Canada Cooperatives Act (S.C. 1998, c. 1)

Marginal note:Required name

• 20. (1) A cooperative must have the word “cooperative”, “co-operative”, “coop”, “co-op”, “coopérative”, “united” or “pool”, or another grammatical form of any of those words, as part of its name.

• Marginal note:Use of abbreviation

  (2) A cooperative that has the word “cooperative”, “co-operative”, “coop”, “co-op” or “coopérative”, or another grammatical form of any of those words, as part of its name may use and be legally designated by any of those words or forms.

• Marginal note:Business restriction

  (3) If the business of a cooperative is restricted by its articles or by a resolution of its members to a specific business purpose, the cooperative must have as part of its name one or more words that suggest the nature of the restriction.

• Marginal note:Alternate form

  (4) The name of a cooperative may be set out in its articles in an English form, a French form, an English form and a French form, or a combined English and French form, so long as the combined form meets the prescribed criteria. The cooperative may use and be legally designated by any such form.

• (5) [Repealed, 2001, c. 14, s. 144]

• Marginal note:Identification outside Canada

  (6) A cooperative may set out in its articles its name in any language form and, if it does, it may use and be legally designated outside Canada by its name in that form.

• Marginal note:Publication of name

  (7) A cooperative must set out its name in legible characters in all contracts, invoices, negotiable instruments and orders for things or services made by or on behalf of the cooperative and in all documents filed with the Director under this Act.

Marginal note:Other name

21. Subject to subsection 20(3) and section 23, a cooperative may carry on business or identify itself by a name or style other than as set out in its articles.

Marginal note:Reservation of name

22. The Director may, on request, reserve for ninety days a name for an intended cooperative or for one that intends to change its name.

Marginal note:Prohibited names

23. A cooperative may not be incorporated with, have, carry on business under or identify itself by a name that is

• (a) prohibited, or deceptively misdescriptive, as may be prescribed; or

• (b) reserved for another body corporate.

Marginal note:Direction to change name

• 24. (1) The Director may direct a cooperative to change its name if the cooperative’s name contravenes section 23 when the cooperative comes into existence or is continued.

• Marginal note:Revocation of name

  (2) If a cooperative has not complied with a direction under subsection (1) within sixty days after it is served with a written copy of the direction, the Director may issue a certificate of amendment revoking the name of the cooperative and assigning a new name to it.

• Marginal note:Undertaking to change name

  (3) If a cooperative acquires a name as a result of a person undertaking to dissolve or to change names, and the undertaking is not honoured, the Director may direct the cooperative to change its name in accordance with section 289, unless the undertaking is honoured within the period specified in subsection (2).

• Marginal note:Amendment of articles when certificate of amendment issued

  (4) The articles of the cooperative are deemed to be amended accordingly on the date shown in the certificate of amendment issued under subsection (2).

• Marginal note:Notice of revocation

  (5) On issuing a certificate of amendment under subsection (2), the Director must give notice of the change of name without delay in a publication generally available to the public.