On February 1, 2017, the British Columbia Franchises Act and Regulations came into effect making British Columbia the sixth province in Canada with franchise legislation. The introduction of franchise legislation in British Columbia means franchisors operating in the Province will need to create or revise existing franchise disclosure documents (for other Provinces) in order to meet their obligations under the new laws.

While substantially similar to franchise legislation in other provinces, the British Columbia franchise legislation does bear differences that franchisors need to be aware of including those pertaining to:

• Deposits

• Methods of Delivery

• Financial Statements

• Advertising Funds

• Training and Manuals

• Territory and Proximity

• Alternative Dispute Resolution

• Information on Current and Former Franchisees

• Negative Statements

• Guarantees and Security Interests