The Ontario Government has recently announced some small improvements to the Ontario Business Registry that will be helpful for Ontario non-profits under the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (“ONCA”).
Here is the announcement from the Ministry of Public and Business Services Delivery and Procurement.
Ministry of Public and Business Services Delivery and Procurement
Notice: Service Interruption
On Sunday, August 10th, several enhancements to the Ontario Business Registry (OBR) will be rolled out to improve your user experience. As a result, the OBR online service will be temporarily unavailable Sunday, August 10, 2025, 6:00 am to 11:00 a.m. We apologize for any inconvenience.
The following are some key updates that will be added to the OBR system:
Customizable Special Provisions
· The predefined text in the Restated Articles of Incorporation under the Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (NFPCA) has been replaced with rich text editor fields, enabling users to customize their Special Provisions.
Navigation Enhancements in OBR Entities Profile
· The ‘Make Changes’ tab has been renamed to ‘Common Filings’.
· A new tab, ‘Other Filings’, has been added to better organize content.
· The ‘Business Names’ tab has been removed, with its content now integrated into the ‘Common Filings’ tab.
· These changes will appear in the ‘OBR Entities Profile’ tab.
Updated Filing Names
· For Ontario and Extra-Provincial Limited Partnership transactions, the filing name ‘Apply for Corrected Certificate’ has been changed to ‘Apply for Corrected Declaration’.
· For Extra-Provincial Foreign Corporations with Share transactions, the filing name ‘Apply for a Corrected Certificate’ has been updated to ‘Apply for a Corrected Licence’.
Business Name Renewal Messaging
· A new message has been added to the ’View Business Name’ page, reminding users that business name renewals can be submitted within six months prior to expiry.
· An updated message also clarifies that renewals must be filed within 60 days after expiry to maintain the business name’s active status.
Business Number Display Update
· Business Numbers (BNs) will no longer be displayed for Sole Proprietorships and Limited Partnerships. These entities will now receive their BNs directly from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
If your Ontario non-profit corporation requires legal advice with respect to governance or changes to your corporate documents, you can contact us to potentially retain our law firm.