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Only B.C. Residents Can File Class Actions in British Columbia

June 19, 2024

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Written By Katherine Booth

In MM Fund v. Excelsior Mining Corp. (MM Fund), the B.C. Court of Appeal upheld a decision striking a plaintiff's certification application because the plaintiff mutual fund was not a resident of British Columbia. Under s. 2(1) of the B.C. Class Proceedings Act (BCCA), only B.C. residents have standing to commence class proceedings in the province. The BCCA endorsed the "central management and control" test for determining the residency of a corporation or trust under the Class Proceedings Act

Here, the plaintiff fund was a resident of Ontario, not British Columbia—it was established under the laws of Ontario, its central management, control and trustees were located in Ontario, and it had no registered address or physical operations in British Columbia. The fact that the plaintiff was registered with the B.C. Securities Commission, was governed by the B.C. Securities Act, and offered units of its fund for sale in British Columbia did not make the plaintiff a B.C. resident.

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