include in a prospectus supplement each of the following:
(i) a forward-looking issuer certificate in the form specified in section 2.1 of Appendix A to NI 44-102;
(ii) a forward-looking underwriter certificate in the form specified in section 2.2 of Appendix A to NI 44-102;
(iii) a statement respecting purchasers' statutory rights of withdrawal and remedies for rescission or damages in substantially the form prescribed by Item 20 of Form 44-101F1 Short Form Prospectus;
(collectively, the Prospectus Form Requirements)
do not apply to a prospectus of the Issuer (including the applicable prospectus supplement(s)) to be filed in respect of an ATM Distribution.
The Decision Makers have also received a request from the Filers for a decision that the Application and this decision (together, the Confidential Material) be kept confidential and not be made public until the earlier of: (i) the date on which the Filers enter into the Equity Distribution Agreement; (ii) the date any of the Filers advise the Decision Makers that there is no longer any need for the Confidential Material to remain confidential; and (iii) the date that is 90 days after the date of this decision (the Confidentiality Relief).
Under the Process for Exemptive Relief Applications in Multiple Jurisdictions (for a dual application):
(a) the Alberta Securities Commission is the principal regulator for the Application;
(b) the Filers have provided notice that section 4.7(1) of Multilateral Instrument 11-102 Passport System (MI 11-102) is intended to be relied upon in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Québec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon Territory; and
(c) the decision is the decision of the principal regulator and evidences the decision of the securities regulatory authority or regulator in Ontario.
Interpretation
Terms defined in National Instrument 14-101 Definitions or MI 11-102 have the same meaning if used in this decision, unless otherwise defined.
Representations
This decision is based on the following facts represented by the Filers:
The Issuer
1. The Issuer is a corporation incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta). The head office of the Issuer is located in Calgary, Alberta.
2. The Issuer is a reporting issuer in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Québec and is not in default of securities legislation in any jurisdiction of Canada.
3. The Common Shares are listed on the TSX and trade on the OTCQX Best Market.
The Agent
4. The Agent is a corporation continued under the laws of the Province of Ontario with its head office in Vancouver, British Columbia.
5. The Agent is registered as an investment dealer under the securities legislation of each of the provinces and territories of Canada, is a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, and is a participating organization of the TSX.
6. The Agent is not in default of securities legislation in any jurisdiction of Canada.
Proposed ATM Distribution
7. Subject to mutual agreement on terms and conditions, the Filers propose to enter into the Equity Distribution Agreement for the purpose of ATM Distributions involving the periodic sale of Common Shares by the Issuer through the Agent, as agent, under the base shelf prospectus procedures prescribed by Part 9 of NI 44-102.
8. Prior to making an ATM Distribution, the Issuer will have filed in each province and territory of Canada: (i) a shelf prospectus providing for distribution from time to time of securities of the Issuer, including Common Shares (the Shelf Prospectus); and (ii) a prospectus supplement describing the terms of the ATM Distribution, including the terms of the Equity Distribution Agreement, and otherwise supplementing the disclosure in the Shelf Prospectus (the Prospectus Supplement).
9. Upon entering into the Equity Distribution Agreement, the Issuer will immediately:
(a) issue and file a news release pursuant to section 3.2 of NI 44-102 indicating that the Shelf Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement have been filed on SEDAR and disclosing where and how purchasers may obtain copies; and
(b) file the Equity Distribution Agreement on SEDAR.
10. The Equity Distribution Agreement will limit the number of Common Shares that the Issuer may issue and sell pursuant to any ATM Distribution thereunder to an amount not to exceed 10% of the aggregate market value of the outstanding Common Shares calculated in accordance with section 9.2 of NI 44-102.
11. The Issuer will conduct ATM Distributions through the Agent, as agent, directly, or through a Selling Agent through the facilities of the TSX or other "marketplace" (as defined in National Instrument 21-101 Marketplace Operation) in Canada (Marketplace).
12. The Agent will act as the sole underwriter on behalf of the Issuer in connection with each ATM Distribution, and will be the only person or company paid an underwriting fee or commission by the Issuer in connection with such sales. The Agent will sign an underwriter's certificate in the Prospectus Supplement.
13. The Agent will effect each ATM Distribution on a Marketplace in Canada, either itself or through a Selling Agent. If sales are effected through a Selling Agent, the Selling Agent will be paid a seller's commission for effecting the trades on behalf of the Agent. A purchaser's rights and remedies under the Legislation against the Agent, as underwriter of an ATM Distribution, will not be affected by a decision to effect the sale directly or through a Selling Agent.
14. The aggregate number of Common Shares sold on any trading day pursuant to an ATM Distribution will not exceed 25% of the aggregate trading volume of the Common Shares traded on Marketplaces in Canada on that day.
15. The Equity Distribution Agreement will provide that, at the time of each sale of Common Shares pursuant to an ATM Distribution, the Issuer will represent to the Agent that the Shelf Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement and any subsequent amendment or supplement to the Shelf Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement (together, the Prospectus), contains full, true and plain disclosure of all material facts relating to the Issuer and Common Shares being distributed. The Issuer would, therefore, be unable to proceed with sales pursuant to an ATM Distribution when it is in possession of undisclosed information that would constitute a material fact or a material change in respect of the Common Shares.
16. If, after the Issuer delivers a sell notice to the Agent directing the Agent to sell Common Shares on the Issuer's behalf pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreement (a Sell Notice), the sale of Common Shares specified in the notice, taking into consideration prior sales, would constitute a material fact or material change, the Issuer would be required to suspend sales under the Equity Distribution Agreement until either: (i) it has filed a material change report or amended the Prospectus; or (ii) circumstances have changed such that the sales would no longer constitute a material fact or material change.
17. In determining whether the sale of the number of Common Shares specified in a Sell Notice would constitute a material fact or material change, the Issuer will take into account a number of factors, including, without limitation: (i) the parameters of the Sell Notice, including the number of Common Shares proposed to be sold and any price or timing restrictions that the Issuer may impose with respect to the particular ATM Distribution; (ii) the percentage of the outstanding Common Shares that the number of Common Shares proposed to be sold pursuant to the Sell Notice represents; (iii) trading volume and volatility of Common Shares; (iv) recent developments in the business, affairs and capital structure of the Issuer; and (v) prevailing market conditions generally.
18. The Agent will monitor closely the market's reaction to trades made on any Marketplace in Canada pursuant to the ATM Distribution in order to evaluate the likely market impact of future trades. The Agent has experience and expertise in managing sell orders to limit downward pressure on trading prices. If the Agent has concerns as to whether a particular sell order placed by the Issuer may have a significant effect on the market price of the Common Shares, the Agent will recommend against effecting the trade at that time. It is in the interest of both the Issuer and the Agent to minimize the market impact of sales under an ATM Distribution.
Disclosure of Common Shares Sold in ATM Distribution
19. For each month during which the Issuer conducts an ATM Distribution, the Issuer will within seven calendar days after the end of the month, file on SEDAR and make publicly available, as a notice of proceeds, a report disclosing the number and average price of Common Shares distributed pursuant to an ATM Distribution, as well as total gross proceeds, commissions and net proceeds.
20. The Issuer will also disclose in the annual and interim financial statements and management discussion and analysis filed on SEDAR in respect of that financial period, the number and average price of Common Shares sold pursuant to ATM Distributions during that annual or financial interim period, as well as total gross proceeds, commission and net proceeds.
Prospectus Delivery Requirement
21. Pursuant to the Prospectus Delivery Requirement, a dealer effecting a trade of securities offered under a prospectus is required to deliver a copy of the prospectus (including the applicable prospectus supplement(s) in the case of a base shelf prospectus) to the purchaser within prescribed time limits.
22. However, the delivery of the Prospectus is not practicable in the circumstances of an ATM Distribution, as neither the Agent nor a Selling Agent effecting the trade will know the identity of the purchasers.
23. Although purchasers under an ATM Distribution would not physically receive a printed prospectus, the Prospectus (together with all documents incorporated by reference therein) will be filed and readily available to all purchasers electronically via SEDAR. Moreover, the Issuer will issue a news release that specifies where and how copies of the Shelf Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement can be obtained.
24. The liability of an issuer or an underwriter (or others) for a misrepresentation in a prospectus pursuant to the civil liability provisions of the Legislation will not be affected by the grant of an exemption from the Prospectus Delivery Requirement, as purchasers of securities offered by a prospectus during the period of distribution have a right of action for damages or rescission, without regard to whether the purchaser relied on the misrepresentation or in fact received a copy of the prospectus.
Withdrawal Right and Right of Action for Non-Delivery
25. Pursuant to the Legislation, an agreement to purchase a security in respect of a distribution to which the prospectus requirement applies is not binding on the purchaser if a dealer receives, not later than midnight on the second day exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, after receipt by the purchaser of the latest prospectus or any amendment to the prospectus, a notice in writing that the purchaser does not intend to be bound by the agreement of purchase (the Withdrawal Right).
26. Pursuant to the Legislation, a purchaser of a security to whom a prospectus was required to be sent or delivered in compliance with the Prospectus Delivery Requirements, but was not so sent or delivered, has a right of action for rescission or damages against the dealer who did not comply with the Prospectus Delivery Requirements (the Right of Action for Non-Delivery).
27. Neither the Withdrawal Right nor the Right of Action for Non-Delivery is workable in the context of an ATM Distribution, because the Prospectus will not be delivered to a purchaser of Common Shares thereunder.
Prospectus Form Requirements
28. Exemptive relief from the Prospectus Form Requirements for the Issuer's forward-looking certificate in the Prospectus Supplement is required to reflect the fact that no pricing or other supplement will be filed subsequent to the Prospectus Supplement. Accordingly, the Issuer will file the Prospectus Supplement with the following certificate in substitution for the certificate prescribed by the Prospectus Form Requirements:
The short form prospectus, as supplemented by the foregoing, together with the documents incorporated in the prospectus by reference as of the date of a particular distribution of securities under the prospectus, will, as of that date, constitute full, true and plain disclosure of all material facts relating to the securities offered by the prospectus, as required by the securities legislation of each of the provinces and territories of Canada.
29. Exemptive relief from the Prospectus Form Requirements for the Agent's forward-looking certificate in the Prospectus Supplement is required to reflect the fact that no pricing or other supplement will be filed subsequent to the Prospectus Supplement. Accordingly, the Issuer will file the Prospectus Supplement with the following certificate in substitution for the underwriter certificate prescribed by the Prospectus Form Requirements:
To the best of our knowledge, information and belief, the short form prospectus, as supplemented by the foregoing, together with the documents incorporated in the prospectus by reference as of the date of a particular distribution of securities offered by the prospectus, will, as of that date, constitute full, true and plain disclosure of all material facts relating to the securities offered by the prospectus, as required by the securities legislation of each of the provinces and territories of Canada.
30. Exemptive relief from the Prospectus Form Requirements is required to allow the Prospectus to accurately reflect the relief granted from the Prospectus Delivery Requirement. Accordingly, the Issuer will include the following language in the Prospectus Supplement in substitution for the language prescribed by the Prospectus Form Requirements:
Securities legislation in certain of the provinces and territories of Canada provides purchasers with the right to withdraw from an agreement to purchase securities and with remedies for rescission or, in some jurisdictions, revision of the price, or damages if the prospectus, prospectus supplements relating to securities purchased by a purchaser and any amendment are not delivered to the purchaser, provided that the remedies are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by securities legislation. However, purchasers of Common Shares under an at-the-market distribution by the Issuer will not have the right to withdraw from an agreement to purchase the Common Shares and will not have remedies of rescission or, in some jurisdictions, revision of the price, or damages for non-delivery of the prospectus, because the prospectus, prospectus supplements relating to the Common Shares purchased by the purchaser and any amendment relating to Common Shares purchased by such purchaser will not be delivered as permitted under a decision dated •, 2016 and granted pursuant to National Policy 11-203 Process for Exemptive Relief Applications in Multiple Jurisdictions.
Securities legislation in certain of the provinces and territories of Canada also provides purchasers with remedies for rescission or, in some jurisdictions, revision of the price or damages if the prospectus, prospectus supplements relating to securities purchased by a purchaser and any amendment contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by securities legislation. Any remedies under securities legislation that a purchaser of Common Shares under an at-the-market distribution by the Issuer may have against the Issuer or the Agent for rescission or, in some jurisdictions, revision of the price, or damages if the prospectus, prospectus supplements relating to securities purchased by a purchaser and any amendment contain a misrepresentation remain unaffected by the non-delivery and the decision referred to above.
Purchasers should refer to applicable provisions of securities legislation and the decision referred to above for the particulars of these rights or consult with a legal adviser.
31. The modified disclosure of purchasers' rights set forth in section 30 above will be disclosed in the Prospectus Supplement and, solely as regards to ATM Distributions contemplated by the Prospectus Supplement, supersede and replace the statement of purchasers' rights contained in the Shelf Prospectus.
32. The statements required by subsections 5.5(2) and (3) of NI 44-102 to be included in the Shelf Prospectus will be qualified by adding the following ", except in cases where an exemption from such delivery requirements has been obtained".
Decision
Each of the Decision Makers is satisfied that the decision meets the test set out in the Legislation for the Decision Maker to make the decision.
The decision of the Decision Makers under the Legislation is that the Exemptive Relief is granted provided that:
(a) as it relates to the Prospectus Form Requirements, the disclosure described in sections 19, 20, 28, 29, 30 and 31 is made;
(b) as it relates to the Prospectus Delivery Requirements, the representations made in sections 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18 and 32 are complied with; and
(c) this decision will terminate 25 months after the issuance of the receipt for the Shelf Prospectus.
The further decision of the Decision Makers is that the Confidentiality Relief is granted.