The Franchises Act (Bill 38) was first introduced by the BC Government on October 1, 2015.
The Act and regulations create a standard set of rules under which BC franchisors and franchisees must follow. The Franchises Act creates protections for BC-based franchisees and prospective buyers of franchises. It also creates and important protections and clarity for franchisors regarding a number of areas including dispute resolution mechanisms, and requirements of pre-contractual disclosure.
Similar provincial franchise legislation already exists in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Introduction of provincial franchise legislation has also been influenced by the Uniform Law Conference of Canada publishing the Uniform Franchises Act in 2005. The BC Franchises Act was developed after extensive consultation and review, and mirrors many of the legal protections found in other provincial legislation, the Uniform Franchises Act, and those recommended by the BC Law Institute Report published in 2013.
Yes, it passed all three readings and the entire Act (sections 1-16) was brought into force on February 1, 2017 by BC Reg. 238/2016.
Franchises Act, SBC 2015, c. 35.
Yes.
BC Reg 238/2016 which also comes into force on February 1, 2017.
You can see how the bill proceeded through the legislature by using the table on this Progress of Bills page (just scroll to Bill 38) on the Legislative Assembly of BC website.
If you want a closer look, you can look at the Votes and Proceedings page for day-by-day breakdowns of legislative activity.
- Uniform Franchises Act and Regulations - Uniform Law Conference of Canada
- Report on a Franchises Act for British Columbia BCLI Report no. 76 - BCLI
- The BC Government’s Small Business and Reduction backgrounder on the Act
posted February 2017