Company Info
German companies often have a keen interest in learning more about a potential or existing business partner in Canada, or are confronted with a so-called number company (e.g. 123456 Ontario Inc.). CGCIC conducts register searches in the federal or provincial registers and compiles background information on Canadian companies.
Company info provided by CGCIC includes
- Summaries of respective business registers
- Application for publicly deposited documents and deeds (e.g. certificate of status)
- Application for certificates of declaring bankruptcy.
Notes on Canadian commercial registers
No central commercial register
Canada does not have a uniform commercial register. The federal government and provinces have their own registers, which are not centralized.
Publicly accessible information is limited compared to Germany and, like fees, varies considerably from register to register. In general, information about the assets of a company or the shareholders cannot be publicly accessed.
In most cases, however, it is possible to determine who the directors are, where the company has its registered office and whether it is active, i.e. whether it has fulfilled its statutory reporting obligations in the past.