FAIR Canada Deputy Director Ilana Singer recently attended the Capital Ideas 2010 Conference hosted by the British Columbia Securities Commission (the BCSC). The focus of the October 26, 2010 conference was on the Canadian venture issuer market, particularly the factors affecting the ability of small and medium sized enterprises in Alberta and British Columbia to access the venture market. The panel of Canadian experts included Brenda Leong (Chair and CEO, BCSC), Bill Rice (Chair and CEO, Alberta Securities Commission), and moderator Dr. Cristie Ford (pictured here).

While attending the BCSC conference, Ms. Singer met with senior representatives from the British Columbia Securities Commission in Vancouver and the Alberta Securities Commission in Calgary, as well as the Shareholder Association for Research and Education, the TSX Venture Exchange, and the Investors’ Aid Co-Operative. Discussions focused on numerous topics, including helping investors avoid fraudulent schemes and high-cost financial products, clarifying mutual fund fee statements, and ongoing investor education initiatives.

Overall, the conference and meetings helped FAIR Canada strengthen and solidify its relationship with organizations based in British Columbia and Alberta that are committed to improving investor protection in Canadian securities regulation. This is a positive step for FAIR Canada in its mission to represent the interests of investors in securities regulation across Canada.