Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology Act (S.C. 2001, c. 23)

Short Title

Marginal note:Short title

1 This Act may be cited as the Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology Act.

Interpretation

Marginal note:Definitions

2 The definitions in this section apply in this Act.

board

board means the board of directors of the Foundation. (conseil)

Chairperson

Chairperson means the Chairperson of the board appointed under paragraph 9(2)(a). (président)

corporation

corporation means the corporation described in the order made under subsection 35(1). (société)

director

director means a person who is on the board and includes the Chairperson. (administrateur)

eligible project

eligible project means a project carried on, or to be carried on, primarily in Canada by an eligible recipient to develop and demonstrate new technologies to promote sustainable development, including technologies to address issues related to climate change and the quality of air, water and soil. (travaux admissibles)

eligible recipient

eligible recipient means an entity that

• (a) is established in Canada and carries on or, in the opinion of the board, is capable of carrying on eligible projects;

• (b) meets the criteria of eligibility established in any agreement entered into between Her Majesty in right of Canada and the Foundation for provision of funding by Her Majesty to the Foundation; and

• (c) has legal capacity or is composed of organizations, each of which has legal capacity. (bénéficiaire admissible)

employee or agent of Her Majesty in right of a province

employee or agent of Her Majesty in right of a province does not include an employee or agent of Her Majesty in right of a province whose duties and functions in that capacity are restricted to work in a university, college or other educational institution. (fonctionnaire ou mandataire de Sa Majesté du chef d’une province)

Foundation

Foundation means the Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology referred to in section 3. (Fondation)

member

member means a person who is a member of the Foundation. (membre)

Minister

Minister means the member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada who is designated by the Governor in Council as the Minister for the purposes of this Act. (ministre)

not-for-profit organization

not-for-profit organization means a corporation, society, association, university, research institute, organization or body no part of whose income is payable to or otherwise available for the personal benefit of any of its proprietors, members or shareholders. (organisation sans but lucratif)

special resolution

special resolution means a resolution of the members passed by a majority of not less than two thirds of the votes cast by the members who voted on the resolution at a meeting of members or signed by all the members entitled to vote on the resolution. (résolution extraordinaire)

sustainable development

sustainable development means development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (développement durable)

Continuation of the Corporation

Marginal note:Continuation

• 3 (1) The corporation is continued as a corporation without share capital, to be called the Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology, consisting of the Foundation’s members and directors.

• Marginal note:Powers, duties and functions

  (2) If under any Act of Parliament, any instrument made under an Act of Parliament or any contract, licence or other document, a power, duty or function is vested in or exercisable by the corporation, the power, duty or function is vested in or exercisable by the Foundation.

• Marginal note:References

  (3) Every reference to the corporation in any deed, contract, agreement or other document executed by the corporation shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be read as a reference to the Foundation.

• Marginal note:Rights and obligations

  (4) All rights and property of the corporation and all obligations of the corporation are transferred to the Foundation.

• Marginal note:Commencement of legal proceedings

  (5) Any action, suit or other legal proceeding in respect of an obligation or liability incurred by the corporation may be brought against the Foundation in any court that would have had jurisdiction if the action, suit or other legal proceeding had been brought against the corporation.

• Marginal note:Continuation of legal proceedings

  (6) Any action, suit or other legal proceeding to which the corporation is party pending in any court immediately before the day on which this section comes into force may be continued by or against the Foundation in like manner and to the same extent as it could have been continued by or against the corporation.

• Marginal note:By-laws

  (7) Every by-law of the corporation is, to the extent that it is not inconsistent with this Act, a by-law of the Foundation.

• Marginal note:Officers and employees

  (8) Nothing in this Act affects the status of any person who, immediately before the day on which this section comes into force, was an officer or employee of the corporation except that, as of that day, the person is an officer or employee, as the case may be, of the Foundation.

Marginal note:Foundation not agent of Her Majesty

4 The Foundation is not an agent of Her Majesty.

Marginal note:Objects and purposes of Foundation

5 The objects and purposes of the Foundation are to provide funding to eligible recipients for eligible projects.

Marginal note:Capacity

6 For the purposes of carrying out its objects and purposes, the Foundation has the capacity and, subject to this Act, the rights, powers and privileges of a natural person.

Marginal note:Head office

7 The head office of the Foundation shall be in a place in Canada designated by the Governor in Council.

Marginal note:Canada Business Corporations Act

• 8 (1) The following provisions of the Canada Business Corporations Act apply, with any modifications that the circumstances require, to the Foundation and its directors, members, officers and employees as if the Foundation were a corporation incorporated under that Act, this Act were its articles of incorporation and its members were its shareholders:

  • (a) section 16 (by-law not required to confer powers on Foundation, restriction on powers of Foundation and validity of acts of Foundation);

  • (b) subsection 21(1) (access to Foundation’s records by members and creditors);

  • (c) section 23 (corporate seal not needed to validate instrument);

  • (d) subsections 103(1) to (4) (powers of directors to make and amend by-laws, members’ approval of by-laws and effective date of by-laws);

  • (e) subsection 105(1) (qualifications of directors);

  • (f) subsection 108(2) (resignation of director);

  • (g) section 110 (right of director to attend members’ meetings and statements by retiring directors);

  • (h) subsections 114(1) and (2) (place of directors’ meetings and quorum);

  • (i) section 116 (validity of acts of directors and officers);

  • (j) section 117 (validity of directors’ resolutions not passed at meeting);

  • (k) section 120 (conflict of interest of directors);

  • (l) subsection 122(1) (duty of care of directors and officers);

  • (m) section 123 (directors’ dissents);

  • (n) subsections 124(1) to (4) (indemnification of directors and insurance for directors’ liability);

  • (o) paragraph 133(b) (special meetings of members);

  • (p) section 155 (financial statements);

  • (q) section 158 (approval of financial statements by directors);

  • (r) section 159 (sending financial statements to members before annual meeting and penalty for failure);

  • (s) section 161 (qualifications of auditor);

  • (t) section 168 (rights and duties of auditor);

  • (u) section 169 (examination by auditor);

  • (v) section 170 (right of auditor to information);

  • (w) subsections 171(3) to (9) (duty and administration of audit committee and penalty for failure to comply);

  • (x) section 172 (qualified privilege in defamation for auditor’s statements); and

  • (y) subsections 257(1) and (2) (certificates of Foundation as evidence).

• Marginal note:Description with cross-references

  (2) The descriptive words in parentheses that follow a reference to a provision of the Canada Business Corporations Act in subsection (1) form no part of that subsection but are inserted for convenience of reference only.

• Marginal note:Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act

  (3) The Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act does not apply to the Foundation.

Directors

Marginal note:Continuation of board of directors of corporation

• 9 (1) The board of directors of the corporation ceases to exist and there shall be a board of directors of the Foundation that shall supervise the management of the business and affairs of the Foundation and, subject to the by-laws of the Foundation, exercise all its powers.

• Marginal note:Appointment of directors

  (2) Subject to subsection (4), the board consists of

  • (a) the Chairperson of the board appointed by the Governor in Council on the Minister’s recommendation;

  • (b) six persons appointed by the Governor in Council on the Minister’s recommendation; and

  • (c) eight persons appointed by the members in accordance with subsection 13(5) and the by-laws of the Foundation.

• Marginal note:Eligibility for directors

  (3) A person is not eligible to be appointed as a director if the person

  • (a) is a member of the Senate, the House of Commons or the legislature of a province;

  • (b) is an employee or agent of Her Majesty in right of Canada or in right of a province;

  • (c) does not ordinarily reside in Canada; or

  • (d) is disqualified under subsection 105(1) of the Canada Business Corporations Act.

• Marginal note:Initial organization

  (4) If the Chairperson is appointed before directors have been appointed under paragraph (2)(c), the Chairperson and any other directors that may have been appointed under paragraph (2)(b) constitute the board until directors are appointed under paragraph (2)(c) and may

  • (a) undertake the organization of the Foundation including the appointment of officers and employees;

  • (b) make banking arrangements for the Foundation;

  • (c) enact organizational by-laws for the Foundation; and

  • (d) receive on behalf of the Foundation any moneys paid to the Foundation.

• Marginal note:Limitation

  (5) Until directors are appointed under paragraph (2)(c), the Foundation shall not provide any funding from the funds of the Foundation or enter into any agreements or arrangements, or review any applications, for or in respect of funding to be provided from the funds of the Foundation.

• Marginal note:Foundation not owned by Crown

  (6) The operation of the Foundation under subsection (4) by the Chairperson and any directors appointed under paragraph (2)(b) shall not, despite subsection 83(2) of the Financial Administration Act, result in the Foundation being considered, for the purposes of Part X of that Act or for any other purpose, to be wholly owned directly by Her Majesty in right of Canada.